text:
Various machines have been developed to address the need for countermeasures of bone and muscle deterioration when humans operate over extended time in space. Even though these machines are in use, each of them has many limitations that need to be addressed in an effort to prepare for human missions to distant bodies in the solar system.
An exercise exoskeleton was conceived that performs on-demand resistivity by inducing force and torque impedance via ElectroRheological Fluid (ERF). The resistive elements consist of pistons that are moving inside ERF-filled cylinders or a donut-shaped cavity, and the fluid flows through the piston when the piston is moved. Tests of the operation of ERF against load showed the feasibility of this approach.
The inside of the piston consists of parallel electrodes with alternating polarity that increase the ERF viscosity when activated. This increase leads to the formation of a virtual valve inside the piston creating impeding force to the piston motion. The cross-sectional area of the piston is mostly hollow to allow low piston resistance to the motion when the electrodes are not activated, and produce high impedance when the electrodes are activated. A balanced volume is created on the two sides of the piston so that pushing it will only involve fluid flow against the effect of the increased viscosity in the gaps between the electrodes.
The elements are shaped as a cylinder or donut with a piston that is moved inside the internal cavity containing ERF. The elements have a piston inside the cavity with shafts on its two sides. The piston is pushed or pulled inside the chambers and consists of parallel electrodes with opposing polarity wired through one of the shafts. When the electrodes are subjected to electric field, they form a virtual valve causing increased viscosity and impeded flow. Using ERF offers the ability to proportionally (as a function of the voltage) increase the viscosity of the fluid with a very fast reaction time on the order of milliseconds. The feasibility of this approach is straightforward from the nature of ERF materials and preliminary tests made in the lab.
ERF properties of high yield stress, low current density, and fast response (less than one millisecond) offer essential characteristics for the construction of the exoskeleton. ERFs can apply very high electrically controlled resistive forces or torque while their size (weight and geometric parameters) can be very small. Their long life and ability to function in a wide temperature range (from –40 to 200 ºC) allows for their use in extreme environments. ERFs are also non-abrasive, non-toxic, and nonpolluting (meet health and safety regulations).
The technology is applicable as a compact exercise machine for astronauts' countermeasure of microgravity, an exercise machine for sport, or as a device for rehabilitation of patients with limb issues.
This work was done by Yoseph Bar-Cohen, Mircea Badescu, and Stewart Sherrit of Caltech for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NPO-48393
This Brief includes a Technical Support Package (TSP).
On-Command Force and Torque Impeding Devices (OC-FTID) Using ERF
(reference NPO-48393) is currently available for download from the TSP library.
Don't have an account? Sign up here.


text:
More than years past, this draft is completely up in the air. Even the No. 1 pick. The economy is forcing organizations to make atypical decisions on the the future, meaning lots of trades and out-of-the-box moves. Griffin is the sure first pick, but even though the Clippers said they would take him, there are no guarantees.
We could set a record for the number of trades and have fewer international picks then in years past. After Ricky Rubio, there is not another recognizable non-US player – besides Brandon Jennings. On the ESPN list of the top 20 prospects, you will not see any other foreign born, besides Rubio, in the Top-20. And finally at No. 30 we see another international player, 6'9″ small forward Omri Casspi from Israel.
So that being said, it will make for an interesting night. And my Top-6 have at least one surprise.
1. Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
Everything about this is pointing to an epic failure. One, it's the Clippers. Two, the choice is too obvious. Three, they have too many post players with too much money tied to those players.
This is the third time the Clippers have had the first pick of the draft, first in 1998 – Michael "I am a total bust, what the hell is giving the idea I will be good" Olowokandi and ten years earlier in 1988 with Danny Manning.
But Griffin is the obvious choice. There is no debate. But two random thoughts. 1. Will the Clippers make any kind of trade around this pick – i.e. the pick or other players? 2. Would Griffin have been the No. 1 pick in last years draft?
2. Memphis Grizzlies: Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut
While I picked Thabeet at this pick, Ricky Rubio is a better pick and player, and I am positive the Grizzlies are looking to trade down.
But if they keep the pick, Thabeet does make sense as Mike Conley seems to have the backing of the organization. Thabeet will give them a shot blocker and a decent rebounder. But is still very early in his basketball development. He is 7'3″ and is much more athletic than people give him credit, and be able to get easy buckets on put-backs and in the lane dunks.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder: James Harden, Arizona State
I have seen Jrue Holiday at this pick who is very similar to Russell Westbrook but I am not sure that you can skip over Rubio at this spot. Thabeet works here, but I am not sure he will drop down to No. 3. The major needs are at the PG/SG and C spot but no other center is worth a top-ten pick.
The Thunder must decide if Westbrook is a true point guard, shooting guard or a combo guard. If they come to the conclusion that Westbrook is the man at point, then they will pick Harden. If he is a SG/Combo guard, they will pick Rubio. Both are ready to contribute from day one.
4. Sacramento Kings: Ricky Rubio, Spain
If Rubio is available at No. 4, new coach Paul Westphal will need smelling salts. Kevin Martin is the teams best player at the two spot, Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes are going to be a solid, yet young, front court, and there is a need at the small forward spot. But Westpahl can not ignore the fact that Beno Udrih was the starter for the majority of the year, then 36-year-old Bobby Jackson started the last ten games of the season and Will Solomon is your back-up.
Rubio = Instant upgrade.
5. Washington Wizards: Jordan Hill, Arizona
At No. 5, the Wizards could go anywhere. They need to draft a highly-qualified doctor to put the team up mid-season when the fall apart.
Hill is high energy and low basketball IQ. He would help right away, but does not have the up-side that many other picks. But he is something the Wizards need to win now with Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antwan Jamison.
I could see them going with Steph Curry or Jonny Fylnn or trading this pick.
6. Minnesota Timberwolves: Tyreke Evans, Memphis
The T'Wolves need talent, plain and simple. Evans is a great fit as someone who can handle the ball, create his own shot, is over 6'4″ tall, and has monster upside.
Minnesota has needs at point guard, shooting guard, and center, but are not going to find a productive center anywhere near this pick. I have seen Curry and DeMar DeRozan at this pick, I like Curry, but not here. The Wolves will trade the pick unless they can get Thabeet or Rubio.
If they keep this pick, they need to pick Evans. This team is young and if they can keep the mature and grow through the remainder of Al Jefferson's contract, this team will be a force.

subset: commoncrawl


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- diff -u: What's New in Kernel Development
- Ten Years Ago in Linux Journal
- Best Network Pickings
- They Said It
- On the Web
- Freedom-Compatible HDTV Boxes: Time Is Running Out
diff -u: What's New in Kernel Development
Wichert Akkerman, the former Debian Project leader, noticed some pretty weird behavior under 2.6.10-ac10. Doing a df command, he found that his disk usage was reported to be -73786976294838127736. Suspecting an error, he posted to the linux-kernel mailing list, but although several folks offered speculation on what had happened, Wichert had fixed the problem with e2fsck and was unable to do further tests to confirm one explanation or the other. This sort of thing happens from time to time—a strange, unexplained anomaly. Maybe it will appear again in some later kernel version and be diagnosed, or maybe it was a hardware glitch.
Mitch Williams recently found that files in SysFS could not be appended to. Any attempt to do so would overwrite the old data with the new. Even opening the file and seeking to the end before writing would have the same effect. Greg Kroah-Hartman confirmed that this was not at all the intended behavior, especially considering that SysFS would overwrite the data without giving any error message. Mitch had a patch ready to correct both cases—appending and seeking—and after some small patch-splitting discussion with Greg, it looks as though SysFS's behavior will change so file operations appear more normal.
A new email@example.com mailing list has been created. The purpose of this list is to receive reports of security exploits before they become commonly available, so the Linux developers can create and distribute fixes before attackers can create and deploy attacks. One of the features of this list is that subscription is by invitation only, and the archives are not made immediately available, as they are with the regular linux-kernel mailing list. Linus Torvalds, who has said he personally would much prefer a completely open style of development, has joined the list, with the idea that the greater secrecy urged by folks like Marcelo Tosatti regarding nonpublic security issues might turn out to be a good idea after all. In any event, he's willing to try it and see. This sort of issue inevitably will be controversial, especially among strong advocates of the open-source development model.
Jake Moilanen has created a genetic algorithm library within the kernel to help tune the input/output scheduler, as well as the process scheduler. Traditionally, these schedulers (especially the process scheduler) have been notoriously difficult to get right, because of the tremendous variety of user behavior. How can developers be sure that any particular algorithm will work best under any particular set of user activities? Really, they can't. Something like Jake's work, if feasible, could pave the way for an entirely new method of tuning kernel parameters. At the same time, genetic algorithms tend to be unpredictable in their results, and unpredictability is not necessarily desirable in a kernel. I imagine developers would be resistant to including this sort of patch unless it could produce very large and measurable performance improvements. Even then, they might want to include only the results of the genetic tuning and not the actual genetic algorithm itself. Time will tell.
In the saga of Software Suspend, Pavel Machek recently enabled swsusp for SMP machines. Before now, this had not been supported, but apparently starting with 2.6.11 it should be possible to use Software Suspend successfully on SMP systems. Little by little, the swsusp code advances, and the controversy and acrimony of competing code bases that we saw over the past year is starting to fade away. Of course, Software Suspend is an inherently tricky problem, because some hardware simply won't cooperate. In such situations controversy will be inevitable, and the difficulty of knowing the best way to tackle a given problem tends to become a question of unpleasant trade-offs. But, swsusp certainly is looking very promising right now.
There's been a lot of maintainership activity recently among new and existing kernel projects alike. Andrew Vasquez is now the official maintainer of the QLogic QLA2XXX FC-SCSI driver. Tony Luck has taken over IA-64 maintainership from David Mosberger-Tang. Matthias Kunze has taken over the apparently unmaintained Enhanced Linux Progress Patch and forward-ported it to 2.6.10. Adrian Bunk has taken over the util-linux project from Andries Brouwer, after Andries had put out a call for a new maintainer back in September 2004.
Related to the issue of maintainership, the MAINTAINERS file may start identifying mailing lists that can receive posts only from subscribers. Traditionally, Linux development lists are open to all posters to encourage bug reports from as many users as possible, but not all kernel-related projects agree with this policy. For those who don't, folks like Domen Puncer have been submitting patches to identify those lists as subscriber-only. Earlier, Domen had tried removing mailing lists like the linux-arm-kernel list from the MAINTAINERS file for this reason, but after some negative feedback from folks like Alan Cox, he opted for his current approach instead.
Ten Years Ago in Linux Journal
Internet services were the flavor of the month for the May 1995 issue, and Eric Kasten covered the basics of setting up the CERN and NCSA Web servers. Hacking the source to fix a vulnerability listed on CERT, along with editing the Makefile, were key steps for getting the latter going.
Piers Cawley covered setting up the Majordomo mailing-list manager, including how to add a patch to force Majordomo to send out a digest if messages are sitting around for too long. Daniel Hollis covered setting up a Linux server for an ISP. The hardware included an Intel 486DX4/100 processor, a 16-port serial card and 28.8k and 14.4k modems.
Walnut Creek CD-ROM advertised a two-CD Slackware set. The minimum memory requirement was 4MB, and according to the ad, a "typical installation" with development tools, Sendmail and X would require about 40MB.
Finally, Linus Torvalds released Linux 1.2.0 with a parody of Microsoft licensing terms, including the "I've got too much money" license. The real license in the actual code stayed GPL, of course.
Best Network Pickings
Netapplet is a neat little network interface control applet that lets users select networks and interfaces. Because the air in most civilized places is now thick with Wi-Fi signals, available networks are represented by horizontal bars representing signal quality and handy little padlock icons representing WEP locks. That means you can warwalk (or wardrive, or warfly) and select open networks on the fly. This makes it a must-have app for every mobile Linux user.
It was written, coincidentally, by contributing editor Robert Love, along with his colleague Joe Shaw, but I discovered it while walking the floor at the latest LinuxWorld Expo, looking for cool stuff. It was the coolest thing I saw at the show.
Robert points out that netapplet has a few other neat features too. It automatically will fall back to a new wireless network when your current network goes away. It stores WEP keys in an encrypted gnome-keyring for automatic reconnection and works around a bunch of wireless driver bugs to make the experience better.
By the way, it works with wired networks and PPP dial-up connections as well.
Robert (who wrote Linux Kernel Development and works for Novell) wrote netapplet for SUSE, but packages are available for other distros.
More information is available at primates.ximian.com/~rml. .
They Said It
Life's too short for single-source software.
—Bdale Garbee (at OSDL conference, Feb 2, 2005)
This really is the future I wanted. Although I expected longer battery life.
—James Lileks, www.lileks.com/bleats/archive/05/0205/020705.html
You can't regulate washing machines. You can't rule the world.
—Judge David Sentelle, District of Columbia Circuit Court, on the FCC Broadcast Flag regulation (as reported by Declan McCullagh of CNET, news.com.com/Court+questions+FCCs+broadcast+flag+rules/2100-1030_3-5585533.html)
Teach a man to use the Internet and he will leave you alone.
—Hanan Cohen, www.info.org.il/english/in_the_darkness.html
On the Web
If you're curious about how Joe Ruffolo and Ron Terry used the various open-source software mentioned in their article (page 82) to connect the Utah College of Applied Technology satellite campuses, see their follow-up Web article, "A Reading List for Linux in the Classroom" (www.linuxjournal.com/article/8124). There, they point to good sources for more information on Samba, OpenLDAP and other software, so you can do your own project.
Didn't make it to Germany for CeBit 2005? We didn't either, but Stefan Cars did. Check out his show review, "CeBit 2005: On the Scene in Hannover" (www.linuxjournal.com/article/8125), to see what you missed. And with "6,207 exhibitors (52% from abroad) and a net display area of 309,000 square meters", we're guessing you missed a lot.
Our Web article series on embedded development wrapped up recently with "An Introduction to Embedded Linux Development, Part 4" (www.linuxjournal.com/article/8122). In the final installment, Ben Anderson and Richard Sevenich discuss how to use the Background Debug Mode provided in Motorola processors. Meanwhile, Larry Finger wraps up his Web series with "Linux in a Windows Workstation Environment, Part 3" (www.linuxjournal.com/article/8126), a description of using "our Linux server to provide VPN tunnels that secure our users' transmissions over a Wi-Fi network that is required to be unsecure".
Freedom-Compatible HDTV Boxes: Time Is Running Out
Linux user group mailing lists are buzzing with announcements for personal video recorder "Build-Ins". The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has put together easy-to-follow instructions for turning a PC plus a high-definition TV card into a Linux-based personal video recorder, using Knoppix and MythTV.
Seth Schoen wrote about the threat of the proposed Broadcast Flag regulation two years ago in Linux Journal. Unfortunately, for anyone interested in Fair Use or do-it-yourself HDTV projects, the US FCC adopted the regulation, which will put draconian "robustness" requirements on any device that handles an HDTV signal, in effect making it illegal to support a GPL device driver. The regulation is scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2005.
The EFF, along with other organizations including the American Library Association, Consumers Union and the Medical Library Association, has filed a lawsuit to challenge Broadcast Flag. Lawyers for both sides argued the case before the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in February 2005.
Instead of biting your nails waiting for the courts, get parts and build a PVR while you still can. Turn your friends who want a cool system like yours into technology freedom supporters. One group, Bay Area Debian, turned the "build-in" into an excuse for a group trip to Fry's, the discount electronics store where aisles sometimes turn into informal peer-to-peer Linux hardware support seminars.
Check out the EFF's Broadcast Flag page. Their "cookbook" is a great first family Linux project: eff.org/broadcastflag.
To order your pcHTDV card ($169.98 US), visit www.pchdtv.com.


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Spanish strikes loom as Coke bottler axes four factories
Coke's newly consolidated bottler in Spain and Portugal has begun a 30-day consultation period with unions and staff ending February 21 but trade unions FITAG UGT and Federación Agroalimentariade Comisiones Obreras plan demonstrations and strikes to "avoid layoffs at all costs".
FITAG UGT has agreed to start a process of mobilization with other unions to oppose the move, but said members will begin two-day strikes in all workplaces during the consultation, while street demos could culminate in a large-scale event in Madrid in its last week.
Bottler aims to safeguard 'future viability'
Several weeks ago Coca-Cola Iberian Partners told unions that it planned to implement redundancies as a consequence of the closures and said the changed would affect around 1,200 staff at seven bottlers nationwide, since 500 more affected staff must move to other sites to keep their jobs.
Coke employs 4,200 staff in Spain, and under the plan sites in Fuenlabrada (Madrid), Alicante, Palma de Mallorca and Asturias will be closed, with Coca-Cola Iberian Partners insisting the changes are necessary on efficiency and competitiveness grounds to safeguard the firm's "future viability".
But the unions are in a combative mood and insist the company is not loss making.
March 2013 saw Coke CEO Muhtar Kent sign a deal with the local, led by chair Sol Daurella, that saw it become the group's unified bottling partner for Spain and Portugal.
Unifying the activities of seven bottlers
Kent said he believed that having one unified bottler in Spain would ultimately prove more efficient and effective as Coke aimed to meet the needs of retail and restaurant customers.
Daurella said when the deal was signed: "The integration process in Iberia, which began two years ago, aims to unify the activities of seven companies with different territorial scopes and to simplify the shareholder system."
At the time, colorful Coca-Cola Iberia president, Marcos de Quinto held up Spain and Portugal as a worldwide example of "how to combine the strengths of a global company with the territorial strength of bottling partners".
"The challenge is to build a model system, exportable to other markets, where we can replicate all the capacities that the Coca-Cola system has shown in the Iberian market," he said.


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Second Stage Housing is a supportive transitional housing program for youth who are no longer able to live at home and need some assistance as they move towards independence. The program provides safe, supportive housing and life-skills programs for youth currently involved in a fulltime combination of school, training, treatment or employment.
During their stay, with the support of a Second Stage worker, youth will develop an individual goal plan which identifies strengths, challenges and ways to achieve success. The plan is reviewed regularly to celebrate progress and to address the barriers encountered on the way to achieving successful independent living.
While in the program youth will participate in regular group and individual life-skills workshops. The workshops are intended to be interesting, fun and informative. Sessions are delivered mostly in a group format to provide the opportunity to socialize and promote a mutually supportive and respectful living environment for residents.
Youth in the program must be able to pay the program fee and cover the cost of personal needs such as food, transportation, bedding and toiletries. Program fees are set at the maximum shelter allowance rate for social assistance recipients to ensure the program remains affordable.
To participate:
- Youth must be between the ages of 16-21
- Involved in school, work, treatment, other programs or a combination of agreed upon programs
- Willing to accept the residency guidelines, including following a case plan, and attending life skills groups
- Must be motivated to work with Second Stage Housing staff on an individual goal plan
- Have demonstrated a respect for property and personal living space
- Able to provide proof of income
Youth are referred to Second Stage Housing by other youth, families, schools, health and social service agencies. To access the program:
- Submit an application to the Y Youth Support Worker, which may be done in person, by email or fax.
- If eligible, an assessment interview is arranged. The youth will have the opportunity to obtain more information about the program.
- Once references have been contacted, the youth will be informed of the decision regarding their entry into the program - usually within four business days. As space is limited, there may be a need for the youth to remain on a waiting list.
Contact Information: Call 613-237-1320 ext. 2578 or email us at email@example.com for more information.
|Locations offering this program
|Taggart Family Y


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Professional Community for Car Dealers, Marketing, Advertising and Sales Leaders
Time: May 15, 2012 at 1pm to May 17, 2012 at 8pm
Location: Monte Carlo Casino & Hotel
City/Town: Las Vegas
Website or Map: http://www.automotivebootcamp…
Phone: 908-601-6475
ADM Event Type: conference
Organized By: First Class Educators
Latest ADM Activity: Apr 11, 2012
Export to Outlook or iCal (.ics)
ADM members are invited to attend the 2012 Automotive Boot Camp, May 15-17th in Las Vegas.
Rooms are $59 a night and ADM members can get a special discount by contacting Carrie Hemphill directly at 1-908-601-6475 and mentioning promotion code "ADM2012".
ADM members can participate in 48 workshops and a world class morning fitness program. Meals and cocktail receptions are included so get the details by visiting http://www.automotivebootcamp.com
Thanks for having Ed Parkinson out there to discuss how dealers can be present at Every Moment of Truth.
Looking forward to it!
All in.
Wouldn't miss it for the world... I'll be there
I also want to take a moment to welcome a few more key speakers that have joined the Boot Camp speaking team; @SeanStapleton @HowardPolirer @AJLeBlanc @JDRucker @TimByrd @BenAnderson @BrittanyRichter @SteveMurphy and @EdParkinson
It is going to be a great event and I look forward to seeing you all there!
See you there!
Looking forward to being there Brian!
The speakers include automotive superstars like @RalphPaglia @JimZiegler @Joe Webb @TimothyMartell @ChristineRochelle @DavePage @JimFlint @MattMurray @JerryThibeau @TracyMyers @GlenGarvin @GeorgeNennni @JimmyVee @TravisMiller @EgonSmola @DuncanScarry @JoniStuker @MarcMcGurren
And the list keeps getting better. I'm also so pleased that both the Google Automotive Team and Microsoft will be sharing the latest insights into digital marketing to attendees.
A number of big surprises are still coming but tickets are selling out fast...
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Greater Things is a new album released by newly-signed recording artist and worship leader Mack Brock. After leading worship for over 15 years with Elevation Worship, Mack Brock has begun his own solo artist career with this new album which focuses on God's faithfulness when going through the unknown. With featured tracks like "Greater Things," "Heart Wide Open," and "Into Dust," there's no denying his mission to lead others to become more aware of the presence of God.
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No High Flow Experiment at Lees Ferry in 2017!
Just got the official news that there will be no high flow experiment this year due to the lack of sediment. This is good news for the river and trout fishing. Perhaps this will give the government more time to come to their senses and realize that fall floods are unnatural occurrences and a waste of taxpayer money and time. Offical announcement here:
This email is to inform you that there is not sufficient sediment to support implementing a high flow experiment (HFE) at Glen Canyon Dam during the fall 2017 planning window; therefore an HFE will not be tested this fall. This determination is based on the best available sediment and streamflow data and sand budget modeling to date. Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC) scientists and Reclamation modelers considered cumulative sediment inputs from July 1 through midnight October 9th in making this determination. In order to facilitate advance planning for a potential HFE this fall, the HFE technical team determined that October 9th was the latest date for which sediment inputs could be considered for a potential HFE this fall. The determination that no HFE has been triggered this fall is made in accordance with the process for sediment related experiments described in the Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan Record of Decision.
Terry Gunn
Fantastic news!!
HFEs in the fall have never made any sense what so ever to me.
1. There is nothing "natural" about a high flow event in the fall. Peak runoffs occur in the late spring.
2. I know there is total disregard for the trout fishery however why go out of your way to destroy it? Think of the most detrimental thing you could do (short of turning off the water or poisoning) and you would come up with a HFE in the fall. Going into the winter months, the trout depend on the food sources that have been getting established all summer. The fall HFE flushes out the grass beds and thin silt layers that hold the winters supply of midge larvae and crustaceans. The result: poor fish in the spring going into the spawn.
Looking forward to next year already!!
Amen to all of that!!! The illogic of fall floods is exemplary of government logic at its best. Most of us can remember when the Ferry was a fishery that drew people from all of the world-not just our country but when was the last time we've seen or heard of it mentioned in that context. Hope you're right Terry. Maybe you should try to start up a grass roots effort to pressure the powers to be to follow their own recommendations that they came up with last year in the study (EIS, if I remember correctly) they did. I'm sure we would all get on board with both feet. It's sad to say that we have to get the government to stay out of things just to save a resource like the Ferry and let it return to some semblance of its former awesome self.
While I'm at it, why do they call the HFE and "Experiment". There's nothing experimental about it at this point. The governments own studies have clearly proven that the whole concept of fall flooding is totally unnatural and devastating to the Ferry as a fishery. As just stated, we know they don't care about that but I also ask-why do they go out of their way to destroy it? Maybe that's the tongue in cheek strategy to save the endangered suckers.
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main(713) 222-2273
Schedule an appointment online with ScheduleNow
Imaging & Diagnostic Services
Care Services
Appointments & Doctors
Your Visit
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Patient Support
Forensic Nurse Response Team
To search Houston doctors, please select a specialty & submit your Zip Code below.
To schedule an appointment online, select provider type, service and submit your ZIP code below.
The Forensic Nursing Unit follows a detailed process of evaluation to provide comprehensive and timely service. This process involves four steps: a thorough evaluation by the triage nurse; a full medical screening exam; office registration process; a complete forensic exam by a forensic nurse.
Step 1
During the initial evaluation, the triage nurse determines the reason for the patient's visit, obtains vital signs and documents medical history.
The nurse makes sure police have been notified. If the patient has not reported the incident to the police, the triage nurse can call. Reporting does not mean that a patient must proceed with the investigation, but police must be notified in order for evidence to be collected.
Even if police are not notified, a patient will receive medical treatment, with priority being determined by medical need.
Your medical screening exam will be performed by a physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant. This exam ensures your medical needs are met and any injuries requiring medical attention are addressed.
Registration with the medical staff requires basic information including name, date of birth, address, phone number and insurance information.
A person does not need insurance to receive treatment. If treated by the forensic nurse, that portion of the exam will be paid for by the law enforcement agency that requested the examination. Other medical expenses will be billed to patient or patient's insurance.
During a forensic nurse exam, the process and procedure will be explained, with consent required from the patient. After taking a detailed history, the examiner will complete a forensic assessment and document injuries and condition.
Forensic evidence will be collected for processing by law enforcement, and any preventive medication will be administered. The patient will also receive referral numbers or social services consult as needed.


text:
The Baddest Holds Man in The League?
By R.J. Anderson //
Kyle Farnsworth is known for four f-words: fighting, fastball, failure, and one unprintable word that encompasses the fan reaction to his failure. Another f-word that might pop up in discussion about Farnsworth this spring is fantasy — as in fantasy value. It sounds funny, but with the Tampa Bay Rays signing Farnsworth to a one-year deal (with an option for a second year) there's an outside chance that he earns some saves this season; at the very least he's a decent candidate for holds, given the complete overhaul of the Rays' bullpen.
Farnsworth's seasons since 2007 resemble a bag full of charcoal and candy. Some of the results are inedible, while others are delicious. Over the past two seasons, Farnsworth sports a solid 3.79 ERA; his peripherals (strikeout, walk, home rate) suggest his ERA should've been closer to 3.10. Of course, a look further back at Farnsworth's 2007 and 2008 seasons (when Farnsworth's cumulative ERA topped 4.60) makes it easier to digest an ERA in the high 3s as a good sign. The big change in Farnsworth's game appears to be his reduction in walks and home runs allowed, as displayed below in percentages of total plate appearances:
Season: BB%/ HR%
2007: 10.2%/ 3.4%
2008: 8.4%/ 5.8%
2009: 8.3%/ 1.8%
2010: 7.1%/ 1.5%
The improvements coincide perfectly with Farnsworth's increased usage of a cut-fastball, along with more consistency in release points and a different foothold on the mound. Those changes would not hold the same value if Farnsworth lost much in the way of strikeouts. Fortunately, he's been able to strike out 22% or more of his batters faced in each of the past two seasons. Thus, Farnsworth is actually one of baseball's more interesting developments over the past two years.
The legitimacy of this skill set alteration will be tested in 2011, as Farnsworth returns to the American League East for the first time since unceremoniously leaving the New York Yankees. The Rays have some other options to close — and may add another in the coming days. But for now, Farnsworth is a name to watch, especially in deeper leagues.
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Holding enough ice to raise sea levels by nearly 200 feet if it all melted, Antarctica is a major factor when it comes to climate change.
Castaway's parents thought they would never see him again
The father of Pacific castaway Jose Salvador Alvarenga said he was told his long-lost son vanished on a fishing trip but he didn't have the heart to break the news to his ailing wife.
- Scotland legalizes same-sex marriage
- Weapons deal strengthened Assad: US intel chief
- Outcry over the fate of Sochi's stray dogs
- Olympic construction leaves Sochi residents in the cold
- Castaway's parents thought they would never see him again
That's partly why NASA, yeah the space agency, also sponsors science here on Earth — and right now it's got several dozen scientists criss-crossing the western coast of the continent to measure sea ice and glaciers — the huge rivers of ice that hold back the two vast ice sheets covering Antarctica.
A DC-8 carrying seven instruments, and the researchers, has been making flights along Antarctica's west coast since Oct. 26 — and as weather conditions permit. Flying from a base in Punta Arenas, Chile, the mission hopes to have 11-12 flights completed before packing up on Sunday.
All this research is part of Operation IceBridge, a six-year mission that NASA calls "the largest airborne survey of Earth's polar ice ever flown."
Now in its second year, the mission has also been measuring ice at the other end of Earth — the Arctic. It was launched to "bridge the gap" in polar observations caused when a NASA satellite stopped collecting data in 2009 and the next similar satellite isn't planned until 2015.
But why bother? Why not wait a few years and let the new satellite resume measuring then?
Parts of western Antarctica are "sensitive, rapidly changing areas," Seeley Martin, a sea ice expert at the University of Washington, told a press conference Monday. "We wanted to avoid an 'Oh my God!' moment when we come back" in 2015.
There's also the need for having data from lots of years to make strong conclusions.
"You need a really long series to understand how glaciers and ice sheets respond to a changing climate," said Michael Studinger, the chief NASA scientist for IceBridge. "And if you only measure one glacier, you won't be able to draw any conclusions."
Sea ice and glaciers act as defenses that slow the natural tendency of ice on a landmass such as Antarctica to flow towards the sea.
Antarctica's ice is seen as much more stable than the ice sheet covering Greenland, where rapid melt has tracked a dramatic rise in Arctic air temperatures.
But even parts of Antarctica are now vulnerable and showing more rapid ice loss where temperatures have risen. Two western areas, in particular, are of concern: the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and the Pine Island Glacier region.
NBC Green Week
And there's already an example of what the collapse of ice defenses can do. In 2002, Antarctica's Larsen B ice shelf collapsed, allowing several glaciers to speed up the flow of ice off the continent and into the sea — thus adding to sea level rise.
That "trigger event" caused "very dramatic changes," said Chris Shuman, a NASA scientist who specializes in glaciers.
"The loss of the large area of floating ice of the ice shelf triggered the changes within a number of the glaciers inland from it including the Crane, Hektoria, Green, Evans, and Jorum Glaciers," he added. "The losses were largest on the Crane with about 295 feet of elevation lost between late 2004 and late 2005 and a total of 557 feet lost over 2002-2009."
Data from this year's mission still has to be processed for comparisons to past measurements, and that can take up to six months given the large volume of digital data involved.
Once it is ready, however, it will be posted online for any researcher to work with.
On Tuesday, msnbc.com will host a live, online chat with one of the IceBridge scientists as part of our NBC Green Week commitment to further the discussion of environmental issues. Click here to join the chat, which starts at 1 p.m. ET.
© 2013 msnbc.com Reprints


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Kate Moss Wedding Dress by John Galliano Pictures
Kate Moss the Bride — A First Look at Her Zelda Fitzgerald-Inspired Galliano Dress
>> A few pictures are starting to roll in of Kate Moss heading to her wedding in a silver Rolls Royce, her father Peter and 8-year-old daughter Lila Grace Hack (who's set to serve as her chief bridesmaid and is said to be wearing Stella McCartney) by her side. Her dress, confirmed to be designed by John Galliano, is lightly sequined, and her shoes are confirmed to be Manolo Blahniks with blue lining — as in "something blue" — rather than Christian Louboutin as previously thought.
The wedding dress was inspired by Zelda Fitzgerald, whose engagement ring Moss is wearing. Galliano did the final fitting earlier this week in Europe, while in care, WWD reports. "Kate is his biggest muse and he was never, ever going to let his friend down," one source said. "He did Kate's 21st birthday dress, her 30th birthday dress, and Galliano's show was the first she ever walked for. So this wedding day ties up a lot of things beautifully."
Moss is expected to make a number of outfit changes this evening, Vogue UK reports, three of which will be designed by her close friend Stella McCartney. For her first dance, Moss will wear an oyster silk chiffon dress with embroidered bodice and a cut-out back, then she'll change into a mini body-con dress with a plunging back and beading all over. Finally, for her going-away suit, she'll wear a single-breasted, three-piece white wool suit.
Naomi Campbell (wearing Givenchy couture by Riccardo Tisci), Stella McCartney (in a white, tailored look of her own design), Daphne Guinness (in a light blue dress of her own design), Philip Treacy, Carine Roitfeld (in vintage Galliano), Emmanuelle Alt (in Balmain), and Anna Wintour (in a Mondrian-inspired Prada dress) are all understood to have attended the ceremony.


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EXCLUSIVE: Ariane Fraser's Highland Film Group and Delphine Perrier's production and sales company Stonebrook International have joined forces as Highland Film Group and arrive at the AFM with a bumper sales slate led by teen assassin thriller Barely Lethal from producer Brett Ratner.
Fraser is CEO and Perrier becomes head of international. Highland's sales slate includes horror The Plantation from Saw producer Mark Burg, horror-thriller Sanitarium starring Malcolm McDowell, which screens here tomorrow [Nov 2], and dance title Hypnotize 3D.
Highland is also selling Inappropriate Comedy and The Baytown Outlaws with Eva Longoria and Billy Bob Thornton as well as drama Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You with Marcia Gay Harden and Lucy Liu. Revenge For Jolly! from Atlas Independent with Kristen Wiig and Elijah Wood screens at the market.
Perrier launched Stonebrook International in 2010 and set up Twilight satire Breaking Wind, among others. Her career credits include Paramount Vantage, Odd Lot International and Mandate Pictures.
Fraser previously served as vp of sales at Arsenal Pictures and began her career in sales at First Look International where she served as director of international sales and distribution.
"Delphine was the missing piece we needed to take Highland Film Group to the next level," said Fraser. "She brings with her a vast experience and expertise in selling theatrical and commercial films that is unparalleled. I feel blessed to have her on our team. My vision for Highland was to focus on acquiring well produced and commercial films with an emphasis on working with a strong network of prolific filmmakers to reverse engineer content with the consumer in mind, all the while staying true to the artistry of the film making process."
"I am looking forward to work with Arianne Fraser," said Perrier. "Her strong entrepreneurial leadership qualities and my experience are the perfect bases of the world class sales operation we are building together."


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Chivalric order is a medal of honor in France, which is the highest honor at national level offered by the French government. Only few Chinese citizens could receive this award for their outstanding contributions to France. For non-French people, only those who have made remarkable contributions to developing good foreign relations for France could obtain this award.
The candidates are nominated by the foreign minister, and the medals are signed and issued by the president as a kind of recognition of lifetime achievement to social elites. According to normal logic, proud achievements make people well acknowledged in all circles of France, and thus they could gain distinction naturally. Shamefully, Chinese have brought a tremendous impact on this value measurement system by their unique culture: backdoor deals.
Richard Lu (junhong Lu)
I was invited to have an interview in Paris in early autumn three years ago, the content of which was a meet of exchange about oriental Buddhist studies. A Chinese old man named Richard Lu (Junhong Lu) represented his odd stories about Buddhist culture in the meet, which was unromantic to me indeed. But what made me rather excited was that I met my schoolfellow Jean Michel Rosenfeld there, who used to serve as the counselor of the former Prime Minster Pierre Mauroy in 1980s. At that time, he has already been in his eighties. I could never forget that he appeared on the rostrum to present a bouquet to that Chinese old man when he finished his speech. His quivering body did give us a really commiserative but odd feeling.
Jean Michel Rosenfeld
I found Rosenfeld whom I hadn't seen for years to have a chat after this activity. I asked the reason why he had interest in participating in such an activity and even went up onto the rostrum to present a bouquet to that Chinese man. He smiled and showed me the watch on his wrist that was of IWC if I was not mistaken. The price of any IWC watch was no less than €5,000. On hearing "This is the souvenir they gave for this activity," I didn't give any other comments but left in a hurry after saying "you do have a good sense of style with this watch".
Ordre des arts et des lettres
About one month later, Rosenfeld invited me to meet a woman who looked weird named Lili Xu, the representative of Richard Lu in France. Xu said very directly to me, "My boss is very glad that you participated in our activity last month. He wants to make more contributions to France with your help." I could get the first sentence but failed to understand the second one. After about half an hour of inessential conversation, I showed my will of leaving, so they expressed their real purpose in a hurry. They expected me to introduce Richard Lu to INALCO (Institut National des Langues et Civilisation Orientales) through my connections, so that he could give lectures there, gain the title of honorary professor, accumulate qualification and experience there and thus get the chivalric order.
I do have befriended with professionals in the cultural transmission circle in Paris for over two decades, and this issue was a piece of cake for me actually. But I really had no interest in acting as a go-between for such a stranger without any good reputation. So I rejected their request very simply. However, they threw a bait to me when I stood up to leave, a VISA deposited with €200,000, which made me stupefied.
Is that because I can't keep pace with the trend of the era or I know nothing about the profound oriental culture? I totally cannot understand and agree with this absurd game of gaining social prestige by money.
Jun Hong Lu is the Chairman and Director of Australia Oriental Media Buddhist Charity Association.
Media Contact
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Official press release from www.gotthard.com "GOTTHARD – At last we continue!
New singer confirmed. He is Swiss!
Dear GOTTHARD Fans – it gives us great pleasure to announce that we have found a new singer. The successor to Steve Lee, who was killed in a tragic accident last year, is Nic Maeder and is Swiss-born. Nic was born in 1971 in Lausanne, lived in Melbourne, Australia and grew up between Switzerland and "Down Under".
"Nic not only has a great voice and is a fantastic musician, but we also have a great person in our midst", says Leo. "We can rock again at last".
During the months after the decision to carry on was taken, we received a huge amount of applications from all over the world; it was really overwhelming! At this point we would really like to thank everyone, especially the candidates, to whom we were not able to send a personal message. Thank you for your understanding and we wish all of you lots of luck and success in the future!
"The search took a long time but it was clear to all of us when we met Nic that he was the right guy. With him we can enjoy the music again and celebrate new success," states Hena. "I'm really happy that we are continuing".
The final decision for Nic Maeder was unanimous. "We noticed straight away that the chemistry, both musically and personally, was right. For us, he is the new member of the family", says Freddy.
Nic Maeder, who besides his singing position also plays guitar and piano, is a very talented and creative person. His songwriting ability also means he fits perfectly into the Gotthard family. He is the missing piece in the puzzle.
"Music has been my companion all my life and always was an important part of it. It is a great feeling to be able to share in the birth of a song and to see how it keeps growing. I can experience that with GOTTHARD and it makes me happy. I am making music with friends," says Nic Maeder.
Of course you can write a lot about a new singer, but in the end there is nothing better than seeing and hearing him sing. We therefore decided to produce a song plus video as a thank you to our fans, which can be downloaded free of charge. It is dedicated to all our Fans who didn't lose their faith and trust in GOTTHARD. You have supported us with all your strength during the past months. Thank you so much!
Marc "With Nic, we have taken the right decision for GOTTHARD. A lot of courage is needed to step into the footsteps of such a great singer. For that, Nic has earned our respect. Let's never forget this and make Nic welcome in the family.
We are in the studio at the moment and are working with renewed energy and enthusiasm on songs for a new album, which will be released in the spring of 2012… keep on rocking!!!
"Remember it's me" can be downloaded free at www.gotthard.com


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In the wake of what was the deadliest day for firefighters in the U.S. since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran released a statement to the families of the firefighters and the rest of the state of Arizona in mourning.
The firefighters were killed Sunday while fighting the Yarnell Hill fire, northwest of Phoenix. The 19 deaths made this blaze the deadliest wildland fire since 1933, according to a list from the U.S. National Wildfire Coordinating Group.
"Today, the Prescott Fire Department and the entire State of Arizona are in our thoughts after the loss of 19 elite firefighters in a wildfire," said Cochran in the statement. "The tragic deaths of so many dedicated young men is deeply felt throughout the Atlanta firefighting community. Our hearts are heavy as we grieve with our brothers and sisters in Arizona. We offer our deepest sympathy, our prayers and the assurance that these 19 heroes will be remembered and honored in the City of Atlanta Fire Rescue Department."
Twenty-five firefighters died when a blaze burned in light chaparral near Griffith Park, California.
"Our entire crew was lost," Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo told reporters Sunday night. "We just lost 19 of some of the finest people you'll ever meet. Right now, we're in crisis."
The tragedy killed about 20 percent of the Prescott Fire Department. Fraijo said one member of the team was not with the other crew members and survived.
Authorities have information that during the blaze, the firefighters deployed their fire shelters, a sort of aluminum blanket that protects against the flames and heat.


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OTTAWA – Canada's diplomats in Moscow will have to work another three years in an embassy compound that's vulnerable to terrorist attack and the prying eyes of foreign spies, The Canadian Press has learned.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird was warned in an internal memo from a senior bureaucrat that Canada's embassy in the Russian capital offers "almost no protection" against a terrorist attack.
A leaked copy of the memo details the stalled embassy project, outlining why diplomats won't be moving to a more secure facility until January 2016 instead of last July as planned.
The delay has added nearly $30 million to the cost of the project, since Foreign Affairs received approval in 2008 to move the embassy to a more suitable building.
A quarter of the increased cost — or $7.5 million — is for extra construction to keep unidentified "threats" from spying on Canadian diplomats in the new embassy.
The memo surfaced after the recent high-profile closures of Canada's embassies in Iran and Syria, decisions that Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Baird have said were made to keep Canadian diplomats out of harm's way.
Meanwhile, the current Russian embassy remains open even though the "embassy complex does not meet DFAIT security standards in terms of the building envelope."
The Canadian embassy and ambassador's residence have been housed in a series of connected buildings in Moscow that date back to 1898.
"The possibility of terrorist incidents in Russia is high and the existing site offers almost no protection against an attack. Moscow is an extremely hostile environment and the current site is highly vulnerable to counter-intelligence threats," says the memo from an associate deputy minister.
"These buildings have deteriorated beyond acceptable workplace standards. Compounded by age, numerous physical and structural deficiencies, and severe overcrowding, the chancery poses ongoing health, safety and security risks to Embassy staff and other user(s) of the facility, and impedes the effective delivery of mission programs."
Hundreds of people have been killed in terrorist attacks in Moscow dating back to the mid-1990s. The two most recent — also cited in a Foreign Affairs warning to Canadian travellers — are the January 2011 blast at Moscow's Domodedovo International Airport that killed 30 and injured about 100; and the March 2010 rush-hour attacks on the Moscow subway system that killed 37 and injured 120.
Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Jessica Seguin said precautions are being taken to ensure that Canada's personnel, interests and visitors are protected at its Russian embassy.
"This property meets Canada's immediate needs while respecting taxpayers' money," she said in prepared media lines delivered over email. "A re-scoping of the proposed project was recently completed and costs are expected to be reduced."
The department will absorb the extra project cost, which will impose an added financial burden because the last federal budget called for $170 million to be shaved from Foreign Affairs' $2.6-billion annual budget.
NDP foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar said the delays in the embassy project raise questions about the government's ability to manage Canada's diplomatic missions.
"It shows incompetence at a time when the government is cutting staff overseas. They're closing embassies and making the claim at the same time that security and safety of their staff is a top priority," Dewar said.
"What's happening in the interim? Does that mean, as we speak, we're vulnerable? If so, what are they doing about it?"
In February 2008, Treasury Board gave approval to Foreign Affairs to sign a new 20-year lease with the Russian government. Russia's foreign ministry leases embassy space in the country from an inventory of properties under its control.
The decision to move was made following a 2007 audit by the department that found the embassy deficient.
A lease for a new building was signed in March 2008, contingent on Foreign Affairs coming back to Treasury Board with a revised submission on the final cost.
Canada signed the lease because the Russians offered a building "at submarket rates" that would provide a "long-term solution."
But there was a catch.
"The offer was time-sensitive and required the Canadian government to respond by March 1, 2008 or the property would have been offered to another organization," the memo states.
The new building has since sat unused while the project cost jumped from $78.1 million to $107.3 million, in part because of $9.5 million of "increased rent costs while the building remains unoccupied."
Dewar said the government needs to answer publicly for how it negotiated the new embassy with the Russian government.
"Is this the standard for all other countries, or are we just seen as suckers, or the ones who will pay a king's ransom for an empty building?"
The added Russian embassy project costs include $7.5 million to pay for "increased construction costs to mitigate counter intelligence threats."
The embassy move comes amid a full-blown spy scandal between Canada and Russia.
Navy Sub-Lt. Jeffrey Paul Delisle pleaded guilty last month to espionage-related charges and breach of trust for selling classified information to Russia from 2007 to 2012. Delisle, 41, worked as a threat-assessment analyst at a highly secretive military facility in Halifax.
The Delisle affair has sparked concerns that Canada has compromised the secrets of its allies in the "Five Eyes" intelligence group that includes the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
The memo attributes delays to the "intelligence-related threats in Russia," but provides no specifics.
"Addressing this threat to the satisfaction of the Department and our key allies has added to the complexity of the project and has required significantly more consultation than typical chancery projects," says the memo.
Other extra costs include $4.6 million for "additional specialized on-site supervision to mitigate counter intelligence threats," and a Russia value-added tax or VAT of $6.6 million.
"Russia changed its policy for diplomatic entities after 2008 and now requires diplomatic entities to pay VAT at source. Although this is recoverable, the process is neither clear nor timely," says the memo.
Foreign Affairs also blamed delays on the "byzantine design and building permit approval process in Moscow."
Baird was told his department was sitting on a sensitive story that would likely become public because some MPs had noticed problems on a recent visit to Moscow.
"The department will take a responsive approach to questions from the media and members of Parliament, should they arise," says a section of the memo under heading of "communications implication/actions."
Under the heading "Parliamentary implications/actions," the memo states: "We can expect some interest by parliamentarians as some of them have visited the Moscow facility and have commented on the inadequacy of the current facilities."
The memo doesn't say when the MPs paid their visit, but it outlines details of what they would have seen.
"For example, overcrowding has turned the hallway to the trade section into a storage space for chairs, which does not provide a professional welcome to clients. The lack of adequate space to host Russian counterparts limits the ability of diplomatic staff to build the relationships necessary to further Canadian interests."
That leaves a lack of space for "surge capacity" to deal with planning special events in Russia, including the recently completed APEC summit in Vladivostok, forthcoming G8 and G20 summits, as well as the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Canada and Russia will enter a crucial phase of their relationship next year when Ottawa assumes a two-year term as chair of the Arctic Council. Among other things, the council will help deal with boundary disputes in the resource-rich Arctic.
Shortly after Baird was appointed to the Foreign Affairs portfolio in May 2011, a memo from his briefing book, released under the Access to Information Act, noted that the 2010 budget set aside $450 million over seven years for the Security Abroad Strategy to bolster security at Canada's foreign embassies.


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Watch Brokers settles with Governor's Office of Consumer Protection; Consumers to receive over $651,000 in restitution
ATLANTA, GA – John Sours, Administrator of the Governor's Office of Consumer Protection ("OCP"), today announced that Georgia has entered into a settlement with International Estate Brokers, LLC d/b/a Watch Brokers and d/b/a www.webuywatches.com, and its individual proprietor, resolving allegations by the State that the Atlanta-based wrist-watch brokering company engaged in deceptive advertising, sold watches on behalf of consumers without paying consumers their share of the proceeds as agreed to prior to the sales, and failed to return watches that had gone unsold to the consignors upon their request.
In settlement of this matter, Watch Brokers and its principal Ronald L. Bergh III, have entered into an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance with OCP, under which the company is required to pay restitution to 475 consumers in the amount of $651,258.92, to cease from making false representations in its advertising, and to pay a $20,000 civil penalty. Consumer restitution will be made on a payment schedule over the next several months.
"This was a particularly troubling case," commented Mr. Sours, "since people who are willing to part with a watch of this quality are often in serious financial straits. Nevertheless, we appreciate the fact that Mr. Bergh has fully cooperated with our agency over the past few months, making it possible to provide full restitution to the affected consumers, and we took this cooperation into account when setting the civil penalty."
The Governor's Office of Consumer Protection offers the following tips to people who are selling valuables through an online broker:
- Know the reputation of the business you are dealing with. You can go to the Better Business Bureau's website (www.bbb.org) to check the business' overall rating and see if there have been any complaints lodged against the company. You may also want to search online for consumer or industry reviews of the business.
- Make sure you get all sales terms and policies in writing. Read the fine print and make sure you understand and are comfortable with the terms of the contract.
- Consider all your alternatives. For example, you may feel more comfortable selling the item to a local jeweler. That way you don't have to part with the item until you have payment in hand.


text: 100% Polypropylene cartridges. Multi-layered construction for true depth filtration. The multi-layer graded density captures particles throughout the entire cross section of the cartridge & reduces surface binding. The woven melt blown manufacturing technique guarantees a more accurate rating and consistent flow with low pressure drop. NSF and FDA approved materials.


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Student presentations, when they go right, bring so many blessings into my life, beyond even the obvious one of relieving me of 15 minutes of class time to plan. The greatest of these blessings come in the form of sublime YouTube videos, previously unknown to me.
The highlight of last year's presentations? A little something called "Strindberg and Helium":
This year? Well, this year my accidental syllabus genius* led me to teach the medieval morality play Everyman on Mardi Gras (message: earthly delights - oh, I beg your pardon - Earthly Delights will not avail thee! Death comes to us all!) and Doctor Faustus in the midst of Lent (message: intellectual delights will not avail thee! Death comes to us all, even those with tenure! For verily God grants neither tenure nor promotion to those who despair.). And what touch of sublimity did today's student presentation impart to my Intro to Drama class?
Two words: Lego. Everyman.
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Other literary and theatrical tidbits that are striking my fancy this week?
For the first time, the work of a female playwright will be performed at Shakespeare's Globe. This is great news, of course, and the play has a subject that particularly fascinates me (the 18th C asylum of Bedlam, where society used to flock to see the spectacle of the mad on evenings when the theatres seemed too tame). But shouldn't this have happened already? I mean, the modern Globe has been in operation since 1997, and it has been producing new works alongside Renaissance ones ever since. Hmm.
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The book editors at the Washington Post recommend books to read while bundled up against Snowmageddon. Notice how many of them take place in Atlantic Canada. And then notice how few of the "summer" reads they discuss take place here.
* * *
Flashlightworthy, a blog devoted to short lists of recommendations on specialized topics, recommends both the Best YA titles of 2009 and (in honor of Valentine's Day, which I prefer to call Stoppardian Mathematician Day) the Best Young Adult Romances.
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NBA players are bibliophiles too! The single sentence from this delightful article that most fills my heart with glee?
Miami's Dwyane Wade isn't afraid to admit that one of his favorite books was Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," which he first read as a student at Marquette.'
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A rarely discussed benefit of eBooks? They strip away the public aspect of reading by one more layer, eliminating the intellectual declaration that is the book cover. Instead, people can just read what they like, without worrying about the readerly persona they are presenting.
Now, I prefer a paper book every time, I have to say, but I do enjoy reading romance in eBook format. Why? Because I can't bear romance covers. I know that for many they are part of the delight of the genre, but the fewer abs and pecs and heavingly ahistorical flouncy dresses that are on display while I read my romances, the happier this reader is.
Also, what a delight it is to use my eReader's comments feature to carry on a continuous dialogue with the characters of the novel. Take my recent reading of Anne Stuart's Black Ice:
Suave assassin-operative:
He couldn't be sorry he told her - if he died, he'd regret that he'd held that back from her.
Sycorax Pine's marginalia:
Nope. You'd be dead.
Righto. Back to Mt. TBR and Mt. Grademore - the twin peaks of my personal Alps.**
*Ah, accidental syllabus genius. Really, it is the only true syllabus genius. Previous known instances include unintentionally assigning Martin Luther King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" and Frederick Douglass's "What to the Slave of the Fourth of July?" for discussion on the day Barack Obama was elected, or fortuitously choosing to cover elegy and memorial on Canadian Remembrance Day before I even knew that such a holiday existed.
** I will leave the David Lynch fans among you to determine which is the White Lodge and which is the Black... or whether, perhaps (can it be?), they are both... oh no!


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Yachtsman Steakhouse comes highly recommended by yours truly. I find the steaks here to be some of the best on property, and the service is often excellent. This craftsman-inspired dining room at the Yacht Club Resort caters to all tastebuds with a variety of dishes, incredible sides, and amazing, cut-in-house steaks.
Service: Table-Service
Type of Food: American, Steakhouse
Location: Disney's Yacht Club Resort
Disney Dining Plan: Yes, Two Table Service Credits
Tables in Wonderland: Yes
Official Disney Menu
Yachtsman Steakhouse Dinner Menu
Yachtsman Steakhouse Child's Menu
An incredible and gourmet array of steaks, entrees, appetizers, and desserts. Sample the delicious cheese plate if you have room!
Disney Food Blog Review: Yachtsman Steakhouse Review
Disney Food Blog Review: Yachtsman Steakhouse at Disney's Yacht Club Resort
Guest Review: Yachtsman Steakhouse at Disney's Yacht Club Resort
Disney Review: Porterhouse for Two at Yachtsman Steakhouse in Disney's Yacht Club Resort
Disney Food Blog Review: Yachtsman Steakhouse at the Yacht Club Resort at Walt Disney World
Important Info:
- Have a seat by the butcher room window to see the steaks being aged right in the restaurant.
- Catch a glimpse of the chefs working in the open kitchen as you walk to your table!
- The Kids' menu is especially good here, and the kids' paint-it-yourself cookie is lots of fun!
- Yachtsman Steakhouse has added a small lunch menu, which is not included on the Disney Dining Plan. It mostly includes items served in the Crew's Cup Lounge next door.
Famous Dishes: steaks, cheese plate, creme brulee
Disney Food Blog Posts Mentioning Yachtsman Steakhouse
You Might also Like: Le Cellier, Shula's Steak House


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...less skilled negotiators sometimes discover the unintended results of using metaphors the other side doesn't understand. Telling Nigerians in a negotiation that your company is ready to "step up to the plate" may promote confusion rather than reassurance. In one negotiation with a Saudi Arabian agency, an American executive proudly proclaimed that he represented a "blue-chip company." When this drew quizzical looks, he launched into a long explanation of the term "blue chip" and its origins in gaming casinos, only to be told that Saudi Arabia does not allow gambling.Because that also can happen when you're negotiating with someone from your own culture, caution is the key. This is a useful read if your speaking and meetings include negotiations, whether those are for a raise or world peace.
Related posts: Mastering the metaphor: How to avoid cliche and strike the right phrase
Language works: This is your brain on metaphor
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Lehigh continues win streak against Navy
Mids fall to 9-17 on season
Mackey McKnight and Corey Schaefer scored 15 points apiece on Wednesday as Lehigh beat Navy for the ninth-straight time 72-65.
Navy's last win in the series came on Feb. 10, 2010.
Jesse Chuku and Tim Kempton both added 11 points for Lehigh (14-14, 7-8 Patriot League).
Chuku's 3-pointer capped a 9-2 run and gave Lehigh its first lead of the second half at 50-49 lead. His jumper at 1:59 regained the lead for the Mountain Hawks and Schaefer's two free throws with 30 seconds left capped the scoring.
Navy's Brandon Venturini put the Midshipmen up by four points with 2:52 left, but would go scoreless the rest of the way.
Will Kelly paced Navy (9-17, 4-11) with 19 points, while Worth Smith and Zach Fong added 12 apiece.
In the first half, Navy went on a late 12-0 run for a 10-point lead.


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Police: 16-month-old dies after being left in car
Detectives investigating circumstances
A 16-month-old girl, who was left in a car in Baltimore County, has died.
Officers were called to the 4100 block of McDowell Lane in Wilkens at 12:56 p.m. Friday for reports of a cardiac arrest after the child was left in a car.
The child, who was identified as Sabriya Towels, was taken to St. Agnes Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Investigators said a relative of the child was supposed to drop Sabriya off at the Highland Village Head Start Center after picking her up from a different location.
Instead of dropping Sabriya off, officials said the relative drove to their home on South Paca Street and went inside to sleep, and about four hours later, he went to the Head Start Center to pick her up and realized she was in the vehicle.
The medical examiner's office ruled the girl's death accidental, saying she died from hyperthermia.
The case will be turned over to the State Attorney's Office for review to determine if any charges should be filed.


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This antique giara (large urn) is at least 100 years old and comes from Puglia in Southern Italy. These urns (giare is the plural!) were made by hand on a potter's wheel and were used to store wine. A plate was cemented over the top to ensure that the wine did not sour. After all of the wine was drawn from the spigot, the cemented plate was broken off and the giara was reused.
This particular giara measures 52" tall, has one handle and some tape residue around the top. Please see gallery photos for detailed pictures.
The price listed includes curbside shipping to anywhere within the continental United States! Local pick-up is also available – please let us know if you're interested.


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GETTING STARTED... Get started with information about Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol. Step up and make a difference in your community.
Stages of Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol
In the News... Check out what is happening across the country and internationally with Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol and how it affects children, it's not just in your family, neighborhood, or country.
America's Greatest Brain Drain
More Great Information
Resource Material
Stages of Prenatal Exposure To Alcohol
Video Resources
Morgan Fawcett on Living with FASD
Snatching Health From children
Pregnancy Test Dispensers
You can also stay connected with us on our Facebook page. Click our Facebook icon and become a fan.
Please help us by making a donation. With your help prenatal exposure to alcohol can be prevented.
Prenatal alcohol use puts mothers and their children at risk for complications during pregnancy, birth, and the neonatal periods. This paper describes a currently implemented community-based pilot program to reduce drinking among pregnant mothers. Published Feb 2017.
AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon that lets you enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices, and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to Healthy Brains for Children. Click the button below to shop on Amazon using AmazonSmile.
The purpose of Healthy Brains for Children is to increase the awareness of the devastation of prenatal exposure to alcohol and to promote the healthy practice of refraining from drinking alcohol during pregnancies.
Never before has a governmental body with the stature of the Alaska State Legislature, taken on the task of eradicating Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Read the entire booklet.
Subscribe to our newsletters. If you would like to stay in touch with what has been happening and what is going to be happening with Health Brains for Children please read our current newsletter. If you would like to get your name on our mailing list please click the button above "Subscribe to Our Newsletter". If you would like to read past newsletters click the "Newsletters" link at the very top of the page.
The show "The Doctors" talked about putting pregnancy test dispensers in public restrooms on September, 14, 2012. Watch the video.
The show "Anderson Live" with Anderson Cooper interviewed Jody Allen Crowe, our Executive Director, on Friday October 19, 2012. Watch the video.
The word is spreading! Our pregnancy test dispensers have been written about in the New Your Times, September 13, 2012. Read the Story...
Through our Think Before You Drink Initiative we are offering Pregnancy Test Dispensers for installation in public restrooms. The first dispenser was installed in Pub 500 in Mankato, MN on July 19, 2012. These dispensers give the public a chance to solve a problem (FASD) that's actually 100 percent preventable. The dispensers do not require cash, just swipe a credit card and remove a pregnancy test.
For more information go to our Pregnancy Test Dispenser page.
Our videos can now be viewed from our video library. To view some of the videos may require a high speed internet connection. Go to our Video Library.
Jody Allen Crowe has over 20 years experience working with children who exhibit brain damage from prenatal exposure to alcohol. more »


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OOOOH: The "Who Da Hell Is This Girl" Goes In On Freekey Zekey! Responds To Club Incident. "This Lame a$$ Nicca. I Dont Even Know Who He Is. I Googled Your Name And Came Up As Snitch"
SPitYoGame.com & DJ Southanbred Exclusive of the girl from the club that freekey zekey hugged up on and poured champagne on. Her name is Ashley L
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MONTREAL, QUE – In case there was ever any doubt, the bitter two-decade rivalry between Vancouver Whitecaps FC (11W-10L-8D) and Montreal Impact (13W-9L-6D) is alive and well.
With the odds stacked against them, Whitecaps FC bolstered their playoff standing with a massive 3-0 road victory over the Impact in a spirited afternoon affair Saturday at Stade Saputo.
In a match that saw just about everything, including a penalty and no less than four crossbars, Kenny Miller's seventh-minute tally carried Vancouver to their 11th win of the season – matching the club's highest total in Major League Soccer.
Second-half substitute Camilo also scored his 15th and 16th goals of the season late and goalkeeper David Ousted made six saves en route to his second straight clean sheet.
It was a much-needed result for Whitecaps FC, who will finish the night no more than four points out of a playoff spot with five matches remaining.
Since joining MLS in 2011, the 'Caps are now unbeaten in five straight matches against Montreal in all competitions – including a pair of draws in the 2013 Amway Canadian Championship and a win in their only previous MLS meeting.
Martin Rennie made two changes to his starting lineup after last weekend's scoreless draw with San Jose Earthquakes and just a single switch from the squad that closed out the match.
After coming on as a substitute a week ago, captain Jay DeMerit returned to the starting lineup Saturday for the first time since Vancouver's season opener. He and centre back partner Carlyle Mitchell had another strong outing. They've now gone nearly 150 minutes without allowing a goal when playing together.
Striker Tommy Heinemann, who replaced Camilo in Whitecaps FC's attack, also earned his first start in just over five months.
Saturday's affair got underway just after 2 p.m. local time (11 a.m. PT), but the early kickoff didn't seem to have any adverse effect on the visiting 'Caps.
In fact, it was a dream start for Whitecaps FC, who opened the scoring from the penalty spot just seven minutes in.
The play began just moments earlier, as Budweiser Man of the Match Nigel Reo-Coker blew by defender Alessandro Nesta down the right flank before finding fellow Englishman Matt Watson unmarked in the Impact area.
The 'Caps were awarded a penalty after Watson's first-time effort struck Hassoun Camara's dangling left arm. As a result, Miller stepped to the spot with conviction and drilled home his eighth goal of the season to give Vancouver an early 1-0 lead.
The Scotsman's seventh-minute tally seemed to inject some life into the match. To their credit, the Impact started to come on in the subsequent stages of the half. Their first real chance came in the 23rd minute through a point-blank first-time effort from Felipe Martins, but DeMerit's sliding block saved the day.
It seemed Vancouver's fortunes had turned late in the first half. This time, the referee pointed to their own penalty spot after Jun Marques Davidson's goal-line block on a Patrice Bernier half-volley was deemed to be a handball.
In an unexpected turn of events, the referee overturned his call upon consultation with his assistant, however, as Rennie and his troops collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
Although Montreal controlled possession in the opening 45 minutes, Vancouver still manufactured a pair of glorious chances and Reo-Coker was influential in both.
Moments before the controversial decision, the Englishman delivered a perfect curling free kick into the Impact box and Mitchell got on the end of it but his header rung agonizingly off the crossbar.
Reo-Coker created another opportunity just before the break with a low cross from the right flank, but Heinemann couldn't convert as the 'Caps entered the break with a one-goal advantage.
A frantic start to the second half saw both teams come within inches of finding the back of the net.
From the 47th minute, when Reo-Coker hit the woodwork with a strike from the top of the box, there wasn't much of a lull in action at Stade Saputo.
Vancouver nearly doubled their lead in the 51st minute when a nifty build-up play from Heinemann and Reo-Coker left Miller all alone in the Impact box, but the Scotsman's left-footed effort sailed over the goal.
The Impact had a fair share of their own opportunities. MLS leading goalscorer Marco Di Vaio had a pair of quality strikes, but Ousted was up to the task on both occasions. This was the third straight match Vancouver has kept Di Vaio off the scoresheet.
Montreal also hit the woodwork twice – first through a stunning scissor-kick volley from Felipe and then after Ousted got his fingertips on a blistering strike from Bernier in the 65th minute.
The Danish shot-stopper also foiled two late opportunities from substitute Daniele Paponi, before Camilo made his mark in the dying stages of the match.
After replacing Miller at the hour-mark, the Brazilian striker gave Vancouver a 2-0 lead in the 89th minute and sealed the deal with a brilliant strike from the top of the box in stoppage time.
In the end, the 'Caps walked away from Stade Saputo with a gutsy 3-0 road victory and an important three points.
Saturday's contest concluded a three-match road swing for Whitecaps FC, in which they posted a 1W-1L-1D record. The Blue and White are back at BC Place next Saturday, September 28 for an important Western Conference tilt with Real Salt Lake.
MATCH DETAILSBudweiser Man of the Match: Nigel Reo-Coker
Referee: Jorge Gonzalez
Attendance: 20,006
Scoring Summary
7' - VAN - Kenny Miller (penalty kick)
89' - VAN - Camilo (Young-Pyo Lee)
90'+1 - VAN - Camilo (Carlyle Mitchell)
Match Stats
Shots: Montreal 18 - Vancouver 14
Shots on Goal: Montreal 6 - Vancouver 4
Fouls: Montreal 10 - Vancouver 16
Offsides: Montreal 3 - Vancouver 1
Corners: Montreal 4 - Vancouver 1
45'+1 - MTL - Felipe Martins
54' - MTL - Hassoun Camara
77' - VAN - Nigel Reo-Coker
78' - VAN - Young-Pyo Lee
90' - VAN - Camilo Sanvezzo
Montreal Impact
1.Troy Perkins; 5.Jeb Brovsky, 13.Matteo Ferrari, 14.Alessandro Nesta, 6.Hassoun Camara; 22.Davy Arnaud © (35.Daniele Paponi 71'), 8.Patrice Bernier; 15.Andres Romero (33.Andrew Wenger 63'), 7.Felipe Martins (19.Blake Smith 81'), 21.Justin Mapp; 9.Marco Di Vaio
Substitutes not used: 30.Evan Bush, 18.Collen Warner, 31.Andrea Pisanu, 55.Wandrille Lefèvre
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
22.David Ousted; 12.Young-Pyo Lee, 24.Carlyle Mitchell, 6.Jay DeMerit ©, 2.Jordan Harvey; 13.Nigel Reo-Coker (14.Daigo Kobayashi 90'+4), 27.Jun Marques Davidson, 28.Gershon Koffie; 9.Kenny Miller (7.Camilo Sanvezzo 60'), 29.Tommy Heinemann (31.Russell Teibert 66'), 8.Matt Watson
Substitutes not used: 18.Brad Knighton, 11.Darren Mattocks, 16.Johnny Leveron, 40.Andy O'Brien


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Fourth Circuit rejects appeal by jailed Latin Kings leader Jorge Cornell
From Triad City Beat/ By Jordan Green
The US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has turned down an appeal by North Carolina Latin Kings Leader Jorge Cornell, his brother and fellow Latin Kings member Russell Kilfoil and an associate named Ernesto Wilson.
The three-judge panel that heard the case in Richmond, Va. earlier this year upheld the judgment of the district court based on finding no reversible error. Summarizing the arguments of Cornell and his co-defendants, Judge Steven Agee wrote that the defendants made "several assertions of error concerning their trial, primarily focusing on the district court's jury instructions and the sufficiency of the evidence."
The opinion was published on March 16, less than two months after the judges heard arguments from the defendants' lawyers and federal prosecutors.
Cornell, also known as King Jay, received a sentence of 28 years in prison after being found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, along with additional charges of violent crime in aid of racketeering activity and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Both of the latter charges were related to an April 2008 assault in which the government alleged that Cornell ordered Latin Kings members to retaliate against a supposed rival.
Cornell professed his innocence during his sentencing hearing, and said he never ordered any of his members to commit any act of violence. He said he kicked out members who committed crimes. Several community leaders testified about Cornell's efforts to promote reconciliation among street gangs, encourage his members to pursue education and vocational development, and wide-ranging social justice efforts. The federal appellate opinion issued on March 16 provides a contrasting characterization of the Latin Kings: "Central to the organization is a culture of violence, which is manifested through frequent disputes with rival gangs. Violence and the threat of violence are also used to maintain compliance with gang rules." (more…)


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Peggle 2 gameplay videos: it's more Peggle
Peggle 2 sure looks like more Peggle.
Peggle 2 has all sorts of new features, PopCap promises. "It's a lot more immersive than it used to be in the past," lead producer Jared Neuss told us. Masters are the highlight for Peggle 2, with new over-the-top powers, new Master-specific victory songs, and new art that brings everything together. "You're moving through their world as you progress through the levels. The game feels more seamless than it used to."
Three new gameplay videos show off Peggle 2's new art and master powers in action. And lo and behold, it looks a lot like Peggle.
Of course, Peggle 2 could have looked quite different. But PopCap didn't like the results of their experiments. "A lot of time was spent was just trying new things. Where we settled was: we want the gameplay to feel very similar for people who've played the game before," Neuss said.
Peggle 2 will be available at Xbox One's launch.
Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Peggle 2 gameplay videos: it's more Peggle.
Peggle 2 sure looks like more Peggle.


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Talk show veteran Larry King is coming back to TV to show the new kids on the block how's it done.
The long time CNN host is in talks to join Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" as a contributor, reports the New York Post.
According to the Post's account, King, fresh off flashing his comedic chops at Comedy Central's recent celebrity roast of Donald Trump, would appear from time to time much as comedian Lewis Black does.
U.S. & World
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The deal is not done, but could be close to completion soon.
Stewart, who appeared on King's final CNN broadcast, is reportedly a big fan of the 77-year-old broadcaster and told him that he was "the last man out of a burning building" in regards to to a general ratings decline at CNN. When "Larry King Live" was winding down last year, Comedy Central also expressed its affinity for the Brooklyn native, saying in a commerical that "there's not enough Larry on TV."
Selected Reading: NY Post, Huffington Post, Entertainment Weekly