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Culture links people together.
It does so, according to organizational theorist Edgar H. Schein, by allowing people to band together as a group and develop a unique set of beliefs and practices that are absorbed and accepted by all of its members. In time, the group's beliefs and practices, which consist of shared assumptions, perceptions, behaviors, and reactions, become solidified as the group works together to solve problems and reconcile issues. Each successful outcome strengthens the group's cultural development and further deepens the dimensions of its accepted beliefs and practices.
The development of organizational culture is a tacit, ongoing process that happens within organizational systems all of the time—from non-profits to large corporations, from religious institutions to political systems. It's a process that eventually shapes and defines a group's unique identity.
Organizational culture serves as "a mechanism of social control and can be the basis for explicitly manipulating members into perceiving, thinking, and feeling in certain ways," Schein wrote in his 2004 book Organizational Culture and Leadership. Consequently, "managers have been particularly interested in how to 'manage' culture and considerable resources have been spent trying to 'shape' organizational cultures and create 'a service culture,' 'an open culture,' or 'an innovation culture,' to name but three examples," organizational creativity researchers Jing Zhou and Christina E. Shalley wrote in the Handbook of Organizational Creativity, which was published in 2009.
Based on these assertions, I think it's safe to say that organizational culture contributes greatly to organizational creativity. How workers perceive the organizational environment they're working in can either enrich or deplete their creativity—a premise supported by several organizational creativity studies dating back to the mid-1990s.
In positive work environments, leaders are encouraging rather than dictatorial, group work is collaborative rather than competitive, evaluations and feedback are typically informative rather disciplinary, and goals are used as benchmarks that encourage creative performance instead of measuring sticks used to determine whether a salary increase is merited or not.
Negative organizational cultures, on the other hand, create a climate that stymies creativity. In these environments, there may be "an emphasis on the status quo, a conservative, low-risk attitude among top management, norms of harshly criticizing new ideas, political problems within the organization, and excessive time pressure," according to Zhou and Shalley.
A negative organizational culture is best represented by a reinforcing loop that shows how increasing tension within the organization increases hostility and negative perceptions, which decreases or blocks creativity. Consequently, as organizational creativity drops, so does a leader's ability to positively influence organizational culture. This work setting's climate is rife with what authors Paul B. Paulus and Bernard A. Nijstad described in their 2003 book, Group Creativity: Innovation Through Collaboration, as "conditions that limit feelings of autonomy [and] limit the extent to which individuals are motivated for creativity."
All reinforcing loops depict what happens when behaviors reinforce one another. If the behaviors of a negative work environment continue in this negative, reinforcing spiral, conditions won't improve. They'll actually continue to get worse and its manifestations may be in the form of a high turnover rate or the frequent replacement of top management in an effort to "reinvent" the organization.
While a positive work environment can also be depicted by a reinforcing loop, the outcome of the repeated behavior won't hurt creativity; it'll actually strengthen it. According to Zhou and Shalley, in organizational cultures where the work environment feels positive—where bosses are supportive and colleagues are helpful—there is a sense of:
…freedom in carrying out the work; a sense of positive challenge in the work; work teams that are collaborative, diversely skilled, and idea focused; supervisors who encourage the development of new ideas; top management that supports innovation through a clearly articulated creativity-encouraging vision and through appropriate recognition for creative work; mechanisms for developing new ideas; and norms of actively sharing ideas across the organization.
As this positive behavior self-reinforces, it continues to enhance creativity over time.
Based on the research, it's safe to assert that the amount of freedom, support, and stimulation workers receive from leaders and colleagues every day greatly affect the flourishing of a worker's creative capacity in the workplace.
Read other posts by Aimee C. Juarez
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'The Bluebonnet Painter'
Onderdonk is a distinguished Dutch name, a family of clergymen, statesmen and educators dating to the 17th century in the United States.
A longtime art teacher in Dallas and San Antonio, Robert Jenkins Onderdonk, who was born in Maryland in 1852 and died in Texas in 1917, was known as "the Dean of Texas artists."
But it was his son, Robert Julian, who made the more popular, recognizable work. With his landscapes, he became known as "The Bluebonnet Painter," which was not a pejorative term during Julian's day.
"Julian Onderdonk captured the light and atmosphere of South Texas on canvas with an innate understanding of the land," according to the website of San Antonio gallery Harry Halff Fine Art.
Born in San Antonio in 1882, Julian Onderdonk was raised in a cultured environment, learning at his father's easel.
At 19, he went to New York to study at the Art Student's League, like his father before him, and in the summer of 1901 he was taken under the wing of the American Impressionist William Merritt Chase, who taught him the en plein air method of painting "in the open air." Later, Julian studied with Robert Henri, who would become a leading figure of the Ashcan School.
He returned to his native Texas and in 1906 again followed in his father's footsteps - hiring on as the organizer of art exhibitions for the Texas State Fair, a position he retained until his relatively early death in 1922.
In 1909, Julian settled permanently in San Antonio, continuing to develop and apply plein-air techniques to his native landscapes. Among his favored subjects were early misty mornings, sunlit fields of bluebonnets, cactus in bloom, dusty roads and South Texas brush country.
"San Antonio," Julian said, "offers an inexhaustible field for the artist. Nowhere else are the atmospheric effects more varied and more beautiful. One never tires of watching them. Nowhere else is there such a wealth of color."
Julian's younger sister Eleanor, an accomplished painter and curator herself, had this to say of her brother: "It is evident that Julian was after something which no else had ever gotten - an interpretation of the Southwest landscape, its essence in form and color so elusive and so subtle that the average person misses the closeness of values in the unity of color, live gray tones that vibrate. … It is impossible to look at any of Julian's paintings and not see the man who looked at nature with wide-open eyes, analyzed, studied and then created."

subset: commoncrawl


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Second Annual Pakistan Blog Award 2011
Lahore School Blog has been nominated here. Show your support for the blog by voting, rating and or leaving comments. Look for golden little star and click on the last one. Your vote is done. Check the image below for more help. Also leave your comments at the bottom of the page. Your comment and feedback matters a great deal.


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Ms. DeRanged: "Yeah! I'm a patient of Dr. Grumpy's, and need to ask about my chart."
Annie: "Okay, let me look it up... What can I do for you?"
Ms. DeRanged: "When was I last there?"
Annie: "You were here just once, in December, 2009."
Ms. DeRanged: "Who do you have listed as my family doctor?"
Annie: "Looks like it was Dr. Frendly."
Ms. DeRanged: "Well he's an asshole! And I just fired him! And I don't want you to send him my chart note!"
Annie: "Okay, I'll make a note that he's not your doctor, and so we won't send him any further records."
Ms. DeRanged: "I also don't want you to send him my note from December!"
Annie: "Well, that note already went out."
Ms. DeRanged:"WHAT! HOW DARE YOU! When was that?!!!"
Annie: "The day after your visit, in December, 2009."
Ms. DeRanged: "This is ridiculous! Don't you have any respect for a patient's wishes?"
Annie: "Of course, but at that time you told us to send him a letter."
Ms. DeRanged: "But I just fired him today! I don't want you to send him a letter!"
Annie: "The letter was sent 6 months ago."
Ms. DeRanged: "Then dammit, this is YOUR problem! You get on the phone, call Dr. Frendly, and make him send it back!"


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Politicians and Election, Vote in Freedom, Actively Participate in Democracy, Vote for Change, Online referendum
Adam Schiff
> United States of America > Politicians > Democratic Party (United States) > Adam Schiff
Adam Schiff is ready for your opinion, support and vote. Vote online NOW!
Adam Schiff - for
U.S. Representative for California, in Congress since 2001 - member of the Democratic Party.
Adam Schiff - against
Click, if you do not support Adam Schiff. Say why.
, wife of adam schiff and more...
Related polls > Barack Obama, Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, Stephanie Cholensky, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ron Paul, Ben Bernanke, Hillary Clinton, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dan Sebring, George W. Bush, John F. Kennedy, Cynthia McKinney, John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi, Bill Clinton, Ronald Wilson Reagan, John McCain, Mitch McConnell, Tisha Casida, (Adam Schiff) and more...


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News & Notes: Game 135
Sunday, August 28, 2011 (6:05 p.m.) – Coca-Cola Field
TV: Time Warner Cable SportsNet HD 713
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com
Buffalo Bisons (58-76, 5th(-18.0), North)
LHP Pat Misch (7-9, 4.37)
Rochester Red Wings (50-86, 6th(-27.0), North)
RHP Deinys Suarez (0-2, 7.90)
TODAY'S GAME: Tonight, the Buffalo Bisons host the Rochester Red Wings in the first game of a two-game series at Coca-Cola Field (6:05 p.m.). The Bisons have just four home games left in the 2011 season as they will also host Syracuse for two games, August 31-September 1. The Herd is coming off their Ohio roadtrip where it went 3-1 in Columbus and 1-3 in Toledo.
VS. THE WINGS: The Bisons are 8-6 against the Red Wings this season. The Herd has defeated Rochester in its last four games at Coca-Cola Field. The clubs last met August 1-2 when they split a two-game set at Frontier Field. The 2011 Thruway Series Cup has already been won by the Syracuse Chiefs.
DISCH ON MISCH: LHP PAT MISCH makes his 21st start of the season tonight. The southpaw is 4-4 at home this season with a 4.68ERA in 10 starts. Misch has worked into the seventh inning in each of his last three starts and despite a 1-2 record has posted a 3.27ERA in those outings. Misch is tied with RHP Chris Schwinden for the team lead with seven wins on the season.
SPIN CONTROL: INF JORDANY VALDESPIN was a perfect 3-3 with a walk in last night's 3-2 win in Toledo. The Triple-A rookie returns home with a six-game hit streak over which he has averaged .458 (11-24) with four doubles, three RBI and three runs scored.
THE CLOSER: RHP DALE THAYER notched his 19th save of the season with a perfect 1-2-3 inning last night. Only four other pitchers have reached the 20-save plateau in the Bisons modern era. RHP Chris Nichting holds the single-season team record with 26 during the 2000 season. Thayer has saved 19 games in 24 chances for a 79% success rate.
BISONS BITS: OF JESUS FELICIANO collected his 367th Bisons hit to tie INF Brandon Phillip for 4th in the modern era. Feliciano is 11 shy of Bill Selby's modern era record total of 378…INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI has 90RBI on the season to lead all International League hitters by two…Pascucci's stolen base last night was his first since August 19, 2009 while with Triple-A Portland..LHP MIKE O'CONNOR is 3-0 with nine strikeouts and 10.1 scoreless innings against Rochester this season.
METS UPDATE: The Mets (63-68) will wait one more day for the effects of Hurricane Irene to leave the New York City area. The team postponed both Saturday's and Sunday's game in advance of the weekend. The club will host the Marlins tomorrow at 7:10 p.m.


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EUCAARI was a EU 6th Framework Programme Integrated Project on aerosol, cloud, climate and air quality interactions
European Integrated project on Aerosol, Cloud, Climate, and Air Quality Interactions (EUCAARI) is a sixth framework project aimed at answering many of the uncertainties in the aerosol-cloud-climate-air quality interactions. The main tasks of the project were to reduce the current uncertainty of the impact of aerosol particles on climate, quantify of the relationship between anthropogenic aerosol particles and regional air quality and quantify the side effects of European air quality directives on global and regional climate. The project lasted from 2007 to 2010 and had 47 partners from 32 countries in Europe and elsewhere.


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Apr 2015
Second meeting of the Emerging and Vector-borne Diseases (EVD) Network
April 2015, ECDC organised the second EVD network meeting, with the participation of the EVD Network, the network coordination committee.
How European countries prevent and communicate on Hantavirus infection, ECDC study
Prompted by the increase of hantavirus activity in Europe observed in 2012, ECDC report reviewed the preventive measures and communication strategies in European countries.
Epidemiological update: Hantavirus outbreak at Yosemite Park, 9 September 2012Archived
One new case of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome at Yosemite National Park, California, U.S. ECDC assesses the risk of infection as low.


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Health Notes: Stroke support, first aid and more
Health Notes is a weekly feature that highlights health and wellness news in the area. Hospitals and other health related agencies may e-mail items to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Blood pressure screenings
Screenings offered by Bridgeport Hospital at Fairfield Senior Center, 100 Mona Terrace, Monday, Sept. 17 and Tuesday, Sept. 4, 9:30-11:30 a.m.; Stratford Baldwin Center, 1000 West Broad St., Monday, Sept. 10, 9:30-11:30 a.m.; Shelton Senior Center, 81 Wheeler St., Mondays, Aug. 27 and Sept. 24, noon-2 p.m. Call 1-888-357-2396.
Also offered by the South End Community Center in collaboration with the Stratford Health Department, first and third Wednesdays of the month, 10-noon, South End Community Center; 203-385-4058; 203-377-0689.
The Mario and Irma D'Addario Hypertension Program at St. Vincent's Medical Center provides free blood pressure screenings and information to the public every Tuesday, 11:30-3:30, in the main lobby of St. Vincent's Medical Center, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport; 1-877-255-SVHS (7847).
First aid/safety class
Bridgeport Hospital's Emergency Care Institute offers the following self-care classes in the duPont Board Room at Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant St. To register, call 203-384-4497.
Adult, child and infant CPR two-year certification, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 6-9 p.m., $65; Pediatric first aid & safety and adult, child and infant CPR/defibrillator training two-year certification, Saturdays, Aug. 25 and Sept. 8 and 22, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., $100 full class or $70 first aid portion only; Administration of medicine class, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 6:30-9:30 p.m., $50 full program (three-year certification) or $25 for injectable medications only; Basic life support for healthcare providers, Saturday, Sept. 1; Wednesday, Sept. 19; Thursday, Aug. 23; and Tuesday, Aug. 28, 6-10 p.m., $90 ($65 for those with an unexpired American Heart Association certification card).
Stroke support
St. Vincent's Stroke Survivors and Caregivers Support Group meets the third Wednesday of the month 5:30-7 p.m., Seton Room on Level C at St. Vincent's Medical Center, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. Call 203-576-5361.
Bridgeport Hospital's Ahlbin Rehabilitation Centers will host a free Stroke Support Group meeting for recovering stroke patients and their caregivers Tuesday, Sept. 4, 6-7 p.m., at its Shelton outreach site, 4 Corporate Drive. For information or to register, call 203-925-4201.
Breastfeeding support
Bridgeport Hospital has launched a new free breastfeeding support group for new and expectant mothers, the first and third Wednesday of the month, 10-noon, 5520 Park Ave., Trumbull. Next: Sept. 5 and 19. To register, call toll free 1-888-357-2396.
Free HIV/HCV tests
The Greater Bridgeport Area Prevention Program and the Stratford Health Department will offer rapid HIV and Hepatitis C testing with results in 20 minutes every first and third Tuesday of the month from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Stratford Health Dept., 468 Birdseye St., Stratford.
To schedule an appointment call 203-385-4058.
Hip and knee pain lecture
A panel of experts from Bridgeport Hospital and Ahlbin Rehabilitation Centers will discuss the causes of, and treatments for, hip and knee pain during the free lecture, "Hip or Knee Pain? You Can Do Something About It!" Thursday, Sept. 6, 7-9 p.m., at the Trumbull Marriott, 180 Hawley Lane. Speakers include orthopedic surgeons David Bindelglass, MD and Joel Malin, MD, orthopedic nurse Karen Essig and physical therapist Amy Mooney. Valet parking will be available for the benefit of those attending the lecture. Advance registration is required. Call 1-888-357-2397.
AARP driver safety program
Griffin Hospital will host an AARP Driver Safety Program Saturday, Sept. 8, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the hospital's dining room meeting rooms.
Cost is $12 for AARP members; $14 for non-members. Make checks payable to AARP.
Call 203-732-7584 to register.
Senior driving course
AARP's Senior Driver Safety Program will be offered Saturday, Sept. 8, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., in the first-floor Administration Conference Room at Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant St.
Fee is $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members, which covers handouts and instructional materials. To register, call 1-888-357-2396.
Cardiac support group
Bridgeport Hospital's Heart Beats, Inc., the hospital's cardiac patient support group, will meet Wednesday, Sept. 12, 6 p.m., in the second-floor Fresh Inspirations Café at Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant St. The lecture will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Hollander Auditorium on the fourth floor. Meeting is free and open to the public. Complimentary refreshments will be served. For information, call 1-888-357-2396.
Nutrition for cancer survivors
St. Vincent's presents"Nutrition for Cancer Survivors" the second Wednesday of the month from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in its Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care adjacent to the hospital. Upcoming: Sept. 12. To register or for more information call 203-576-6158.
Genetic counseling
The Norma F. Pfriem Cancer Institute at Bridgeport Hospital is partnering with Yale Cancer Center to provide genetic counseling services in the Greater Bridgeport community. Certified genetic counselor Rachel Barnett sees patients at the Cancer Institute's Park Avenue campus in Trumbull, where a number of other cancer-related services are also provided. Appointments are available on Wednesdays, Sept. 12 and Oct. 10.
To make an appointment, call 203-764-8400.
Mammography screenings
The SWIM Women's Imaging Center will offer free and low-cost digital mammography screenings for women age 35 and older Thursday, Sept. 13, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Boomers & Beyond, Trumbull Marriott, 180 Hawley Lane, Trumbull; Saturday, Sept. 15, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Cathedral of Faith, 2319 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport, and Saturday, Sept. 29, 4-7 p.m., Emanuel Assembly of God, 331 Madison Ave., Bridgeport.
To schedule an appointment, call 203-576-5505.
Mini-Med School
Griffin Hospital is accepting registrations for its free 10-week "Mini-Med School" course that begins Thursday, Sept. 13.
The course, which will be conducted over 10 consecutive weekly sessions by various Griffin Hospital physicians who serve as faculty, will meet Thursdays from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the hospital's Meditation and Learning Center. The Mini-Med School will culminate with a "graduation" ceremony for participants on Nov.15.
Early registration is encouraged. To register, go to the events calendar on the Griffin Hospital website at griffinhealth.org or call InfoSource at 203-732-1511.
Sports Safety program
Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley, Griffin Hospital, and the Valley Parish Nurses will host a Sports Safety program at the 11th annual Children's Health & Safety Fair on Sunday, Sept. 16 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lower Naugatuck Valley Boys & Girls Club, One Positive Place, Shelton.
For more information on Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley's sports safety clinics or sports injury prevention, call Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley Coordinator, Cathi Kellett at 203-732-1337 or visit safekids.org/sports.
Ostomy support
Bridgeport Hospital will sponsor a free Ostomy Support meeting Sunday, Sept. 16, 2 p.m., at Visiting Nurse Services of Connecticut, 40 Lindeman Drive, Trumbull. The meeting is open to anyone who has had or will have an ostomy operation, such as colostomy, urostomy or ileostomy. Spouses are welcome. Meetings are held on the third Sunday of the month except July and August. For information, call Sharon Tilley at 203-384-3209.
Cancer survivor support
Bridgeport Hospital's Norma F. Pfriem Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society will sponsor a free meeting in the Moving Forward support and educational series for cancer survivors, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 5-7:30 p.m., at 5520 Park Ave., Trumbull. The topic is "Eat Well, Stay Well." A light supper will be served. Registration is required. Call 203-563-1523.
Look Good .... Feel Better
Free American Cancer Society program that helps women with cancer improve their appearance and self-image through hands-on beauty techniques offered Thursday, Oct. 11, 1-3 p.m., Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care adjacent St. Vincent's Medical Center, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. Reservations required: 203-576-6158.
Also offered Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2-4 p.m., The Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center, 111 Beach Road, Fairfield. To register, call 203-255-5300.
Also offered by The Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital, Derby the third Thursday of the month, 5-7 p.m. Register in advance by calling Laura Howell, 203-732-1280 or email email@example.com.
Better Breathing Club
Next meeting is Friday, Sept. 28, 1:30 p.m., first-floor Administration Conference Room at Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant St. Support group meeting is open to anyone with chronic respiratory disease. To register, call 203-336-7375.
Breast cancer survivor support
St. Vincent's Breast Cancer Survivor support group meets the first and third Tuesdays of the month 5:30-7 p.m., Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care at St. V's, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. No reservations required. Information: 203-576-6158; email@example.com.
Family support group
A free Family Support Group for adult patients, family members and friends who are coping with a diagnose of leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and Hodgkin's Disease is being offered at St. Vincent's on the first Tuesday of every month from 4-5:30 p.m., in the Elizabeth M. Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, Level 3 Medical Oncology Conference Room, adjacent to the Medical Center, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. Information: 203-576-6158; firstname.lastname@example.com.
Diabetes education
St. Vincent's Medical Center and the Merck Co., are co-sponsoring The Journey for Control, a monthly diabetes education workshop, the fourth Thursday of the month, 6-7:30 p.m., in St. Vincent's Level 4 Seton Conference Room (next to the cafeteria).
To register, call 203-576-6168.
Bereavement support
Eight-week group facilitated by Ximena Varas, certified lay minister and chaplain meets Mondays, 7-8:30 p.m at First United Methodist Church, 188 Rocky Rest Road. Registration required: firstname.lastname@example.com or 203-278-1568.
Weight loss support
Interested in losing weight? Concerned about your weight? First Congregational Church, 44 South Cliff St., Ansonia hosts a night of mutual support Mondays, weigh in from 5:45-6:50 p.m.; meeting 7-8 p.m. First meeting is free. Call Tom, 203-308-3355 and leave a message.
Cancer support group
Ongoing monthly group is focused on giving support to patients and families who have been diagnosed with lung, colon, head and neck, esophageal, GI cancers and other solid tumors. One-hour dialogue and discussion on medical issues and stress related issues regarding the medical, physical, and emotional effects concerning the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Meetings are the third Wednesday of the month, 9-10 a.m., Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, third floor conference room, St. V's, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. Call 203-576-6158.
Nursing moms support
Griffin Hospital, 130 Division St., Derby hosts a monthly Nursing Moms Support Group, facilitated by a board-certified lactation consultant the fourth Tuesday of each month from 7-9 p.m. Contact firstname.lastname@example.com for more information.
Massage therapy
Massage is offered for oncology patients undergoing definitive active treatment and for survivors who have completed treatment. Call 203-576-6158 for an appointments. Program takes place on third floor of Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care at St. V's, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport.
Ring for Your Rhythm
Bridgeport Hospital's "Ring for Your Rhythm" line provides recorded, step-by-step instructions for taking a pulse reading, to help detect atrial fibrillation (a-fib) and possibly prevent a stroke. Call toll free, 24/7, at 1-855-247-8573. A-fib, the most common type of heart rhythm disorder, causes blood to pool in the heart's chambers, which can lead to blood clots that may travel to the brain and trigger a stroke.
Yoga for cancer patients
Restorative yoga, chair yoga with breathing and meditation for patients in active treatment or post-surgery, Tuesdays, 10 a.m., The Watermark, 303 Park Ave., Bridgeport; Thursdays, 10 a.m., Yoga Room on Level 3 of St. Vincent's Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, adjacent to the Medical Center. Gentle Yoga, for patients in treatment or recently finished, Saturdays, 8:30 a.m., Yoga for Everybody, 27 Unquowa Road, Fairfield. Formal Yoga, for cancer survivors of five years or less, Wednesdays, 4:30 p.m., The Watermark, 3030 Park Ave., Bridgeport. To register call 203-576-6158.
Fitness classes
Bridgeport Hospital's Ahlbin Rehabilitation Centers offers weekly fitness classes in Bridgeport and Stratford:
Boot Camp, Mondays and Wednesdays, 5:45-6:45 a.m., 226 Mill Hill Ave., Bridgeport; Saturdays, 10-11 a.m., 3585 Main St., Stratford.
Women's Strength Training, Tuesdays, 11-noon; Thursdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m., 226 Mill Hill, Bridgeport; Saturdays, 8-9 a.m., 3585 Main St., Stratford.
Zumba, Tuesdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m., 226 Mill Hill, Bridgeport; Saturdays, 8-9 a.m., 3585 Main St., Stratford.
All classes are conducted by certified fitness trainers. Cost is $8 per class or $75 for 10 classes. Tickets are available at all Ahlbin Centers locations, or before or after classes. For information or to register, call 203-336-7301 (Bridgeport) or 203-380-4672 (Stratford).
In addition to Bridgeport and Stratford, Ahlbin Centers has outpatient facilities at 4 Corporate Drive, Shelton; 2600 Post Road, Southport; and 2750 Reservoir Ave., Trumbull.
Diabetes education
St. Vincent's Medical Center and the Merck Co., are co-sponsoring The Journey for Control, a monthly Diabetes Education Workshop, held the fourth Thursday of the month, 6-7:30 p.m. in St. Vincent's Level 4 Seton Conference Room. To register, call 203-576-6168.
Gamblers Anonymous
Meets Saturdays, 7 p.m., 100 Bank St., Seymour. For more information, call Steve, 203-362-5234.
Addiction support
Are you dealing with an addiction in your life or the life of a family member? Higher Ground Ministry is non-denominational offering help that is permanent through biblical truths. Weekly meetings are held where one receives support, encouragement and spiritual guidance. Meetings are Thursdays, 7-8:30 p.m., Trinity Baptist Church, 300 North Benson Road, Fairfield. Also, Sundays 6-7:30 p.m., Stepney Baptist Chruch, 423 Main St., Monroe; Mondays, 7:30-9 p.m., Huntington Chapel, 177 Ripton Road, Huntington; Thursdays, 6:30-8 p.m., Christ the King Church at American Legion Hall, 21 Cedar St., Naugatuck; Fridays, 7-8:30 p.m., First Baptist Church,178 Leavenworth Road, Shelton and First Baptist Church, 235 Prindle Ave., Ansonia. Information: 203-888-9974; highergroundministry.org.
Overeaters group
Compulsive overeaters group meets Wednesdays, 6-7:30 p.m., Rimmon Pond Counseling, LLC, 100 Bank St., Seymour. Group will address underlying attitudes and beliefs which affect eating behaviors. For more information or to register, call 203-888-0462.
Led by licensed acupuncturist Gregor Wei, Mondays, 10-2, Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center, 111 Beach Road, Fairfield. Call 203-255-5300 to register. Advance registration requested. Private appointments available.
Genetic counseling
The Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital offers cancer genetic counseling services to individuals and families as part of the Center's comprehensive model of patient-centered care.
Cancer genetic counseling is the process of collecting a patient's detailed personal and family history, assessing their personal risk, and discussing their genetic testing options. Genetic tests are tests on blood and other tissue used to identify genetic disorders.
For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call 203-732-1260.
Diabetes support
Diabetes Education & Support Group meets September -June, second Tuesday of the month, 6:30 p.m., Griffin Hospital, Derby. Open to diabetics and their families; 203-732-1137.
Weight-loss surgery support
Griffin Bariatrics, a new program of Griffin Hospital, will host weight loss surgery support group meetings the third Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at the Griffin Imaging & Diagnostics Center at Ivy Brook, 2 Ivy Brook Road, Shelton. Advance registration requested; griffinhealth.org; 888-657-9252.
To help bariatric patients bridge the gap between the time of surgery and reaching their healthy weight, Griffin Bariatrics has assembled a Clothes Closet with men's and women's clothing in barely worn or new condition, which has been donated by bariatric patients and hospital staff and family members. The Clothes Closet is open the second Wednesday of each month, 4:30-6:30 p.m., prior to monthly "On Track" support group meetings; 203-732-7108; firstname.lastname@example.com.
Fibromyalgia support
Fibromyalgia Support Group meets the last Tuesday of the month, 2 p.m., Griffin Hospital, 130 Division St., Derby. Information: Daun Barrett, 203-732-7584.
Health and wellness classes
St. Vincent's Medical Center, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport offers a variety of health and wellness classes. Most sessions run for 10 weeks with the exception of pilates, which is six weeks; and Y Diabetes Prevention Program and Weight Watchers program, 16 and 17-week sessions respectively. 10-week sessions: $90. Information/registration: 203-576-6267; email@example.com.
Free exercise video program
A new online video program called A-B-E (Activity Bursts Everywhere) for Fitness, designed specifically to help adults meet those recommendations for daily physical activity, is available at abeforfitness.com.
The program offers a library of more than 50 videos of guided physical activity routines, each of which may be done in 3 to 5 minutes. It offers a variety of options based on users' time, interests, needs, and fitness levels.
Kripalu yoga
Beginner and intermediate level, runs weekly, Fridays, 9:15 a.m., Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center, 111 Beach Road, Fairfield. Class size limited to six students. Advance registration requested; 203-255-5300; bridgeporthospital.org. Yoga, restorative yoga and teen yoga classes also available. Call for full class schedule.
Weekly, Mondays, 5:30 p.m., Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center, 111 Beach Road, Fairfield. Class size limited to six students. Advance registration requested; 203-255-5300.
OCD support
Yale Obsessive Compulsive (OCD) Support Group meets first and third Thursday of the month, 3-4 p.m., CHMC, 34 Park St., 3rd floor conference room, New Haven. Information: psychiatry.yale.edu/ocd/patients; Suzanne Wasylink, 203-974-7523.
Wellness booth
St. Vincent's Wellness Booth has relocated to the main lobby of the Medical Center, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. The Wellness Booth, a project of the Mario and Irma D'Addario Hypertension Fund, formerly was located at Westfield Shoppingtown, Trumbull. The booth offers a variety of health screenings and services to the public every Tuesday and Wednesday, 11:30-3:30. No appointment required for any of the screenings.
Free blood pressure screenings are performed every Tuesday. On Wednesdays, Cholesterol/HDL ratio/glucose screening, $18; a lipid panel requiring a four-hour fast, $25; blood sugar screening alone requiring a two-hour fast, $1.
For more information call St. Vincent's toll-free Care Line at 1-877-255-SVHS (7847).
Help for new movers
Bridgeport Hospital's free Newcomer Concierge Service helps new residents of Bridgeport and surrounding towns locate physicians to meet personal and family health needs. Service also provides information on health-related events and activities. To reach the Newcomer Concierge Service, call 203-330-7462, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays, 9-3.
Heart-disease risk quiz
Bridgeport Hospital offers "Take 10 for Your Ticker," a free online heart-disease risk quiz. Quiz is available at bridgeporthospital.org, by clicking on the link in the "Take 10 for Your Ticker" box.
For those without access to the Internet, a free printed copy of the quiz, with an explanation of results, is available by calling 1-888-357-2396.
Breast cancer support
Woman to Woman of the Valley group meets second and fourth Thursday of the month, 6-7:30 p.m., Griffin Hospital Cancer Center, 350 Seymour Ave., Derby.
Information: Midge Johnson, breast care coordinator at Griffin Hospital, 203-732-7566 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com; or Joyce Grohe, co-facilitator, 203-888-3993.
MS support
Derby MS support group meets third Wednesday of the month, 4:30-5:30, Griffin Hospital, 130 Division St., Derby; Lisa, 203-231-4716; ctfightsMS.org.
The Shelton MS support group meets second Monday of the month, 2-3:30, Plumb Library, 65 Wooster St., Shelton; 1-800-344-4867; ctfightsMS.org.
Bereavement support
Hosted by Griffin Hospital, second and fourth Wednesday of each month, 2:30-3:30. Facilitated by a chaplain and a social worker, the group is designed to provide ongoing support; 203-732-1100.
Overeaters anonymous
Free 12-step program for compulsive eaters, meets Mondays, Fridays, noon-1, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 25 Church St., Shelton; 203-454-6607.
Caregiver support
Atria Stratford Assisted Living, 6911 Main St., offers a support group for family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease, or related dementia, living at home or in an extended care facility. Group meets first Wednesday of the month, 6-7; 203-380-0006.
Grasmere Eldercare Center: 240 Colony St., Fairfield, offers open discussion about Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, last Friday of month, 1-2. RSVP Courtney: 203-259-6699 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Jewish Family Service, 2370 Park Ave., Bridgeport, offers support group for family members or friends helping with the care of adults over 60, meets first Wednesday of month, 6-7:30 p.m. RSVP: 203-366-5438, Ext. 219.
Sunset Shores Adult Day Health Center, 720 Barnum Avenue Cut Off, Stratford, offers a support group for people caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. Meetings are the second Wednesday of the month, 4-5; 203-380-1228.
St. Vincent's SWIM family support group meets first Tuesday of each month, 4-5:30 p.m., Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care at St. V's, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. No reservations required; 203-576-6158; firstname.lastname@example.com.
Prostate cancer survivors
St. Vincent's SWIM Prostate Cancer Survivors Educational Lecture Series and Support Group meets at Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, at St. V's, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. Call 203-576-6158 or e-mail email@example.com for dates and times of lectures. No reservations required.
Breast cancer wellness
St. Vincent's Breast Cancer Survivor Wellness program, intended for women who have recently undergone breast cancer surgery and those further along in their recovery, 4:30-5:30, Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care at St. V's, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. No reservations required. For dates, call 203-576-6158.
Breast cancer stories
Bizymoms.com has helped many women with whatever information it is they may be seeking about breast cancer. A panel of cancer experts, women, wives, and mothers are waiting to share their expertise and stories while learning about yours. Visit bizymoms.com/cares/breastcancer.
Cancer boutique
St. Vincent's partners with Saxon-Kent Lingerie of Orange to provide special products for women battling cancer. Boutique hours: Monday-Friday, 10-4. Fitting hours for wigs, prosthesis, mastectomy bras, lymphedema sleeves etc: Tuesdays, 2-4; Wednesdays, 10-noon; or by appointment; 203-576-6158; email@example.com.
Breast cancer support
Woman-to-Woman, an American Cancer Society sponsored support group for women who have had breast cancer or who have been newly diagnosed, meets monthly, 2-4 p.m., Cambridge Manor, 2428 Easton Tpke., Fairfield; 1-800-889-3340.
The Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital offers a breast cancer survivor group "Circle of Friends" which meets the second Thursday of every month, 6-7:30 p.m. at the Center for Cancer Care, 350 Seymour Ave., Derby. New topics and guest speakers monthly; 203-732-1300; firstname.lastname@example.com.
Cancer resource library
St. Vincent's SWIM Cancer Resource Library is open Monday-Friday, 9-5, Maureen Ringel Cancer Resource Library, Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, St. V's. Medical Center, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. A representative is available to assist visitors with navigation of web-based searches, cancer clinical trial searches and direct patient referrals to a variety of free resources Monday-Friday, 9-1.
Free hearing tests
Offered in the office or at home, by Affordable Hearing Solutions, LLC, Orange Medical Center, 380 Boston Post Road #107, Orange, Monday-Friday, 9-5; free. Call 799-7775, for an appointment. Tests also offered at Waterbury office, 2457 East Main St.; call 203-574-5377.
Scleroderma support
The American Society For Scleroderma Research has formed a support group for all afflicted by this disease. Group meets every second Thursday, 6:30-7:30 p.m., St. Vincent Medical Center, Main Street, Bridgeport; Aimee Turiano or Joy LoSchiavo, 203-273-2034.
Donate vehicles
RedcrossMotors converts donated vehicles into dollars to help support the local chapter. Most motorized vehicles including boats, trailers, trucks, motorcycles and motor homes are accepted, running or not. Information: 1-877-RCDONOR (732-6667).


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"All-new, smooth and responsive all-terrain wagon."
Luxury Cars
Editor: Sam Moses
$39,600 Base Price MSRP
$40,495 As Tested MSRP
Model Lineup: "Audi allroad Premium, Premium Plus, Prestige"
Standard Engine: 2.0-liter I4
Engine Options: 2.0-liter turbocharged I4
Standard Transmission: 8-speed automatic with manual feature
Transmission Options: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Basic Warranty: "4 years/50,000 miles"
Assembled In: "Ingolstadt, Germany"
Model Tested MSRP: "Audi allroad Premium ($39,500)"
Standard Equipment: "leather upholstery, climate control, moonroof, fog lamps, all-wheel drive, power front seats, power windows, power locks, power heated mirrors, cruise control, tilt/telescoping steering column, AM/FM/CD/SD/MP3/Sirius 10-speaker stereo, MMI driver interface, alloy wheels"
Options As Tested: none
Standard Safety Equipment: "two-stage driver and adaptive passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, curtain airbags, active headrests; electronic stability control, ABS, EBD, brake assist, tire pressure monitor, all-wheel drive"
Optional Safety Equipment: "rear side airbags, adaptive cruise control, Audi side assist, rearview camera, park assist"Destination Charge: $895
Direct competitors for the Audi allroad are slim, if you don't count crossover utility vehicles (CUVs). The allroad has never crossed over from anywhere; it's always been a wagon. The Subaru Outback and Volkswagen Jetta TDI SportWagen are cars that might be cross-shopped, when considering a comfortable and capable all-wheel-drive wagon of this size. Although you couldn't get the price of either to match the allroad, and with the Subaru you'd get a 3.6-liter 6-cylinder engine that makes 45 more horsepower than the allroad. The Cadillac SRX AWD moves beyond the allroad in price, power and size (while being the same wheelbase as the allroad), but it's an option that a possible allroad buyer might consider.
If you were to pick one CUV to compare, it might be the Ford Edge, with its new 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine making 240 horsepower and using a new 6-speed automatic transmission. It's about the same wheelbase, weight and fuel mileage, and it's most comparable to the Edge Limited edition with panoramic sunroof and all-wheel drive, things that are standard equipment on the allroad.
Obviously the 2013 allroad can't be compared to the 2006 allroad, because everything is better, and a bit bigger, too. And when you compare the allroad to the 2012 A4 Avant wagon, it doesn't seem so all-new, just revised a bit.
The allroad is built on the same chassis as the A4 sedan, and the size differences are insignificant, except for the height, as the allroad is 1.8 inches taller. It's got a slightly wider track because of its larger 18-inch wheels, and 3.0 more inches of ground clearance, which accounts for the height. It weighs 300 pounds more. It still manages to accelerate from zero to 60 in 6.5 seconds, a time that's plenty quick for staying out of trouble on the freeway.
The engine is super smooth, and for years has been the smoothest 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the world. Ninety miles per hour remains silent and effortless. Its 258 pound-feet of torque comes at a low 1500 rpm, so it pulls up to speed sharply.
Fuel economy is an EPA-estimated 20/27 mpg City/Highway. It's heavier and less aerodynamic than the A4, with a not-too-slim 0.36 coefficient of drag. And the range won't be as far, as the fuel tank holds .3 gallons less. Its need for premium fuel is one downside to the turbocharged engine that makes 211 strong horsepower. Premium is recommended, not required, but it's a recommendation to follow.
Audi sedans have a fresh look for 2013, and the allroad borrows the sedan face but looks even better. It's especially bold on the allroad, because of its black front fascia with no-nonsense small round foglamps and air intakes, wider track from tires, and lips on the fender flares. Roof rails add to the rugged utility, including stainless steel skidplates. Unfortunately neither the standard 18-inch wheels nor optional 19s add to the car's good looks.
The interior is very appealing, with Nappa leather and a choice of walnut, ash, oak or aluminum trim. Controls are easy to reach. The Multi Media Interface (MMI) knob is used to control navigation and Google.
There's good cargo space, with 27.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 50.5 cubic feet with the rear seatbacks folded. As for rear seat legroom, the allroad has the same as the A4 sedan, 35.2 inches. The Subaru Outback offers 37.8 inches and the Ford Edge 39.6 inches.
We drove the allroad at the launch in Colorado, and got good seat time on freeways and mountain two-lanes. The ride is pleasing and smooth, with no rough moments transmitted to the occupants over patchy pavement.
The little engine performs out of its league, with strong torque translating to effortless acceleration even on uphill two-lanes. The Tiptronic 8-speed automatic is fast-shifting and obedient with the paddle shifters, and has rev-matching downshifting. The brakes felt good when we used them on downhill curves. They're not quite bomb-proof, because we did hit the point of fade, but until then the pedal gave good feedback."
"Audi allroad comes with the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with 8-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive. There are three trim levels: Premium; Premium Plus; and Prestige.
Premium ($39,600) is the entry level and it comes standard with leather upholstery, single-zone automatic climate control, eight-way power front seats with lumbar, audio system with XM radio and single CD, power doors, power locks, power windows, power sunroof, halogen headlamps, 18-inch wheels with all-season tires. Heated front seats ($450) are optional. The Premium Convenience Package ($1100) features Bluetooth and music interface with iPod.
Premium Plus ($42,600) upgrades to three-zone climate control (third zone is rear), heated memory front seats, heated mirrors, power tailgate, and a Convenience Package including Audi music interface with iPod cable, Bluetooth, driver info system and garage door opener.
Prestige ($48,800) adds adaptive headlamps, blind spot monitoring, a 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, and Audi MMI with navigation and Audi Connect online services, including Google and Google Earth for the nav.
Options include Sport front seats with a three-spoke steering wheel and paddle shifters ($500); adaptive cruise control, dynamic steering, and drive select with modes that set the steering, transmission and throttle response, from Comfort to Dynamic ($3250).
Safety equipment that comes standard includes eight airbags, electronic stability control with anti-lock brakes and hydraulic brake assist, crash sensor activation, child door locks and LATCH seat system, tire pressure monitor, all-wheel drive."
Walk Around
"For being away for seven years, you might expect the all-new allroad to look all new, but not quite. It follows the new A4 face and lines, however, so it's not dated. In fact, the new face looks especially bold on the allroad, because of its black front fascia with no-nonsense small round foglamps and air intakes, wider track from tires, and lips on the fender flares. For 2013 the Audi grille has been chopped at the upper corners, or a better word might be styled, because less grille and more movement adds elegance to the nose. The grille still looks massive on the allroad, with long chrome bars with a big shiny Audi four-ring emblem. The headlamps are shaped sharply and flow inward perfectly, looking like the eyes of an eagle. Again, it's the upscale Prestige Plus that has this whole look, including LED rings (daytime running lights) following the shape of the xenon headlamps.
The back end looks just as tough, with muscular taillamps (LED optional) and a black fascia with diffuser and twin tailpipes.
On the sides there's a sharp crease running from the corners of the headlamps to the corners of the taillamps, over stainless sills and body-colored door handles. Roof rails add to the rugged utility, and don't forget the stainless steel skidplates. Five-spoke 18-inch wheels are standard, with 5-spoke 19s optional. We don't want to say that we think both wheels are ugly, because who knows, some might like them. Let's say we think Audi can do better."
"The allroad interior is very appealing, with stylish Nappa leather in black, brown, gray or beige. Trim on the dash and doors is walnut, ash, oak or aluminum. The console and center dash are angled toward the driver, and the center armrest top slides forward, making a comfortable elbow rest. There are storage spaces all over the place, from seatbacks to center armrests to a roomy glovebox.
The standard seats (unheated in Premium, although heat is available) are comfortable, while the optional $500 sports seats offer more back and thigh bolstering, without being tight. For that money you also get a leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel with paddles for the Tiptronic, an option that's well worth it. Especially since the shift knob isn't a great fit, for sporty manual shifting; in this case, the paddles feel better.
The cabin is fairly busy because there's much to control, and it's all easy to reach, including the MMI (Multi Media Interface) knob with Google and navigation on a 6.5-inch screen, in the Prestige Plus. It's got just four buttons now; until the 2013 model there were eight. The available three-zone climate control system has been simplified slightly for 2013.
The chrome-ringed speedometer and tachometer aren't cluttered by graphics, and the gauge lighting is easy on the eyes. There are controls on the tilt-telescoping steering wheel, thumb wheels that spin and click through what you need, in particular on the display located between the speedo and tach. It can show the transmission gear, radio info, fuel range and economy, temperature and more. On the Prestige model, trip computer data, cruise control distances, and navigation data are added.
Without the $1100 Convenience Package in the base Premium model, you don't get Audi music interface with iPod cable, Bluetooth, garage door opener, and driver info system. The optional Bang & Olufsen system offers 505 watts and 14 speakers. We've listened to both, and 180-watt 10-speaker standard system sounds good, considering the cost of the Bang & Olufsen.
There's good cargo space, with 27.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 50.5 cubic feet with the rear seatbacks folded. But not that good; the Subaru Outback blows the allroad away, with 71.3 cubic feet. Same with rear seat legroom; the allroad has the same as the A4 sedan, 35.2 inches, while the Outback offers 37.8 inches, on a wheelbase that's shorter by 2.5 inches. Meanwhile, the Ford Edge offers the same cargo space as the allroad, plus 39.6 inches of rear legroom, with an overall length that's actually 1.7 inches less.
The floor hump in the center will keep an adult from riding there, but kids can endure it. A nice touch is LED footwell lights. The rear headrests don't get in the way of the driver's rear visibility in the mirror."
Driving Impressions
"Quattro all-wheel drive is great, and has been for decades. It isn't just for traction in snow, ice and rain, it improves the handling on dry pavement too. However if you live in the dry flatlands, you could live without it.
Until a wheel starts slipping, 60 percent of the drive goes to the rear wheels, for ideal driving dynamics and balance. The differential locks, for best low-speed traction. Only Subaru has the all-wheel drive chops to match Audi quattro.
We drove the allroad for much of one day in Colorado, and challenged its powertrain, brakes and handling on freeway and mountain two-lanes. The ride is especially pleasing, with no rough moments transmitted to driver or passenger over patchy pavement.
When we needed speed to make it to the Denver airport in time, the little engine sucked on its turbocharger boost and delivered for us. It loved it. It's not often you can call a 2.0-liter engine long-legged, but that's how the allroad feels. The 8-speed transmission is a double overdrive, so 7th and 8th gears are for high speeds and fuel mileage, with lower rpm.
Meanwhile at the lower end, the torque is strong at 258 foot-pounds, and its range is exceptionally broad, so there's acceleration at any time. The allroad squirts from 0 to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds, which is only .1 slower than the A4 sedan, despite the extra weight.
Fuel economy, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, is 20/27 mpg City/Highway, or 23 mpg Combined.
Tiptronic 8-speed automatic is fast-shifting and obedient with the paddle shifters, and has rev-matching downshifting. It will take hard downshifts, and won't change gears unless you ask it to. That's quite special for this category of car, whatever the allroad category is.
The brakes felt good when we used them on downhill curves hard enough to make them smell. They're not quite bomb-proof, because we did hit the point of fade, but until then the pedal gave good feedback. Discs are ventilated in front, where most braking occurs, but not in rear.
Most of the suspension pieces are forged aluminum, as is the front crossmember and also the hood. The rear suspension is based on the larger A6 sedan, with trapezoidal links and separate spring and shock mounts that allow a lower floor but more suspension travel, a win-win situation.
The optional Drive Select system with dynamic steering and variable damping calculates shock rates 1000 times per second. We didn't get a chance to drive an allroad with Drive Select, but we can say from past experience that, from a mechanical standpoint, it's hard to go wrong with programmable modes because they present such a wide spectrum of ride, handling and power."
"The all-wheel-drive Audi allroad uses an impeccable powertrain with a luxury interior, and provides style, comfort and technology for a premium price. It's hard to find flaws, but might also be hard to justify value when comparing it to other vehicles that offer similar features for less money.
Sam Moses filed this report to NewCarTestDrive.com after his test drive of the Audi allroad in Colorado."
Top Cars


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I was going to ask PZ about this, but on second thought and on the off chance he hasn't seen it, I worried about his blood pressure and workload in the middle of the first round of exams. Instead I'll tell you! Apparently our purportedly liberal friends in Hollywood have had a great idea, a full length, full FX, Big Screen adaptation of …. The Noah's Ark legend!
Paramount and New Regency have agreed to fund Darren Aronofsky's $150 million epic based on the biblical story of Noah's Ark. Gladiator and The Aviator writer John Logan – he, uh, prefers you don't mention Star Trek: Nemesis – has been hired to rewrite Aronofsky and Ari Handel's script.
Now, now, I know, there will be much gnashing of skeptical teeth. But it's not like Hollywood has been particularly helpful to science, or terribly concerned about portraying it accurately up until this sudden, uncharacteristic stab in the back. Think about the recent travesties Armageddon, Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow and those are just a few A-list movies, where real money was ostensibly spent on science-y special effects (I sure hope it wasn't spent on Bruce Willis' or Ben Affleck's acting). Not to mention other legend based movies like Sinbad, Aladdin, and Thor. The list of b-listers and worse goes on forever, Plan 9 From Outer Space, Catwomen From Mars …. It's depressing to think that this is the same film industry that gave us crust shifting and land cyclones driven by cold engines. Science be Praised!
So everyone stay calm, take it in stride, man, take it in stride. Think of the jobs. And the fun we'll have with reviews.


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Neil Gaiman is truly a jack-of-all-trades. You might remember him as the talented author of the SANDMAN comic book series. His talent doesn't end there, however. He has written fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, children's books and worked as an editor. In his latest novel, STARDUST, he returns to his comic book roots and turns out a rather good fantasy.
STARDUST begins inside the city of Wall in the 19th century. Located somewhere in England, Wall is surrounded by an enormous gate and the city's sheltered inhabitants keep to themselves. The gates are only opened once every nine years to allow a traveling fair to visit on May Day.
Tristran Thorn is like every boy in love --- foolish. Young Tristran has fallen in love with beautiful Victoria Forester. He tries to get her attention, but without much luck. She simply doesn't care for him. One night, while Tristran is tying to woo her, a star falls from the sky. Tristran is so desperate that he has been making foolish promises like "I would go to Africa, and bring you diamonds the size of cricket balls. I would find the source of the Nile, and name it after you." Victoria calls him on his dare. She tells him that if he can go and find the fallen star and bring it back to her, she will marry him. Tristran is overjoyed and immediately sets out on his journey.
Tristran is not the only one who wants the star. A trio of witches see the star fall and one of them sets out to retrieve it. The heart of a star can be used to make an old person young again. The three living sons of the 81st Lord of Stormhold are also after the star. On his deathbed, the Lord of Stormhold tells his sons that whoever retrieves the star shall be the next ruler.
This is the only fantasy novel I've read that takes place in an actual period in history. The author refers to Queen Victoria and a young Charles Dickens. Once Tristran leaves Wall, the setting becomes a little muddled: He crosses mountains and encounters forests full of killer trees. Neil Gaiman appears to be making up his own version of Victorian England as he goes. It gives the story an "urban legend" feel, as if it had been passed from generation to generation.
Check out STARDUST. Some of you will pick it up because you love Neil Gaiman and his work in the comic industry. Others will like it because it's a fantasy novel. But, overall, STARDUST is just an entertaining book that's well-written to boot.
Reviewed by Patrick Hughes on January 23, 2011


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Natalie Barr
A day after helping the Liberty Lady Flames claim the NorPac East regular-season title, Natalie Barr has been named the conference's East Division Co-Offensive Player of the Week. Barr shares the award with Longwood's Stacey de Grandhomme.
This is the fourth weekly award for Barr this season and second consecutive Offensive Player of the Week honor. The freshman was named NorPac East Co-Rookie of the Week on Sept. 11 and Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 18 and Oct. 22.
Barr finished the weekend with eight shots, three goals and one assist. On Friday against Appalachian State, Barr tallied a goal and an assist as the Lady Flames downed the Mountaineers, 3-1. In Liberty's regular-season finale against Davidson Sunday, the Northern Ireland native notched a pair of goals, including the game winner with 1:08 remaining in the game.
Barr finished the regular season with a team-best 14 goals and seven assists. Barr's 14 goals places her in a tie for the most goals by a freshman in the nation with UConn's Louisa Boddy.
On Thursday, the Lady Flames will travel to Farmville, Va. for the first round of the NorPac Tournament. Liberty (7-1 NorPac) will open against the fourth seed from the West Division, Pacific (1-5 NorPac). Game time versus the Tigers is slated for 1:30 p.m.
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tellows API – Partnership Program
What is tellows?
- tellows is a community project operating in over 50 countries worldwide as a leading phone number resource
- Users rate phone numbers using our score model: the tellows score
- Reported numbers display how trustworthy the number is and provide helpful information for other users
- Our blacklist contains all of the negatively reported numbers
- More than 7 million users visit tellows monthly
- Numbers on tellows receive over 20.000 comments monthly
- tellows is available for desktop, smartphones and tablets
- The tellows app for real-time identification of callers is available for iOS and Android
Who uses tellows?
tellows ABC markets worldwide – differentiated by the amount of visitors and reported numbers:
- A markets are the most important tellows markets with 4.4m visits / month covering 80% of the total community; Germany, United Kingdom, Italy and France are the most important markets.
- B markets are between 40.000 and 100.000 visitors / month
- C markets contain less than 40.000 visits monthly
|A markets
|B markets
|United States
|South Africa
|United Kingdom
tellows score
The tellows score is classified by our community on a scale from 1 (where 1 is trustworthy) to 9 (where 9 is untrustworthy) and entails harassment calls including aggressive advertising. To calculate the scores, tellows uses a complex algorithm to arrange individual numbers, considering several factors and the users' opinion. Therefore, all tellows users can see from a quick glance, whether the person calling is a trustworthy caller or not.
tellows API for blacklist integration
- Phone Number
- tellows score
- Number of comments
- Number of search requests
- Caller type
- Caller name (assigned by users)
- Area (including ZIP code, city, country code)
- Comments for each phone number
- Set language for the result output
- Deeplink to phone number
- Filter results by score, country, comments or search requests
Data Lifecycle of the Blacklist
Lifespan of Numbers on the Blacklist
The API allows you to receive all relevant numbers in one request.
For more information contact us
tellows API Adapts to Your Needs
The Live API provides real-time caller protection with live data, which includes all details about a phone number. Once the blacklist is downloaded, the Live API can be used to gather further information for every number on the blacklist with all possible caller names, caller types or comments etc. This service can be integrated into lookup services or widgets that need to provide live-data.
The Reputation API / Company API allows companies to track the caller history and customer satisfaction of company operatives. It is possible to target certain keywords that are associated with the company or track a list of numbers that are assigned to the company. Monitor the caller quality with the help of the tellows ratings. This service is especially designed for companies operating call centers or sales employees performing outbound calls. With the help of the tellows data, the service quality and reputation can be improved.
Add Comments to tellows with our Live API. In order to increase the database and let other users benefit from your solutions, you can send back ratings to tellows with your built application or software and help expand the tellows database. Comments and ratings reported by your software or application will be featured with your brand name.
More information about the tellows API on Medium
tellows Shop Products & Partners
tellows API Key for Developers
Thanks to the tellows API Key, programmers and telecommunications device developers are now able to query the tellows database through a telecommunications device (e.g. Asterisk). Regardless of whether you want to use the API Key as a real time block list or just to identify calls. Thanks to the great interest for the tellows score lists, we now want to offer the possibility of a real-time caller protection. With the help of the API Key and a suitable phone system this is no longer a problem.
For private usage the Live API key can be obtained in the tellows shop. Feel free to present us your developments in order to get featured on our website and earn yourself a free API-key for a limited time.
For small and medium sized enterprises we offer a API key accoring to the amount of channels in use. Visit our shop for more information.


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I normally wake up about 7am. My normal routine is to sit up on the edge of the bed, look at the phone for any emergency OMG messages (there never are any thankfully) and then stumble downstairs to fire up the Keurig.
Get my pills, take my pills with some almond milk, load the Keurig.
This morning, while I was waiting for the brew cycle to end, I reached for my phone on the counter.
It was gone.
I quickly looked in the cabinet where I got my coffee cup from. I looked where the turbinado sugar and creamer are kept. I looked in the refrigerator. Where is my phone? I looked in the cabinets again. I checked the garbage. WHERE IS MY PHONE?
I checked the bathroom I didn't use, the cabinets, the fridge, the trash and all around. No phone. I know I HAD my phone. I was reading the messages from over night. Where did it go?
I made my cup of coffee (tan and sweet thank you) and ambled up the stairs to the computer room thinking maybe if I finished my cup it would clear my head.
There sat my phone. Next to the keyboard, near the monitor which I had flipped on. Apparently I took a journey into the computer room, sat down, turned on the monitor and sat and looked at things. I had no memory of even having gone into that room.
This is why I am not allowed to do things pre-caffeine. Apparently I am some sort of latent sleep walker.
But I found my phone.
Monday, July 14, 2014
Where Is My Phone
Posted by Gidge Uriza at 7:15 PM
Labels: cell phone, iphone


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Friday, 7 Jun 2013
Fujitsu's New Lifebook UH90 Features 3200 x 1800p Touch Display
Fujitsu has just revealed the existence of its 14-inch Lifebook UH90 Ultrabook. It's designed like some of the older UH series products, but it has a whopping 3200 x 1800p touch display, one of the highest ever seen on an Ultrabook.
Kabini Motherboards Spotted at Computex 2013
AMD showcased some products based on the new Kabini APU and we managed to spot some Kabini motherboards at Computex 2013.
Thursday, 6 Jun 2013
AMD Announces Elite A-Series Desktop APUs at Computex 2013
AMD has announced its new Elite A-Series APUs for desktops, codenamed 'Richland', at Computex 2013. They also showed off a range of new Kabini and Temash-equipped devices, and a working prototype of the next generation 'Kaveri' APU.
Roccat Flaunts Kone Pro Optical and Ryos MK Pro Keyboard at Computex 2013
In addition to introducing the Kone Pure Optical Core Performance Gaming Mouse, an optical version of the Kone Pure, Roccat will be showcasing an enhanced demonstration of the Ryos MK Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard With Per-key Illumination.
Wednesday, 5 Jun 2013
Intel Goes Mobile with Bay Trail Platform
At Computex earlier today, Intel announced their latest 22nm SoC codenamed Bay Trail-T for tablet devices. With enhanced performance, graphics and lower power consumption, does Intel have what it takes to compete in the tablet market?
ASUS Reveals New Gaming Platform of Formula Motherboard and Poseidon Graphics
ASUS has unveiled their new gaming platform, which features its new Intel Z87 Maximus VI Formula motherboard and Poseidon graphics card.
Tuesday, 4 Jun 2013
Western Digital Begins Shipping World's Slimmest 1TB Drive
Western Digital has announced that it has began shipping the world's thinnest 7mm 1TB drive, the WD Blue.
Monday, 3 Jun 2013
ASUS Unveils World's First Combined Mouse and TouchPad, the VivoMouse
ASUS unveiled its VivoMouse, a wireless optical mouse with a top circular trackpad. When the VivoMouse is paired with the new compact ASUS VivoPC, they will make an ideal home entertainment system. The VivoPC functions as a HD media hub with the VivoMouse as the perfect wireless remote.
Acer Unveils the 5.7-inch Liquid S1 Equipped with Android 4.2 and Quad-Core Processor
Acer announced the Liquid S1, a 5.7-inch smartphone which runs on the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean platform, and a quad-core 1.5GHz processor.
Friday, 31 May 2013
HTC One Running Stock Android Coming June 26 on Google Play Store
HTC has just confirmed that it will offer an HTC One Google Edition on the U.S. Google Play Store come June 26.


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Find Our Latest Video Reviews on YouTube!
If you want to stay on top of all of our video reviews of the latest tech, be sure to check out and subscribe to the Gear Live YouTube channel, hosted by Andru Edwards! It's free!
Thursday September 1, 2005 8:16 pm
Gear Live Omega Giveaway: The $2,000 Gamestop Xbox 360 Bundle
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Announcements, Features, Video Games
Okay, so I was discussing Gamestop's ridiculously amazing, and horrendously overpriced Xbox 360 Omega Bundle on The Chris Pirillo Show last week. Before the end of the segment, Chris had convinced me to give one of these monsters away here on Gear Live. Thank him, because this is what we are giving away:
360 Premium Pack ($399.00): Xbox 360 Game Console, Wireless Controller, Combination High-Definition Component & Standard A/V Cable, 20GB Hard Drive, Ethernet Cable, Headset, Universal Media Remote, Xbox Live Silver, Xbox Live Gold 30-Day Trial
Omega Bundle Games: Perfect Dark Collector's Edition, Project Gotham Racing 3, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Dead or Alive 4, Call of Duty 2, GUN, Quake 4, Tony Hawk's American Wasteland, Condemned, Madden NFL 2006, Kameo, Amped 3, Ghost Recon, NBA 2K6, NHL 2K6, Ridge Racer 6, Top Spin 2, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Tiger Woods 2006, Frame City Killer
Omega Bundle Accessories: Extra Wireless Controller, Extra Wireless Controller, Extra Wireless Controller, Wireless Network Adaptor, Memory Unit, Fuego Faceplates, Play & Charge Kit, Rechargeable Battery, Xbox Live 12 Month Card, 1-Year Product Replacement Plan
This contest starts now, and will end a week before Xbox 360 launch. Here is how it will go down. In order to enter, you need to be a registered user on the site, and must place your mailing address in the signup form in the Sync Magazine box. No worries, as your address will only be used to mail you your Bundle, and send you a Sync subscription if you check that box. Once this is done, be sure you are logged in and leave a comment here in this post. What we want to know is the following:
1) Which game are you looking forward to the most in this bundle?
2) Which game are you looking forward to the least in this bundle?
Be sure to tell us why you are excited about (or not looking forward to) the games you choose. The winner will be someone who follows the instructions, and will be chosen at random. Once again, this one is only for those located in the good ol' USA. There you have it. Someone is about to be buried in Xbox 360 games.
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NLBMDA calls for housing stimulus
The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) is calling on Congress to take bold action before the end of the year to boost the housing market.
Specifically, the NLBMDA seeks an extension of the Home Buyer Tax Credit for primary residences purchased between April 2008 and December 2009, to up to 10 percent of the home price up to a maximum of $22,000, depending on geography. In addition, buyers should have access to discounted 30-year fixed-rate mortgage financing that would encourage eligible home buyers to enter the market.
The organization pointed to the success of a similar credit plan in the 1970s.
"In 1975, Congress passed a short-term home buyer tax credit for all new homes, coupled with subsidized mortgage rates," said NLBMDA president and CEO Michael O'Brien. "This stimulus jump-started the depressed housing market then, and the effects continued long after the measure expired. We believe Congress must once again take bold action to restore consumer confidence in the market."
The NLBMDA is also urging Congress to extend bonus depreciation and increased Section 179 expensing provisions for at least one year. The move would promote investment during the current economic downturn, according to the group. The Economic Stimulus Act signed into law in February temporarily created a 50 percent depreciation bonus and increased the amount that small businesses can expense under Section 179 to $250,000, but those provisions are due to expire at the end of 2008. Additionally, the NLBMDA is asking Congress to extend net operating loss (NOL) carryback provisions from two years to five to allow building material dealers to discount current losses against past profits.
"Taken together these proposals will go a long way toward reviving the housing economy, which is key to overcoming our current economic crisis," said O'Brien. "We are calling on all our members to contact their members of Congress to urge quick action."
The NLBMDA believes that its housing stimulus proposal will create much-needed jobs. Almost 85,000 jobs have been lost in the past two months in the construction industry alone, mostly in specialty trades related to home building, according to the industry group.


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§579b. Working capital fund; establishment; availability; transfer; capitalization; advance payments credited
There is established a working capital fund which shall be available without fiscal year limitation for expenses necessary, including the purchase or construction of buildings and improvements within the limitations thereon set forth in the appropriations for the Forest Service, for furnishing supply and equipment services in support of programs of the Forest Service. The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to transfer to the fund, without reimbursement, and to capitalize in the fund at fair and reasonable values, such receivables, inventories, equipment, and other assets as he may determine, and assume the liabilities in connection with such assets: Provided, That the fund shall be credited with advance payments in connection with firm orders and reimbursements from appropriations and funds of the Forest Service, other departmental and Federal agencies, and from other sources, as authorized by law, at rates approximately equal to the cost of furnishing the facilities and service.
(Aug. 3, 1956, ch. 950, §13,


text: CE3 (ATCC® SCRC-1039™) Organism: Mus musculus, mouse / Cell Type: embryonic stem cell / Tissue: inner cell mass / General Information Characteristics Culture Method History Documentation Print Email Share Share this product Facebook Twitter Google+ Permits and Restrictions View Permits View Restrictions Organism Mus musculus, mouse Tissue inner cell mass Cell Type embryonic stem cell Product Format frozen Morphology spherical colony Culture Properties adherent Biosafety Level 1 Biosafety classification is based on U.S. Public Health Service Guidelines, it is the responsibility of the customer to ensure that their facilities comply with biosafety regulations for their own country. Age embryo Strain 129S2/SvPas Applications Neural differentiated CE3 cells are intensely GFP+ and suitable for cell tracking in tissue culture and transplantation. Storage Conditions liquid nitrogen vapor phase Derivation The CE3 cell line was derived from the D3 ES cell line [PubMed: 12591158]. Comments CE3 (for Cassette Exchange) contains one 'acceptor' module that allows for efficient double lox targeting, with constitutive GFP expression. Neural differentiated CE3 cells are intensely GFP+ and suitable for cell tracking in tissue culture and transplantation. The cell line is also puromycin resistant. The CE3 cell line was derived from the D3 ES cell line [PubMed: 12591158]. Complete Growth Medium Grow ES cells in Mouse ES Cell Basal Medium (ATCC SCRR-2011) that has been supplemented with the following components: 1. 0.1 mM 2-mercaptoethanol (Life Technologies Cat. No. 21985-023)2. 1,000 U/mL mouse leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) (Millipore Cat. No. ESG1107)3. 10% to 15% ES-Cell Qualified FBS (ATCC® SCRR-30-2020) or an ES cell qualified serum replacement Complete Growth Medium for Mouse ES Cells is stable for 14 days when stored at 2°C to 8°C. Subculturing To insure the highest level of viability, pre-warm media and Trypsin/EDTA to 37ºC before adding to cells. Volumes used in this protocol are for T75 flasks. Proportionally adjust the volumes for culture vessels of other sizes. A split ratio of 1:4 to 1:7 is recommended. Feeder Cell Preparation for Subcultures Daily maintain a sufficient number of flasks that have been pre-plated with MEFs in complete medium for feeder cells. One hour before subculturing the ES cells, perform a 100% medium change for the MEFs using complete growth medium for ES cells. Dissociation and Transfer of ES Cells Aspirate the medium from the flask(s) containing ES cells. Wash with PBS Ca+2/Mg+2-free (ATCC® SCRR-2201). Add 3.0 mL of 0.25% (w/v) Trypsin / 0.53 mM EDTA solution (ATCC® 30-2101) and place in incubator. After about one minute the ES colonies will dissociate and all cells will detach from the flask. Dislodge the cells by gently tapping the side of the flask then wash the cells off with 7-10 mL of fresh culture medium. Triturate cells several times with a 10 mL pipette in order to dissociate the cells into a single-cell suspension. Spin the cells at 270 x g for 5 min. Aspirate the supernatant. Resuspend in enough complete growth medium for ES cells to reseed new vessels at the desired split ratio (i.e. a split ratio of 1:4 to 1:7 is recommended). Perform a cell count to determine the total number of cells. ES cells should be plated at a density of 30,000 – 50,000 cells/ cm2. Add separate aliquots of the cell suspension to the appropriate size flask containing feeder cells and add an appropriate volume of fresh complete growth medium for ES cells to each vessel. Incubate the culture at 37°C in a humidified 5% CO2/95% air incubator. Perform a 100% medium change every day, passage cells every 1-2 days. Cryopreservation Freeze medium: Complete growth medium supplemented with an additional 10% FBS and 10% DMSOStorage temperature: liquid nitrogen vapor phase Culture Conditions Atmosphere: air, 95%; carbon dioxide (CO2), 5% Temperature: 37°C Name of Depositor DI Gottlieb References Matise M, et alProduction of targeted embryonic stem cell clonesIn: Matise M, et alGene Targeting: A Practical ApproachOxfordOxford University Press101-132, 1999 Adams LD, et al. Double lox targeting for neural cell transgenesis. Brain Res. Mol. Brain Res. 110: 220-233, 2003. PubMed: 12591158 Permits These permits may be required for shipping this product: For-profit customers must obtain a research use license agreement from the Contributor prior to shipment. Customers located in the state of Hawaii will need to contact the Hawaii Department of Agriculture to determine if an Import Permit is required. A copy of the permit or documentation that a permit is not required must be sent to ATCC in advance of shipment. Basic Documentation Product Sheet Certificate of Analysis SDS Restrictions This product's use is governed by the Limited Use License. For information on purchasing a license to use this product for research (for-profit entities) or commercial purposes (any entity) other than those permitted in the Limited Use License, contact the Licensing Department, Life Technologies Corporation, 5791 Van Allen Way, Carlsbad, California 92008. Phone (760) 603-7200 or firstname.lastname@example.com In addition, prior to purchase, for-profit commercial institutions must obtain a license agreement from Washington University-St. Louis. For instructions on how to proceed, please contact Washington University – St, Louis, Office of Technology Management - Phone: +1- 314-747-0920 or email – firstname.lastname@example.com References Matise M, et alProduction of targeted embryonic stem cell clonesIn: Matise M, et alGene Targeting: A Practical ApproachOxfordOxford University Press101-132, 1999 Adams LD, et al. Double lox targeting for neural cell transgenesis. Brain Res. Mol. Brain Res. 110: 220-233, 2003. PubMed: 12591158


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A few weeks ago, I was reading a yet-to-be-released personal finance book. At one point in the book, the author suggested that I make an actual list of my priorities. What is the most important thing in my life? What are the key things that follow it, and in what order?
An aside: sometimes I receive prerelease copies of books from authors who hope I'll say something kind about their book so that they can put the quote on the back cover as a selling point, and I don't give a good quote unless I've actually read the book and liked the book, so my quotes are fairly rare.
After thinking about and editing the list a few times, my list looked something like this:
1. My marriage
2. My children
3. My spirituality and faith
4. My extended family and close friends
5. My health
6. Writing
7. Reading / learning new things
8. My community / politics
9. Other hobbies
I could keep going for a long time after this, but this is roughly what my list looked like.
The author offered up several thoughts about this priority list, but one thought kept running through my mind as I looked at this list of priorities that I'd made.
Every single significant problem in my life comes from situations in which I violate this list of priorities.
What do I mean by "violate"? I simply mean that I make a choice in which I take something of importance away from a higher priority and give it to a lower priority.
For example, if I were to stay up too late with some old friends and this causes me to sleep in too late the next day, missing something that my children wanted me to attend, I feel horrible.
Another example: if I spend too much money on my hobbies, it can impact something that I want to do in the future with my wife and children.
Yet another example: if I eat out (notice how this isn't even on the list) too often, I won't be able to afford a book I really want to read.
Now, one could take this to extremes and state that every action, by default, must support one's highest priority. I don't think that's necessarily true at all.
Instead, it's simply a call that I need to make sure that my higher priorities are covered before I do something involving a lower priority.
Is spending this evening with my friends going to keep me from doing something I need to do tomorrow with my wife, my children, or my spiritual life?
Is spending two hours kicked back and reading going to cause me to skip the exercise I need for my health?
Will this hobby purchase really provide enough for me to reduce the amount I can save toward our next family vacation or for the house my wife and I have always dreamed about?
Again, it comes back to a basic truth: every single significant problem in my life comes from situations in which I violate this list of priorities.
When I violate it with my money choices. With my time choices. With my attention choices.
What are your priorities? How do you handle things when something with a higher priority comes into conflict with something of a lower priority? What really wins? What's really the priority in your life?


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Update from Jupiter!
Hello all, as Dan mentioned- radio broadcaster, Steve Selby and I (Jordan Johnson, Media Relations Manager) have traveled down to Jupiter, FL for the weekend to check out the possible 2011 Memphis Redbirds and get things organized before the season starts.
Being my first time attending spring training, I was pleasantly surprised when we got here and were immediately engulfed in baseball…boy, have I missed it. We arrived around 1:00 pm on Wednesday just in time to catch the last few at-bats of the Redbirds' game before going over to the main field at Roger Dean Stadium to watch the St. Louis Cardinals go up against the New York Mets. My first day at spring training and I already got to see a full big league game, not bad, eh?
Well, after the Mets won 3-2 that night, we got acclimated to our hotel rooms, found a place to grab some dinner before heading to bed and waking up to do (almost) the same thing we had done the day before.
Bright and early Thursday morning we headed to the back fields and were greeted by our field staff for the 2011 season, manager Chris 'Hammer' Maloney, pitching coach Blaise Ilsley, hitting coach Mark Budaska and athletic trainer Christophe Conroy, as well as a new addition to our team, strength and conditioning coach Sean Johnson. They got down to business pretty quickly after a full minor league camp meeting, dispersing the players into different groups to begin their stretches and drills for the day.
Steve and I jumped in the car around 11:00 am, making our way to Port St. Lucie, the spring training home of the New York Mets to watch the Memphis Redbirds take on the triple-A affiliate to the Mets, the Buffalo Bisons. Although the game ended in a tie, the Redbirds looked sharp and if this was a preview of our 2011 season- let me tell you, we are in store for an exciting one!
Friday morning, we had the pleasure of listening to Tony La Russa address the entire minor league camp. He spoke for roughly an hour, inspiring and encouraging the players to always do their best. I was lucky enough to be in attendance for this momentous occasion and am grateful for it.
Later that afternoon we were finally joined by colleague Mark Anderson, Director of Operations. We threw him right into the baseball groove as we visited the Marlins' side of Roger Dean stadium and watched the Memphis Redbirds take on the New Orleans Zephyrs. The Redbirds kept the lead up until the ninth inning when Jason Buursma gave up two runs and suffered the loss.
On another note, I was able to watch our number one prospect in the Cardinals organization, Shelby Miller, pitch while there. Miller is a player that is full of talent and clearly knows how to utilize it. He will be a great asset to this farm system and I'm excited to see him in Memphis- hopefully soon!
Funny thing is- today I was convinced it was actually Friday again for some reason…I even called the office to check in and was seriously confused when no one answered. Whoops! Once I realized it was Saturday, morning drills, stretching, BP and hitting had already taken place and intersquad play had began. The Memphis Redbirds faced the Springfield Cardinals as the Palm Beach Cardinals played against the Batavia Muckdogs. I made my way between both fields to observe each part of the developing farm system the Cardinals possess.
Unbelievable is the only word that comes to my mind, seriously. I watched Maikel Cleto, a pitcher we obtained through the Brendan Ryan trade this winter, throw 96-98 mph while topping out at 100 mph…I also caught a glimpse of Zack Cox, third baseman in the Cardinals organization, only to make it back in time to watch Mark Hamilton complete a triple play during the Memphis/Springfield game. Like I said- unbelievable.
Maikel Cleto >> Zack Cox>>
We were able to see the Cardinals play the Marlins this afternoon- Albert Pujols is ready for the season. He said this when he went 2-for-3 with back-to-back home runs and three RBI in the game. There's nothing like watching a legend in action.
There's also something about getting to see guys play in the big leagues that you've watched climb through the farm system, working with them when they stop in Memphis and cheering for them when it's their turn to suit up for a St. Louis Cardinals jersey with their last name sewn to the back of it.
Only two more glorious days of spring training are left for Steve, Mark and I (sad face)…I'll continue to soak in every second of it until I board the plane to head back to Memphis.
Check out ALL the pictures I took while being in Jupiter on our facebook page, and don't forget to 'like' us while you're scoping them out! (http://www.facebook.com/MemphisRedbirds)


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When the mercury's soaring, a cold, refreshing beer can be the best part of summer. As part of our occasional Taste of Summer series, we asked beer expert Graham Haverfield to recommend a few of his seasonal favorites.
Haverfield is the beer director for the Wine Library in Springfield Township, N.J. He's also a certified cicerone, or beer server. "Summer beers are typically lighter in body, they're typically a little lower in alcohol," he tells NPR's Scott Simon.
His first pick is Last Chance IPA, from Weyerbacher Brewing Company. For the nonexperts, IPA is short for India pale ale, a beer that was first made for British troops in India.
The original IPAs were strong stuff, made to withstand the long sea voyage to India, Haverfield says. "The American IPAs are very different from those old styles; these are very light, bright, bitter beers that really accentuate American hops, which are piney and resinous and citrusy." He adds that beers like Last Chance will pair well with spicy summer barbecue.
We go across the Atlantic for Haverfield's next pick, the Brasserie Dupont Posca Rustica, from Belgium. "This is a very cool beer, this is basically like a history lesson in a bottle," Haverfield says. "This is beer like it was brewed back when the Romans were in occupation of Belgium." Beer in that era had no hops at all, he adds, making it the opposite of the modern IPA. "They used this mixture of spices and herbs to add bitterness to the otherwise sweet beer."
Posca Rustica has a floral, grassy taste, Haverfield says. "It tastes old, not as in not fresh, it just tastes, like, arcane. ... Something like grilled artichokes or rotisserie chicken, anything served at a big table, this would add a great complement to that."
Last is also a Belgian-style beer, but it's from Chicago: Goose Island Sofie. It's a saison, a dry, spicy beer aged in oak barrels with a little orange peel. "For me, this really screams seafood," Haverfield says. "Something super light and clean like sushi, or much richer, like crab legs."
What's your favorite summer beer? Let us know in the comments.
Let's return now to our series Taste of Summer.
SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE: (Singing) Hot fun the summertime....
SIMON: And today we're talking beer...
SIMON: ...especially light refreshing brews that can compliment the season. Graham Haverfield is the beer director for the Wine Library in Springfield Township, New Jersey. He's also a Certified Cicerone, or beer server. He joins us from the studios of Rutgers University in Livingston, New Jersey.
Graham, thanks for being with us.
GRAHAM HAVERFIELD: Thanks so much for having me. It's a thrill to be here.
SIMON: I was a certified busboy, but I didn't work with Cicerones. What's good summer beer?
HAVERFIELD: Good summer beer is a wide range of things. I mean, summer beers are typically lighter in body. They're typically a little lower in alcohol. Beer is soul food friendly. I've picked beers that are good for fare that will be enjoyed during the summer months.
SIMON: Let's get to the brewski, as we say in Illinois.
HAVERFIELD: All right.
SIMON: The first is called Last Chance IPA. Firstly, what's IPA?
HAVERFIELD: Yeah, IPA stands for India pale ale, a style kind of born out of necessity from getting pale ale from Britain to India for the troops. So you make a beer a little more alcoholic and a little hoppier, it'll survive a trip better.
SIMON: All right.
HAVERFIELD: But the American IPA is very different from those old styles. These are very light, bright, bitter beers that really accentuate American hops which are piney and resinous and citrus-y.
SIMON: OK. Here's mud in your eye.
HAVERFIELD: Cheers.
SIMON: Wow. Oh. Oh, that's strong. Piney. You're right.
HAVERFIELD: It's piney and resinous. Need a little of, like, grapefruit rind even, maybe.
SIMON: Mm-hmm.
HAVERFIELD: And something that is robust like this, it can stand up to all the flavor of, like, a spicy barbecue or something like that, which is obviously commonplace during summer. So this is a light American IPA.
SIMON: Now, let's see. There is, forgive the expression, a tall blond Belgian on your list.
HAVERFIELD: There is.
SIMON: This is the Brasserie Dupont Posca Rustica.
HAVERFIELD: Yes. This is a very cool beer. This is basically like a history lesson in a bottle. This is beer like it was brewed back when the Romans were in occupation of Belgium. Like I said...
SIMON: Oh. Oh-ho.
HAVERFIELD: Beer in continental Europe back in the time of the Roman Empire was not hopped at all, so the opposite of that first beer we had. They would use this mixture of spices and herbs to add bitterness to the otherwise sweet beer. So this is Brasserie Dupont's interpretation. This is a really special beer. And talk about food friendly. I mean...
SIMON: Oh, this is unlike beer.
HAVERFIELD: Mmm.
SIMON: This is nice.
HAVERFIELD: Yeah. This is beautiful.
SIMON: This is nice. It's not as effervescent or, I guess, hoppy. It's a little smoother. It's got almost a lemony kind of taste.
HAVERFIELD: Yeah, exactly. Lemongrass, even.
SIMON: Yeah.
HAVERFIELD: It's very rustic, very floral, grassy. It almost - it tastes old. It's just a really cool beer. Something like grilled artichokes or rotisserie chicken, anything served at a big table, this would add a great complement to that, any kind of meal like that.
SIMON: Mm-hmm. Yeah. I really like this. Now, finally, I'm looking at something here that I get - it's called Goose Island Sofie?
HAVERFIELD: Yes. Goose Island Brewery from Chicago.
SIMON: They make a Belgian beer? Who are they trying to kid?
HAVERFIELD: They make quite a few Belgian styles of beer.
HAVERFIELD: I think you'll find, like the last one we just tried, this is going to probably not remind you of any beer you've ever had.
SIMON: All right. Let me open this.
HAVERFIELD: So what we have here is a Belgian style saison which is kind of a very, very dry, slightly spicy style of beer. They've then aged it in oak barrels that were previously used to age wine and add a little orange peel.
SIMON: Oh, that is nice. I taste the orange.
HAVERFIELD: Yeah. But it's subtle, you know?
SIMON: Mm-hmm.
HAVERFIELD: It's just like a hint.
SIMON: But I actually can still taste it. No, that's good.
HAVERFIELD: For me, this really screams seafood. It could even be, like, something super light and clean like sushi or much richer like crab legs or something. But this beer would lend itself nicely to a wide range of food, for sure.
SIMON: Graham, nice talking to you. Thanks very much.
HAVERFIELD: Oh, it's been a pleasure. Thanks so much for having me.
Graham Haverfield, beer director for the Wine Library in Springfield Township, New Jersey. And his list will be available on our website, npr.org. You can share your picks there, too. And remember, beer isn't lemonade, so drink responsibly. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


text:
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Make a difference, foster innovation, and grow professionally in the process by becoming a Business Mentor.
Be a part of the small business and entrepreneurial boom in New York State.
Volunteer with Business Mentor NY and give back to your local business community!
Business Mentor NY features:
Mentors connect with small businesses for one-on-one guidance in a range of business issues, from lending general business guidance to specialized technical advice.
Business Mentor NY is designed to allow volunteers to use their skills efficiently, with maximum impact.
As a web-based virtual service it is extremely flexible - you set the schedule and the expectations with your mentee, putting in however much time that is right for you. Meanwhile, our support staff is by your side every step of the way to help you succeed as a mentor.
Based upon our 2017 user survey, 95% of Business Mentors responded that they found their experience satisfying, with 89% of Mentors feeling that they made a useful contribution to their entrepreneurs' business and 74% thought that the experience was valuable to their own professional growth!
Business Mentor NY is an exciting opportunity to not only utilize your core skills to help small businesses but also drive your own professional development, hone leadership skills, and expand your skill set!


text:
The BGS Geotechnical and Geophysical Properties Laboratories provide a comprehensive, integrated rock and soil testing facility capable of both standard (e.g. BS1377:1990, ASTM and ISRM suggested methods) and specialised tests.
The laboratories are temperature-controlled and offer services compliant with the requirements of BS EN ISO 9001 quality standards. Clients include local government, Environment Agency, universities, architects, environmental and civil engineering consultants and contractors, and the nuclear, oil and extractive industries.
Ongoing research and development by BGS scientists has resulted in new and innovative laboratory and field equipment and methods, for example in characterising the shrink/swell properties of clays and mudstones and the resistivity and seismic properties of soils and rocks. Combined geotechnical and geophysical studies, complemented by expertise from other BGS laboratories such as mineralogy and petrology, provides new insights to understanding the behaviour of the shallow sub-surface.
The Clay Squeezing Laboratory provides a pore fluid extraction capability, principally for clays and mudstones, enabling chemical and isotope analysis of small fluid volumes in the BGS analytical geochemical, NERC isotope geosciences and Water Chemistry Laboratories. The data is used to model the movement of water and solutes, including contaminants, through low permeability rocks and soils and has been used by British and overseas radioactive waste management and environmental organisations.
Please contact David Entwisle for further information