text:
President Obama and Mitt Romney finally get their chance tonight to take their campaign arguments directly to each other in the first of three televised debates.
The stakes are high: Up to 60 million people could be tuning in for answers that will help them decide whether to continue the nation's course under Obama or move in a different direction with Romney at the helm.
As the Republican challenger, Romney can be expected to come out swinging as he makes a case for his proposals to boost the economy and help the middle class. Obama, as the Democratic incumbent, is out to show that the recovery may be slow but steady — and that he deserves another term to finish the job.
Matzav.com will have full coverage on all platforms of the domestic policy debate. Moderator Jim Lehrer, of PBS, will get things underway at 9 p.m. ET at University of Denver.
The following is the USA Today's guide to the five things to watch in tonight's debate:
The numbers driving the fight over jobs: Lehrer plans to devote three of the six 15-minute debate segments to a discussion on the economy, so expect to hear some key numbers. Obama will be under pressure to explain why 23 million people are out of work or underemployed, the 8.1% unemployment rate, and what he'll do to reverse those trends. Romney can expect to be asked about his claim that he can create 12 million jobs in his first term and fill in the details of how he can get it done.
The great tax divide: No issue separates Obama and Romney more than the subject of taxes and who pays how much. It is a partisan gulf, with Romney believing that tax cuts will spur economic growth and Obama insisting that the wealthy pay their fair share. Obama may use this discussion to bring up Romney's remark about 47% of Americans who don't pay taxes and are dependent on the government. Romney has promised a 20% across-the-board tax cut, which Obama contends would benefit the wealthy at the expense of the middle class.
Health care and Medicare: Obama can point to passage of the Affordable Care Act as a signature achievement of his presidency, something that expanded access to millions of people. Romney has portrayed "Obamacare" as an expansion of government that undermines Medicare, the health insurance program for the elderly. Romney's challenge will be to attack Obama on health care without drawing attention to the Massachusetts health care law that he signed as governor, which Obama has said was a model for the national version. On Medicare, Romney wants to give future seniors a chance to buy the traditional, government-run insurance or receive a fixed amount to purchase coverage from private companies. Obama will argue that the GOP approach turns the program into a voucher system.
Style and performance: Substance matters, but so does the way Obama and Romney carry themselves as they joust over the finer points. Obama can be windy and sound like the constitutional law professor he once was. Romney, the adult in the room during the GOP primary debates, is said to be practicing his zingers. Appearing presidential and showing empathy will be critical.
Moving outside the box: Domestic issues are the billed focus tonight, but Lehrer has the freedom to bring up recent news developments. Romney has been hitting Obama hard on the administration's response to the deadly violence in Libya — an issue that seems better suited to the Oct. 22 debate on foreign policy. Can Romney or Obama slip in an unexpected topic to throw his rival off his game?
{Noam Amdurski-Matzav.com Newscenter}


text:
Last updated: August 27, 2013
Fitting the National Archives in your pocket
Genome Advance of the Month
Fitting the National Archives in your pocket
By Joy Yang
Post-baccalaureate Fellow
Nick Goldman, Ph.D., and Ewan Birney, Ph.D., researchers at the European Bioinformatics Institute in Hinxton, UK, wandered off on a tangent after a couple of beers. Instead of their usual mission of decoding genomic information, they decided to try the opposite problem: encoding information in DNA.
"This is one of the best moments in science - it starts off with an idea over a beer, and ends up as a letter to Nature," Dr. Birney said.
Intuitively, because there are four bases (or "letters") that make up the alphabet of DNA, each base in a DNA sequence can be used to represent one of four possibilities. For example, to represent a binary code, A (Adenine) could represent 00, C (Cytosine) could represent 01, G (Guanine) could be 10 or T (Thymine) could be 11. However, this strategy will not get you the 0 percent error rate that Drs. Goldman and Birney wanted to achieve.
That's because some DNA sequences are more difficult to sequence than others. When a DNA sequence contains homopolymers -or long runs of the same base, like TTTTT - it can be difficult to tell exactly how many bases are contained in that stretch. So, the researchers devised a clever encoding scheme to prevent any repetition of the same base.
In addition, because long messages are more likely to contain errors than short messages, they broke each message into fragments with codes containing information about the fragment, such as what position the fragment takes in the entire message, how long the information encoded in the fragment is and a few other error-checking codes. This helps the researchers filter out fragments of information containing errors from either synthesis (writing information to DNA) or sequencing (reading information from DNA).
A more complete description of their strategy is depicted in the cartoon above.
Using this method, Drs. Goldman and Birney synthesized DNA versions of all 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets, a PDF of Watson and Crick's paper on the structure of DNA, a photograph of the European Bioinformatics Institute, an mp3 of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech and the key for the Huffman Code. The DNA samples were then decoded with 100 percent accuracy. The researchers did, however, need to take special means to repair the PDF document, where the DNA code contained long, repeating sequences that folded on itself, making it difficult to sequence. However, the researchers already have ideas that will eliminate this issue.
While this study is the most successful approach at encoding messages in DNA, this problem has previously been tackled for various intriguing applications. For example, in 1999 researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City showed that DNA can be used as a tool for espionage. They demonstrated this by concealing a short message, "June 6 invasion: Normandy," in human genomic DNA, and placing the DNA on a period at the end of a sentence in a written letter.
Also in 1999, and commissioned by Ars Electronica as art, Eduardo Kac encoded a sentence from the biblical book of Genesis in a plasmid, a small DNA molecule that can replicate independently of bacterial DNA and exchanged between bacteria. It also contained the sequence for a fluorescent protein. This plasmid was inserted into the bacteria E. coli and the fluorescence was used to trace the message as it was duplicated, or passed, from one bacteria to another.
Just last August, George Church, Ph.D., professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School, encoded his new book, Regenesis: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature and Ourselves, using DNA microchips. According to Science Daily, Dr. Church had considered including DNA copies of the book in each print copy but decided against it due to unexplored issues in safety. For example, while short DNA fragments are unlikely to be harmful on their own, they can be absorbed by microbes in the environment, and these results can be unpredictable. In addition, seemingly harmless computer codes may represent human viruses, or seemingly harmless DNA code may represent computer viruses. In fact, the researchers were able to encode a spyware program in DNA to demonstrate this possibility.
Returning to our Genome Advance of the Month, Drs. Goldman and Birney calculate that using this method, the entire collection of the U.S. National Archives (100 terabytes of data) could be encoded in 0.05 g of DNA, which is less than 1/50 the mass of a penny. That doesn't mean, however, that bookstores will be selling entire libraries in test tubes just yet. While DNA is stable and requires very little maintenance (after all, we have been able to sequence the Woolly Mammoth genome), writing information to, and reading information from DNA is still much more expensive than writing, reading and maintaining magnetic tape. So, Drs. Goldman and Birney estimate that it is currently more cost effective to store data in DNA only if the data will not be accessed for 600 to 5,000 years. However, if the cost of synthesizing DNA continues to decline as it has, it may not be too long before this number drops to 50 years.
Drs. Goldman and Birney envision their study to be useful, mainly for archival purposes. And while the cost of synthesizing DNA remains high, the two are already plotting to place the world on a "string" (a term used in computer programming to mean a sequence of symbols from the same alphabet, which in this case would be DNA created by an alphabet consisting of the four bases A, C, G and T) by creating a DNA time capsule for archiving the world's data.
All they need now is an altruistic billionaire to fund the project.
Read the articles
- Goldman, N., et al. Towards practical, high-capacity, low-maintenance information storage in synthesized DNA. Nature, 2013. [Full Text]
- Clelland, C.T., V. Risca, and C. Bancroft. Hiding messages in DNA microdots. Nature, 399(6736): p. 533-534. 1999. [Full Text]
- Kac, E. Genesis. Ars Electronica 99. 1999. [cited 2013 Feb 19]; Available from: [Genesis]
- Church, G.M., Y. Gao, and S. Kosuri. Next-Generation Digital Information Storage in DNA. Science, 2012. 337(6102): p. 1628. [PubMed]

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|Gender Issues in Integrated Pest Management in African Agriculture (NRI, 1994)
|GIS for Health and the Environment: Proceedings (IDRC, 1995)
|Global Awareness Raising Project for Eastern Europe (North South Centre, 1994)
|Global Financial Turmoil and Reform - A United Nations Perspective (UNU, 1999, 484 pages)
|The Global Greenhouse Regime: Who Pays? (UNU, 1993, 382 pages)
|Grassroots Indicators for Desertification - Eastern and Southern Africa (IDRC, 1995)
|Guide to the Development of On-Site Sanitation (WHO, 1992)
|A Guide to the Establishment and Maintenance of Pesticide Laboratories in Developing Countries - Bulletin No.25 (NRI/Overseas Development Administration, 1990, 80 pages)
|Health and Environment in Sustainable Development - Five Years after the Earth Summit (WHO, 1997, 258 pages)
|Healthy Cities (WHO, 1996)
|The Himalayan Dilemma: Reconciling Development and Conservation (UNU, 1989, 295 pages)
|Human Face of the Urban Environment (World Bank, 1995)
|Hundred Tips for a Better Management (Aga Khan Foundation, 1993, 70 pages)
|Hydropolitics along the Jordan River. Scarce Water and Its Impact on the Arab-Israeli Conflict (UNU, 1995, 272 pages)
|Hydropower development - Initial Environmental Assessment Series No. 6 (NORAD, 1993)
|Ideas for Action : Save, Recycle and Do Not Pollute (International Institute for Rural Reconstruction (IIRR), 1992)
|The Impact of Chaos on Science and Society (UNU, 1997, 415 pages)
|Impact of Environmental Pollution on the Preservation of Archives and Records: A RAMP Study (UNESCO, 1988)
|Impact of Pesticide Use on Health in Developing Countries (IDRC, 1993)
|The Impacts of Opencast Mining on the Rivers and Coasts of New Caledonia (UNU, 1984, 53 pages)
|Implementing Agenda 21: NGO Experiences from Around the World (NGLS, 1997)
|Implementing the Urban Environment Agenda - Volume 1 of the Environmental Planning, and Management (epm) Source Book (Habitat)
|Improved Biogas Unit for Developing Countries (GTZ, 1988)
|Improved Cookstoves a Training Manual (Peace Corps, 1984)
|Industrial Metabolism: Restructuring for Sustainable Development (UNU, 1994, 376 pages)
|Industrial Pollution in Japan (UNU, 1992, 187 pages)
|Industry and Energy - Initial Environmental Assessment Series No. 9 (NORAD, 1994)
|Initial Protection - Initial Environmental Assessment Series No. 13 (NORAD, 1995)
|Integrated Pest Management in Developing Countries Proceedings (NRI, 1992)
|International Finance and Developing Countries in a Year of Crisis - 1997 Discussions at the United Nations (UNU, 1998, 151 pages)
|International Trade in Agricultural Commodities: Some Implications for Environment and Sustainable Development (Research Paper 13) (IRMA, 1994)
|IPM Implementation Workshop for Central America and the Caribean (NRI, 1994)
|Irrigation-Induced Salinity - A Growing Problem for Development and the Environment (World Bank, 1993)
|Irrigation Reference Manual (Peace Corps, 1994)
|Irrigation Training Manual: Planning, Design, Operation, and Management of Small-Scale Irrigation Systems (Peace Corps, 1994)


text:
Bluestone is well known for its luxury lodge holidays set within 500 acres of Pembrokeshire countryside. Between the rolling green Preseli hills and just a short distance from the breath-taking Pembrokeshire coastline Bluestone boasts it's own village, forest, 5 restaurants, a luxury spa and a wide range of outdoor activities to suit a variety of tastes. We make the most of the stunning location with a host of adrenaline fuelled outdoor activities and rejuvenating experiences making it easier than ever for you to organise your perfect Bluestone break. Whether you need to unwind, or let loose with some fun and excitement that takes you as far away from your daily routine as possible, we'll have something for you to add to any adult weekend break at Bluestone.
Bluestone offers couples a fantastic location for those who want to enjoy the quiet of a good night's
rest and yet still have the convenience of the many restaurants and facilities.
Not forgetting access to the miles of coast, woodland and Preseli hill walks in the Pembrokeshire National Park.
Get away from it all with the one you love for a 1, 2, 3 or 4 night break from as little as £149 per couple.
Go on surprise and delight the one you love!
We've introduced a range of 2 and 4 night spa breaks providing everything you could want to escape, relax and unwind.
Bluestone spa inclusive breaks mean you don't need to lift a finger and are perfect for romantic getaways, as a wonderful treat
for a special occasion, or an excuse to just get away.
Definition of Frazzled Urbanites: Those who are looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life
and head to the Pembrokeshire countryside to participate in action packed adventures,
push the boundaries with new experiences, step out of the comfort zone of normal
daily life and return feeling refreshed with a new you smile!
Well Spa- A glorious sunny morning relaxing in the hydro pool, hopping from steam room to sauna. Left feeling very refreshed!
She and Hem, Bluestone Bloggers
The one bedroom cottages are cosy love-nests located right in the centre of the village and perfect for romantic getaways
doyounoah, Bluestone Blogger
With over 500 acres of Welsh countryside to explore, there is never a boring moment at Bluestone.
Stay in one of our 300 luxury self-catering lodges, nestled in the tranquil Pembrokeshire countryside and wake-up up to views out over the beautiful Bluestone landscape.
From water park entry to fresh bed linen, fluffy towels to well equipped kitchens, outdoor playgrounds to our indoor Adventure Centre - you'll be pleasantly surprised what's included as standard in the cost of a short break at Bluestone!


text:
May 9, 1928 - February 15, 2011
Rest in Peace, Mom. I Love You!
It was 11 days ago that Mom was admitted to the hospital as a result of radiation and chemo treatment for rectal cancer. She passed away at 8:45 this morning at Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The cancer was not the direct cause of her death - an infection of the colon that antibiotics failed to control along with pneumonia and anemia were the major contributors.
With her consent, she was placed in Hospice care on Wednesday afternoon but due to the strength and wellness of her vital organs (her heart, liver, lungs and kidneys were in excellent condition) death did not come easily for her. She was not in a great deal of pain due to the medication she was given. She wanted just enough medication to ease the pain but not enough to dull her mind so the doctors complied with her wishes. She knew every friend and family member who came to visit and communicated with them even though she sometimes was too weak to talk. There were moments of anguish that were extremely difficult to watch as she said goodbye to each one of them. Though fewer, there were also moments of of joy and laughter.
Mom knew exactly what was happening all of the time up until about 8 pm last night when she suddenly became completely unresponsive. It was a relief for us when she finally passed to the other side knowing that she was in a better place and no longer suffering. She will be missed but her memory will live forever in our hearts.
Her death following so soon after the death of her sister Phyllis (just nine weeks ago) makes this an even more trying time for us and extended family members. It is so hard to believe that they are both gone...
Link to her Obituary (added February 16, 2011)


text:
Documents show a former top official at the agency that manages the Washington area's two airports created a no-bid contract that paid his wife and daughter more than $175,000.
The documents obtained by local newspapers raise further questions about ethics at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which is overseeing the $6 billion Metrorail expansion to Dulles International Airport. A federal audit found that the agency routinely handed out no-bid contracts and that officials took Super Bowl tickets and other gifts from contractors.
The new revelations concern Arl Williams, who resigned last year just before a federal inspector general accused him of giving jobs to relatives. Documents show that his wife and daughter billed the authority $192,000 to write ad copy and other documents for a department that Williams ran.


text:
Filter(redirected from Berkefeld filter)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Encyclopedia.
Filter Rule
In technical analysis, an arbitrarily set percentage of increase or decline in a stock's price that the analyst sees as an indicator to buy or sell the stock. For example, the analyst may set his/her own filter rule at 15%. If the stock rises 15%, the analyst recommends buying; if it falls 15%, he/she recommends selling. While the particular percentage is subjective, one arrives at it by observing the stock's historical trends. The filter rule exists to help the investor avoid buying or selling at insignificant or anomalous changes in price. However, many analysts do not believe that the filter rule consistently produces profits for the investor.


text:
Salad Dressings
(Recipe Collection)
1 Recipe Created by PASTA3
Recipes in this Collection
italian vinaigrette salad dressing
There's this salad at Buca Di Beppo and they use a dressing similar to this on their Apple Gorgonzola Salad. It's not right according to my boyfriend who works there, but i love it anyway. It's always better after a few days in the fridge. (ps, this isn't my recipe, i found in on the internet look for meemoskitchen on google)Submitted by MMPIXIE
Carbs: 0.5g | Fat: 5.4g | Fiber: 0.1g | Protein: 0g | Calories: 49.8
Send this recipe collection to a friend - https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/cookbooks.asp?cookbook=1133285


text:
Below are the confirmed and scheduled talks at Velocity 2013
(schedule subject to change).
Create your own Velocity schedule using the personal scheduler function. Mark the tutorials, sessions, keynotes, and events you want to attend by selecting the calendar icon next to each listing. Then go to your personal schedule and get your own customized schedule generated.
For information on exhibition and sponsorship opportunities at the conference, contact Gloria Lombardo at (203) 381-9245 or email@example.com
For media partnerships, contact mediapartners@ oreilly.com
For media-related inquiries, contact Maureen Jennings at firstname.lastname@example.com
View a complete list of Velocity contacts


text:
The PositiveNaija Q&A Forum is strictly a question-and-answer platform open to everyone where users post only questions and then allow for other users to provide answers specifically for the question set.
Questions asked must be substantial, well-thought, well-framed and sensible. Answers provided that do not significantly focus on the question are removed.
Thank you.
Forum NavigationYou need to log in to create posts and topics.
23-October-2017October 23, 2017, 2:08:45 PMWhat you give is what you get.October 23, 2017, 5:58:39 PMOctober 23, 2017, 8:17:44 PMWhat you give is what you get.October 24, 2017, 2:41:58 AM


text:
Okeechobee County Florida Board of County CommissionersHome Menu
News List
Register to do business with Okeechobee County through Vendor Registry to become listed in our vendor list. Registration is FREE
Okeechobee County has partnered with Vendor Registry to provide you with automated vendor list for formal sealed bids. This list categorizes each vendor by commodity codes for the specific goods or services offered by the vendor. Businesses who have subscribed to our vendor list are notified by e-mail whenever a formal sealed bid has been issued for the commodity or service offered by the vendor.
If you are a Vendor wanting to do business with Okeechobee County, we ask that you first register through the County's Vendor Registration System. The registration process is FREE and takes just a few minutes to complete online.
To register, you may click the below link:
Or you can find the Vendor Registry located under the "Doing Business" or "I Want To" tabs. Once there, you will be led through the registration process using easy-to-follow instructions.
In addition, as a registered vendor, you will become part of the County's vendor data base allowing you to upload required documents in order to do business with us. This data base may be used by all County departments to solicit bids. If you supply an e-mail address during the registration process, you will receive a e-mail notification of solicitations for commodities and services for which you are registered, whereby you should not ever miss a solicitation. By utilizing this notification source, the County is able to reach countless vendors while saving valuable staff man-hours.
For questions or further information about Vendor Registry, please call: Ph# 844-802-9202 or email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Are you in the United States?
Visit our U.S.A. & International site for relevant pricing, distribution and product availability information.Go to StarTech.com
1,8m (6 ft) DisplayPort to DVI Active Adapter Converter Cable - DP to DVI 1920x1200 - Black
Connect a DisplayPort-equipped PC to a DVI display, with an active 6ft cable
Product ID: DP2DVIMM6BS
- Active DisplayPort to DVI conversion
- 1x Male DisplayPort connector, 1x Male DVI connector
- Supports resolutions up to 1920 x 1200
- Plug-and-play Installation
The DP2DVIMM6BS 6ft active DisplayPort to DVI converter cable lets you connect your DisplayPort-equipped desktop or laptop directly to a DVI monitor or projector with no additional adapters or cables required -- a cost-effective solution for enabling your new DisplayPort computer to work with an older VGA monitor or projector.
For guaranteed compatibility with virtually any DisplayPort output the active DisplayPort to DVI adapter supports multimode (DP++) as well as single-mode DisplayPort signals. Unlike passive adapters, this ensures the DP2DVIMM6BS can be used with graphics cards that are not capable of outputting multimode DP++ signals, such as ATI® Eyefinity cards.
Plus, because the converter cable supports video resolutions up to 1920x1200 you can convert a DisplayPort video source to DVI without sacrificing video quality.
The DP2DVIMM6BS is backed by a 3-year StarTech.com warranty and free lifetime technical support.
This adapter is not compatible for use with the Apple Cinema Display.
- Use with single-mode DisplayPort video outputs that are not capable of outputting multimode DP++ signals, such as ATI® Eyefinity video cards
- Connect your DVI display device (monitor, projector) directly to a DisplayPort output device
- Ideal for using your DVI monitor as a secondary display
The StarTech.com Advantage
- Hassle-free installation with cable-style adapter enabling you to connect your DisplayPort source directly to a DVI display with no additional video cable required
- Save upgrade costs by connecting your DisplayPort computer to a DVI monitor or Projector
Product Numbers
Ingram DK
UPC Code
Technical Specifications
|Warranty Information
|3 Years
|Active or Passive Adapter
|Adapter Style
|Cable Adapters
|AV Input
|DisplayPort - 1.2
|AV Output
|DVI-D - Single-Link
|Chipset ID
|Parade - PS171
|Audio Specifications
|DVI - No Audio Support
|Maximum Cable Length
|1.8 m [6 ft]
|Maximum Digital Resolutions
|1920 x 1200
|1,291,679 hours
|Supported Resolutions
|1024 x 768
1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
1920 x 1200
|Wide Screen Supported
|Connector A
|1 - DisplayPort (20 pin) Latching Male
|Connector B
|1 - DVI-D (25 pin) Male
|Special Notes / Requirements
|System and Cable Requirements
|Some dual-link DVI monitors manufactured prior to 2014 may have limited resolutions support when used with this adapter.
|This adapter is not compatible for use with the Apple Cinema Display.
|Operating Temperature
|0°C to 60°C (32°F to 140°F)
|Storage Temperature
|-10°C to 70°C (14°F to 158°F)
|Physical Characteristics
|Cable Length
|1.9 m [6.1 ft]
|Product Height
|1.5 cm [0.6 in]
|Product Length
|1.9 m [6.1 ft]
|Product Width
|40 mm [1.6 in]
|Weight of Product
|105.2 g [3.7 oz]
|Packaging Information
|Package Height
|15 mm [0.6 in]
|Package Length
|22 cm [8.7 in]
|Package Width
|19.4 cm [7.6 in]
|Shipping (Package) Weight
|123 g [4.3 oz]
|What's in the Box
|Included in Package
|1 - Active DisplayPort to DVI Adapter
Related Products
91cm (3 ft) DisplayPort to DVI Active Adapter Converter Cable – DP to DVI 2560x1600 – Black
Eliminate excess cable clutter with a short 3ft DisplayPort to DVI active adapter
DisplayPort to DVI Active Adapter
Connect a DVI monitor to a single-mode DisplayPort output from your computer
DisplayPort to DVI Video Adapter Converter
Connect your DVI monitor to a DisplayPort equipped computer
DisplayPort to DVI Dual Link Active Video Adapter Converter - DP to DVI-D - 2560x1600
Connect your DVI Dual Link display to a DisplayPort® video source, for high resolution applications
DisplayPort to DVI Video Adapter Converter
Connect a DVI monitor to a single-mode DisplayPort output from your computer
DisplayPort DVI Video Adapter Converter
Connect your DVI monitor to a DisplayPort equipped computer
DisplayPort to DVI Converter Cable - 91cm (3ft) - 1920x1200
Eliminate clutter by connecting your PC directly to the monitor using this short adapter cable
1,8m (6 ft) DisplayPort to DVI Cable - M/M
Connect your DVI monitor to a DisplayPort®-equipped computer using a single cable
1,8m (6 ft) DisplayPort to DVI Video Converter Cable - M/M
DVI Adapter Cable | Multi-Monitor Solution | Plug & Play Connectivity
1,8m (6 ft) DisplayPort to DVI Video Converter Cable - M/M
DVI Adapter Cable | Multi-Monitor Solution | Plug & Play Connectivity
3m (10 ft) DisplayPort to DVI Video Adapter Converter Cable - M/M
Connect your DVI monitor to a DisplayPort equipped computer using a single cable
15cm (6in) DVI-D Dual Link Digital Port Saver Extension Cable M/F
Extend a DVI-D port by 6in, to prevent unnecessary strain on the port
4,5m (15 ft.) DVI-D Dual Link Monitor Extension Cable - M/F
Extend the connection distance between your DVI-D digital devices by 15ft
20cm (8in) HDMI to DVI-D Video Cable Adapter - HDMI Male to DVI Female
Connect a DVI device to an HDMI® enabled device using a standard DVI-D cable
HDMI to DVI-D Video Cable Adapter - M/F
Connect DVI capable devices to HDMI®-enabled devices and vice versa
Product Support
Data Sheets
Frequently Asked Questions
Before You Buy
Unfortunately no, this device has an intended source and an intended destination. Refer to the title of the webpage for this order.
Digital Visual Interface (DVI) is a video display interface that can contain different types of signaling, based on the application. DVI cables and ports are created using different connector types to identify what application they are intended to be used in. The connector types are identified by the number of pins on the DVI connector. DVI comes in the following five different connector types:
- DVI-A (17 pin).
- DVI-D Single Link (19 pin).
- DVI-D Dual Link (25 pin).
- DVI-I Single Link (23 pin).
- DVI-I Dual Link (29 pin).
Single and Dual link DVI indicate the maximum resolution capabilities of the video source or video destination. The maximum resolutions are Single Link (1920 x 1080 @ 60Hz) and Dual Link (2560 x 1600 @ 60Hz).
Note: The maximum resolution of your video source and video destination are ultimately determined by the technical specifications of the devices. The connector type is not a definitive indicator of the maximum resolution.
DVI-A carries only analog (for example, VGA) with no digital component. DVI-D carries only digital video (for example, HDMI) with no analog component. DVI-I combines DVI-A and DVI-D connections to include both analog and digital components. A DVI-I port may be on either your video source or display, but whether or not a display carries either or both analog and digital sources depends on the technical specifications of your device.
When you convert video from a source that uses DisplayPort or Mini DisplayPort to DVI or HDMI (for example, a computer to a monitor), you will need to consider the difference between passive and active adapters.
If the source supports dual-mode DisplayPort (also known as DP++), then you can use a passive adapter because the source can perform the conversion. If the source does not support DP++, then you need to use an active converter, which includes additional chips to perform the conversion.
Thunderbolt ports support DP++ natively. To run multiple monitors from the same computer, refer to the Active Adapters section below.
Passive Adapters
Passive adapters are less expensive since they do not need to include additional chips. A quick way to check whether you can use a passive adapter is to see if the DisplayPort or Mini DisplayPort source has the DP++ symbol above it. The symbol is a D with a P inside of it, with two + signs to the left, one on top of the other.
Active Adapters
Active adapters use additional chips to make the conversion inside the adapter, regardless of whether the source supports DP++. This means that active adapters are more expensive than passive adapters.
If you want to use multiple monitors with the same computer, you should use an active adapter because some video cards cannot run the maximum number of monitors while using DP++. This is especially true if the computer has more than one DisplayPort or Mini DisplayPort connection. Check with your video card manufacturer to confirm which type of adapter you need for the setup that you would like to run.
Note: You should use passive adapters with StarTech.com MST hubs, except when you are converting from DisplayPort to VGA, since that type of conversion requires active adapters. For more information on using adapters with StarTech.com MST hubs, refer to the following FAQ: http://www.startech.com/faq/mst_hubs_passive_vs_active_adapters.
Surface Dock
If you experience issues when you connect passive video signal adapters to the Surface Dock, Microsoft recommends that you use active video signal converters instead. StarTech.com offers an active video signal converter for DVI monitors (MDP2DVIS) and for HDMI monitors (MDP2HD4KS).
Note: This issue does not apply to the Surface Pro 3 Docking Station.
Compliance and Safety
Compliance Letters
Safety Measures
- If product has an exposed circuit board, do not touch the product under power.
- If Class 1 Laser Product. Laser radiation is present when the system is open.
- Wiring terminations should not be made with the product and/or electric lines under power.
- Product installation and/or mounting should be completed by a certified professional as per the local safety and building code guidelines.
- Cables (including power and charging cables) should be placed and routed to avoid creating electric, tripping or safety hazards.
* Product appearance and specifications are subject to change without notice.


text:
August 30, 2011
CFI and CSI have filed three separate petitions with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking that agency to address various aspects of the marketing of homeopathic drugs.
In its industry-wide petition, CFI and CSI request the FDA to initiate rulemaking that would require all over-the-counter homeopathic drugs to meet the same standards of effectiveness as non-homeopathic drugs. Although the FDA has the authority to require homeopathic drugs to undergo testing for effectiveness, it has to date declined to do so.
It's not clear this hands-off attitude was ever justified, but given the FDA's many responsibilities, its free pass to homeopathic drugs would at least be understandable were use of homeopathic products rare. But that is no longer true. Homeopathic drugs used to be marketed on a relatively small scale, but their sales have been burgeoning in the last couple of decades. In 2009, consumer sales of homeopathic treatments in the United States reached $870 million.
Homeopathic remedies were first developed in the late 1700's, before the advent of modern medicine. Homeopathic drugs are produced by taking a substance that is believed to cause disease symptoms and then diluting the substance repeatedly until, according to accepted laws of chemistry, there are no molecules left of the original substance. But homeopaths insist that-by virtue of some scientifically inexplicable process-their drugs possess therapeutic value. Essentially, homeopathy is magic posing as science.
The fact that those consuming homeopathic drugs are effectively ingesting a sugar pill or its equivalent has, undoubtedly, also influenced the FDA's policy of non-enforcement. Some might characterize the drugs as "safe" since they usually do nothing. But the FDA has an obligation to protect the health of Americans by requiring that all drugs that are marketed be shown to be safe and effective. For sick Americans who need treatment, a useless drug is a harmful drug
The CFI/CSI petition also asks the FDA to place warning labels on homeopathic drugs until such time as they are shown to be effective. Undoubtedly, most consumers think the FDA regulates homeopathic drugs the same as real medicine. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
In separate petitions, CFI and CSI have specifically targeted homeopathic industry giant Boiron. These petitions ask the FDA to issue warning letters to Boiron regarding its marketing of Oscillococcinum, an alleged flu treatment. One petition complains that Boiron's packaging for Oscillococcinum lists the alleged active ingredient-duck liver and heart-in Latin only. As Ronald A. Lindsay, president & CEO for CFI/CSI has observed, "If Boiron is going to sell snake oil, the least they can do is use English on their labels."
The other Boiron-directed petition complains that Boiron's web ad for Oscillococcinum misleadingly implies the drug has received FDA approval.


text:
This is a special Off-Ramp Extra segment recorded on the road at the new Samuel Freeman gallery in Culver City, featuring my entire interview with iconic Japanese artist Masami Teraoka, with a live and active audience.
Teraoka made his name inserting modern items into paintings that otherwise looked like traditional Japanese wood block prints -- cell phones, hamburgers, etc. -- as a way of commenting on how American culture infiltrated Japanese culture.
Later, he dug into the AIDS crisis with poignant and pointed works.
And lately, he's been addressing the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal. Those paintings are rather graphic, so you'll have to check the link below, or go see them through October 13th at the gallery.
Masami is a rare artist who loves talking about every nuance of his work, and is also much funnier than most artists, as you'll hear in our unedited interview.


text: Share Smaller TextLarger TextPrint Lucky. By Katie Jennings Apr 19, 2013 0 Comments Incredibly, it's been three months since I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Time flies when you're busy and confused. These months have been a whirlwind of appointments and reading and exploration. I would not presume to give advice to the readers of this blog who have years of MS under their belts. But I would like to share my perspective about the bad and the good of being newly diagnosed, beyond just the physical symptoms. The bad: I have no idea what's going on. I'm a person who prefers specifics. I like plans. I like goals. I once ran a marathon largely because I printed out a schedule and refused to deviate from it for five months. Since my diagnosis, I've spent a lot of time coming to terms with the fact that not everything is black and white. In January and February, I visited three different MS specialists, and each gave me a different diagnosis (relapsing remitting, primary progressive, and finally progressive relapsing). Each doctor – well-meaning and concerned – was absolutely sure about his or her findings and each gave me a completely different sense of what the coming years may have in store. Maybe I'm standing on the edge of a cliff. Or maybe I'm just looking out at some rolling hills. If anything has become clear to me, it's that nothing is clear. To be told, "You have MS," doesn't actually tell you very much. Each of us will have a unique experience, and our experiences will evolve and unfold at a pace largely outside of our control. For a planner like me, that's very, very frustrating. The good: I know exactly what I need to know. I have a six year old, a full-time job, friends whom I never have time to see, and a family that lives too far away. Like many of you, I consider it a good day if I can return even half of the messages on my list. Life doesn't leave a lot of time for considering the big picture. But learning that I have MS has crystalized one thing for me. As hokey as it sounds, the things that matter are the people I love. If everything else is stripped away (and it might be!), those relationships will still be the things that matter. That's not to say that I've given up on more trivial matters. I still care about whether my skinny jeans fit and where I'll go on vacation this summer. But I have a clarity about my priorities now that I may never have gained without a big kick in the pants. MS is nothing if not a big kick in the pants. I've chosen to be very public (obviously) about my diagnosis. In the past three months, I've heard from many, many friends – and some strangers – with messages of love and support. And however difficult the reason for them, I won't overlook what a gift those messages have been for me. I'm lucky despite it all, and I'm grateful. I hope you all have days that remind you of that as well. Katie Jennings, Blogger Katie Jennings keeps busy juggling a son, a husband, a job, an old house, a bossy cat and unpredictable Vermont weather. She was diagnosed with progressive relapsing MS in December 2012. She blogs about all of it at http://steadyshegoes.com.


text:
The face of foreclosure in Minnesota is changing.
In a report to be released today, the Minnesota Home Ownership Center in St. Paul said most of those who sought foreclosure counseling through its network last year held prime mortgages, not the subprime mortgages that launched the foreclosure wave. Half gave lost or reduced income as a reason.
It's a shift also occurring on the national level. The Mortgage Bankers Association said the national delinquency rate for prime mortgages in the fourth quarter of 2008 rose to 5.06 percent from 4.34 percent in the third quarter.
"As this recession has intensified, the face of this mortgage crisis has changed by 180 degrees," said Scott Anderson, a senior economist at Wells Fargo & Co. in Minneapolis. Job losses and other economic-related fallout are behind many foreclosures now, he said.
Anderson said the new wave of people unable to pay the mortgage often is middle-class families that most likely have two incomes. One loses a job and all of a sudden they can't afford their house. Or they are under water on their mortgage and can't refinance.
"It's going to be a whole new crop of people that really are not used to having to get into this sort of financial position," he said. "It's really an unprecedented recession in many ways."
The Minnesota Home Ownership Center -- a nonprofit organization funded by government agencies, corporations and foundations -- gathered information from the 11,809 homeowners who sought foreclosure counseling at 25 education and counseling centers throughout the state in 2008. Demand was so great that the center went from 20 to 72 full-time counselors statewide last year.
The center has a $2.3 million annual budget, much of which is "passed through" to its partner agencies, including those providing the counseling. It also provides educational resources to guide people on how to purchase a home.
The center's executive director, Julie Gugin, said the biggest surprise was that 60 percent of those seeking help at the center had prime mortgages, while only 37 percent had subprime. In 2007, 57 percent had prime, 43 percent subprime. Of those with prime mortgages last year, 27 percent were adjustable-rate mortgages, which can be riskier for the borrower.
Gugin said one reason those with prime mortgages sought help in greater numbers may be because they were able to afford their homes until circumstances changed, and they realize that there are options. That compares, she said, to "some homeowners in subprime loans who may recognize at some level that the home was not affordable from the beginning."
Gugin also said that low and moderate income homeowners were ahead of the curve in the economic downturn and were the first to lose their jobs and experience financial distress. What is happening now, she said, may be the second wave of the foreclosure problem.
Help available
Regardless of the reasons people needed counseling, the center said that counselors -- often by working directly with a lender -- were able to prevent foreclosures in 55 percent of the more than 9,000 cases in 2008 that have been wrapped up so far.
Of those who averted foreclosure, 86 percent were able to stay in their homes -- and most of those were able to bring their mortgages current, modify them or work out agreements with the lenders to reduce or delay payments.
Glen Wetterlund fits both categories. Laid off one year ago from a Twin Cities-area music store that was struggling because of the downturn, he started falling behind with his bills and the mortgage on the duplex he owns in northeast Minneapolis. He described it as a "cascade effect. Most people in my circumstances could relate because it's hard to pin down one certain factor for getting in trouble with mortgages. But basically, it's loss of income and the overall general economic downturn."
He tried contacting his mortgage company but "got a different person each time, and we'd have to reinvent the wheel all over again." Frustrated, he contacted the center, which directed him to one of its agencies, Minneapolis Neighborhood Housing Services, for foreclosure counseling.
The result: His mortgage rate was cut nearly in half and his late payments were pushed back until the end of the loan, which is at a fixed rate for five years. His payments will restart on July 1.
Among the report's other findings:
Why help was needed: Thirty-five percent cited reduction of income and 15 percent cited loss of income. After that, reasons were poor budget management, medical issues, increase in loan payment, divorce or separation and others.
Mortgage payments: The guideline for mortgage payments is generally that they should not exceed 30 percent of a household's gross income. But only 31 percent of those who sought help via the center fell into that guideline. Twenty percent were paying 30 to 40 percent; 17 percent were paying 40 to 50 percent; 23 percent were paying 50 to 75 percent and 9 percent were paying more than 75 percent.
Suzanne Ziegler • 612-673-1707


text:
El Camino College Fire Academy
A California State Fire Marshal Approved Firefighter Training Academy
The Academy was formerly known as the South Bay Fire Academy, which trained firefighters for the South Bay Fire Departments for more than fifty years.
The Academy's core content has been consistent in meeting the highest level of firefighter training. The requirements for physical fitness for each recruit are both strenuous and demanding and only exceeded by the academic standards where excellence is expected, not just requested.
Graduates of the El Camino Fire Academy have been hired throughout the county, state and nation. They have been trained to the highest standard and are ready to serve you in your time of need.
There is a classroom that seats approximately thirty students and an engine room. We have three Class A Diesel Pumpers and a Truck Company.
The drill grounds are comprised of a four-story fire rescue training tower, a fire environment building; where the students combat live fires, and we also have a Swede System I Flashover Training Container for Flashover Training.
To apply go to the Contact Us link
All completed applications can be turned into the Industry & Technology main office or scanned and emailed to Chief Jeff Baumunk @ firstname.lastname@example.com. Please make sure you have all completed items submitted by the due date.


text:
Hometown feel: Badgers prep for Cook and Oregon
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Hometown kid on one side, the in-state favorites on the other.
Toss in a contrast in styles, and up-tempo Oregon against efficient Wisconsin should make for an intriguing NCAA tournament matchup in Milwaukee.
The seventh-seeded Ducks and second-seeded Badgers each pulled away for double-digit victories Thursday to advance to a West Region third-round game. Their Saturday night meeting figures to be much closer.
"We have to face a team that gets it up and down. They can score in half court, they can score in full court," Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said Friday. "They put a lot of pressure on you."
Expect the BMO Harris Bradley Center stands to be filled with Wisconsin red again. After the home campus in Madison, Milwaukee might be the next biggest epicenter of Badgers backers.
But at least one Duck might draw more support than usual on the road.
Sophomore Elgin Cook calls Milwaukee home — was even the City Conference Player of the Year in 2010. His father is former NBA All-Star Alvin Robertson, who played with the Bucks in the early 1990s in the same arena in which Cook will take the floor against Wisconsin.
Imagine how thrilled his friends in the stands must have been when Cook scored 23 points in 23 minutes off the bench in the Ducks' 87-68 victory over BYU in the second round Thursday.
"When you've still got your friends and family in the crowd, you're still going to play inspired basketball when you're in your hometown," guard Johnathan Loyd said.
Cook has been getting good-natured grief all week from his teammates because of the media attention for his connections to Milwaukee. He was peppered with more questions Friday about how his father influenced his style of play. Robertson was the 1986 NBA Defensive Player of the Year while with San Antonio.
"I'm just trying to mold my game around that and become the best player I can become," he said.
The soft-spoken forward seems to want to make his statements on the court.
Five things to watch in a matchup between power-conference programs:
WELCOME HOME: Cook, a sophomore and junior college transfer, didn't appear to be high on the Badgers' recruiting wish list when he was in high school, and vice versa.
No bulletin board material here, though.
"I just thought that Wisconsin was a real solid basketball team, real fundamental, and they're a good team," Cook said about his impressions of the Badgers in high school.
Wisconsin assistant coach Gary Close recalled Cook in high school as "always a terrific athlete ... and now he is doing things from a skills standpoint that are good. He's a very, very important part of their team — rebounding, driving, knocking some shots down, blocking shots."
TEMPO TIME: First, the Badgers thumped methodical American and its Princeton-style offense 75-35 on Thursday. Now they're preparing for something completely different. Oregon likes to play in transition, and eight Ducks were on the floor for at least 11 minutes in the victory over BYU.
"Has anybody ever faced two more opposite teams in back-to-back games in the NCAA tournament?" Ryan asked reporters.
TEMPO TIMES TWO: The tempo issue goes both ways. After contending with BYU's zone, Oregon now must face a Badgers team that just held American to 34 percent shooting and 13 second-half points.
"Bo has always grinded it out, pick the heck out of you," Ducks coach Dana Altman said. "It's a physical game."
Loyd said he will try to speed up the Badgers and defend point guard Traevon Jackson the length of the court, "make him show his handles off and then try to speed them as much as we can."
STICK TO IT: Staying disciplined helped Wisconsin get over a first-half rut against American. They're sticking to that plan on Saturday.
The balanced Badgers have shown they can score in transition, too, though that's not their main philosophy.
"What we want to do is get a good shot. ... Sometimes it may happen early and sometimes it doesn't," Close said. Oregon "preys on teams when (the opponent takes) bad shots early, then they can really run."
OUTPOST: On Thursday, Oregon had 36 points in the paint, an area that has given Wisconsin problems defensively at times this season. Forward Nigel Hayes said the Ducks like to drive the lane, and it's incumbent on Wisconsin to not let them establish a post presence.
Follow Genaro Armas at http://twitter.com/GArmasAP


text:
Site combines topic areas with links to local directories
You have to love a government site that offers information on licensed acupuncture doctors and naturopathic medicine. Or maybe you consider that an over-reach. Either way, California's website serves its people, businesses and visitors in a clean, concise and informative manner.
State officials have described www.ca.gov as a front door to all California state department websites. The home page provides access to major topic areas, news, online services and links to local help directories, such as 211 or 311, in addition to sites from all state agencies. Additionally, there are links to location-based search, social media links and subscription feeds.
Related stories:
10 revealing government websites
10 gov Web apps that get results
Great dot-gov Web sites 2009
California has offered information via digital delivery since 2001 with major redesigns along the way. The latest redesign in June 2010 included enhanced search capabilities to make services and information easier to find.
An "improved, interactive design includes an updated public data site with more than 100 million records available for custom mashup applications, a mobile site with more than 20 applications designed for smart phones, and searchable maps with data on thousands of office locations, parks, schools, universities, libraries, and more," said Stacey Walker, an executive at the California Office of eServices, in an interview with Juggle.com.
The California portal has raked in a slew of awards, including a Top Government Website award from Juggle.com in 2010, first place in the state portal category by e.Republic's Center for Digital Government, and a Sunny Award from the Sunshine Review for government transparency.
About the Author
Rutrell Yasin is is a freelance technology writer for GCN.
E-Mail this page
Printable Format
Advanced Search
Sign up for our newsletter.
I agree to this site's Privacy Policy.


text:
Everton made two changes from the Birmingham draw with Tim Cahill returning to the forward line to support Saha and Neville restored to the midfield at the expense of Heitinga in a 4-4-2. Fulham lined up in a 4-4-2 with Dembele and Andy Johnson up front with dangerman Dempsey starting left midfield
A common misconception with our formation is that with Cahill we play 5 men in midfield, hence the often '4-5-1 at home Moyes' shouts. If you look at the above average position map, Cahill (17) and Saha (8) are circled, notice how Cahill is actually playing further forward than Saha, so in essence a 4-4-2
Blues control the play in first half
Everton's passing was sharp in the first half and Osman again was our architect in chief. The pint sized schemer is one of the best passers at the club, and has a pass completion of 75% for the season, including 4 assists, creating a chance every 68 minutes. This is still some way short of our top creator Baines who lays on a chance for a team mate every 51minutes.
Osman's cross enabled Coleman to bury a header past Schwarzer's outstretched right hand for our opening goal. In the build up to the goal, Hangeland, who once had a trail with the Blues, gets pulled out of position leading to Salcido covering his position centrally which thus leaves Coleman un marked at the back post. Coleman had a great game and registered 87% pass completion, well above the team average.
Passing Dashboard – Fulham made many more successful passes than the Blues and their pass completion in the 2nd period was much better than ours, although a lot of this was in front of our defence as our pressing higher up the pitch in the first half subsided once we had the 2 goal advantage.
Jack Rodwell has been the subject of great media interest this week and the young midfielder had a quiet afternoon, registering just 15 successful passes, non of which went into Fulham's 18 box. Compare this with Baines who successfully delivered 49 passes, 7 of which were made into Fulham's box. One of Rodwell's few surges from midfield was to lead to the Blues second goal, as his run on goal was checked by Etuhu and the resulting free kick was slamming in by Saha after being teed up by Baines.
Fulham back in business
With the 2 goal advantage in the bag, Everton sat back and defended on our 18 yard line, with pressing pretty much non existent until Fulham reached 20-25 yards from our goal. This wasn't helped by Heitinga replacing Cahill , when Beckford for me would have given us more of an out ball and enable us to get further up the pitch.
Fulham were camped in our half for most of the last 30 minutes and looked a lot more potent with Zamora now up front, Dembele on the left and the impressive Dempsey now occupying a more central role.
In the build up to Dempsey's goal, the American had shifted from left mid inside, Rodwell is circled picking him up but gets caught ball watching enabling Dempsey to get the space required to get in a superb goal.
A well deserved victory for the Blues which gives us 10 points from the last 12 available. Great individual displays again from Baines and Coleman gave Everton more of a cutting edge than Fulham and ultimately this secured us the win here. COYB!


text:
Devotion to Matteo Ricci, S.J., is visible throughout China. Statues and icons of the man appear nationwide. Prayer cards for Ricci's intercession are in widespread use. Mother Teresa's sisters, the Missionaries of Charity, follow their founder's practice and seek Ricci's intercession daily for their efforts in China. Centers and Institutes promoting the example of Ricci exist in America, Australia, Europe and Asia. And the Vatican itself recently presented a special Ricci exhibit inaugurated by Pope Benedict XVI, who applauded Ricci's "search for harmony between the noble and millenary Chinese civilization with the Christian novelty."
All this makes one wonder: Could this 16th-century, European Jesuit, adopted by China four centuries ago, become a bridge to reconciliation between the Vatican and Beijing? The faithful on both sides of the world seem to be shouting yes.
As phenomena suggesting the heroic virtue of his life become more widely known, the cause for Ricci's canonization is crystallizing. The result could well be that Ricci, whose Chinese name is Li Madou, becomes an instrument of grace completing the East-West bridge that he began building when he arrived in Guangdong, China, in 1582. In the mystery of the Holy Spirit the timing is exquisite: As the church in the West wanes, the church in China thrives.
Heroic Virtues
Ricci's canonization cause formally began in 1984 through the diocese of his birth in Macerata, Italy. The process is focused on heroic virtues as the sign of Ricci's holiness. The progression of testaments to the heroic virtue of his life is compelling.
It begins with his holy persistence. Permission for foreigners to enter China was rare as the 17th century loomed. When an invitation surfaced in 1583 to work in Zhaoqing, Ricci determinedly embraced it and shared with China the science and technology of the West, gradually gaining some acceptance until he was expelled in 1589. But he persevered and was eventually given permission to relocate to Shaoguan, further north. From there he continued the unlikely pursuit of Beijing, reaching Nanjing in 1595 and Suzhou in 1598. When war in the north prevented him from proceeding, he waited with patience. By 1601 word of his genuine esteem for China, as well as the practical generosity of his high-tech gifts (like a clock and a world map), was so compelling that the seemingly impossible occurred: He was invited by the Ming emperor Wanli to become the first Westerner welcomed into the Forbidden City. Ricci quickly contributed major advances in Chinese astronomy, mathematics, musicology and cartography and centered his ministry at what today is the site of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
This formidable accomplishment was made possible largely by Ricci's practice of the virtue of solidarity. Though he was not the first Westerner to enter Cathay (Marco Polo and others preceded), he was the first who chose to stay—and he never left. Instead of remaining a visitor in a strange land, Ricci embraced Chinese language and culture, quickly mastering Mandarin and Confucianism. He even sought solidarity liturgically by praying Mass in the vernacular, vesting in mandarin garb and preaching the Gospel with Confucian concepts centuries prior to the insights of the Second Vatican Council.
Ricci's virtue of humble friendship is evident from the way the Chinese embraced him. His ability to garner invitations that were seldom, if ever, offered to foreigners seems to have been a fruit of his genuine esteem for China and his graciousness in working with the Chinese to blend Western scientific and artistic advances with Chinese receptivity. Notable is Xu Guangqi, an imperial official and scientist who became a Christian and a great friend. He helped Ricci meld Confucian concepts with Christian theology. Fittingly, his own beatification cause has been opened by the Diocese of Shanghai.
Perhaps the strongest evidence of China's embrace of Ricci relates to his death. Inexplicably—perhaps because of the perceived heroic virtue of Ricci's life—the emperor overrode ancient traditions banning the burial of foreigners in Chinese soil. Wanli provided imperial grounds for Ricci's tomb. And, perhaps the most salient indication of the perception of Ricci's sanctity, that tomb has been honored and protected through the centuries. Even during the Cultural Revolution, when anything remotely Western was desecrated, the tomb of Matteo Ricci was protected. Today it is a point of pilgrimage for the Chinese faithful as well as foreign visitors. (I personally considered it a miracle when government officials, as an honor to me as their professor, permitted me to celebrate one of my first Masses at Ricci's grave in 1990.)
Within the church, Ricci is a remarkable example of the virtue of heroic obedience. The willingness of Ricci and his fellow Jesuits to adapt to Chinese culture was controversial in Rome, where the view prevailed that the melding of Chinese rites with Christian theology was problematic. Undoubtedly cognizant of the implications for his evangelization work, Ricci nonetheless remained an obedient priest while thriving in the imperial court. He found a heroic way to be both faithful to the universal church and loyal to China. Today bishops and priests in China face a similar challenge and look to Ricci for guidance.
A Mutual Embrace
A stunning testimony to Chinese esteem for Ricci stands today on Sheshan Hill outside Shanghai, an astronomy museum under secular authority that honors heroes of China's scientific history. Prominently displayed is a portrait of Li Madou, with an extensive explanation of the advances he developed in China for observing the heavens through the eyes of science. Adjacent is the Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians. Images of Matteo Ricci appear there, too, in recognition of his role in helping China see the heavens through the eyes of faith.
The widespread devotion of the faithful to Ricci and the extensive evidence of the heroic virtue of his life suggest that his beatification is destined to take place. The process itself might help to heal the rifts of recent decades—and pave the bridge that he built—if the diocese of his birth and baptism and the diocese of his death and burial were to join hands in the cause. In conjunction with Shanghai's process for beatification of Xu Guangqi, the canonization could symbolically bless the friendship of China and Christianity. By illuminating the compatibility of Chinese culture with Christian customs, as well as the enrichment of Christian theology through Confucian concepts, a joint focus on Matteo Ricci could significantly soothe Vatican-Chinese relations. His remarkable nurturing of profound mutual respect at a time when distrust prevailed offers a holy path to reconciliation.
Matteo Ricci fervently embraced China. China fondly embraced Li Madou. The implications for Rome and Beijing abound in the blessed personage of that East-West hero. His deep humility, abiding respect, quest to understand and eagerness to blend brought China and the West together in his day. Highlighting those heroic virtues today in Vatican-Beijing relations offers a potential path over the bridge to harmony.
I would qualify Prof. Worthley's piece by pointing out that the adaptation by Ricci's Jesuit successors to Chinese ways was much more than "controversial" and "problematic." Three times such attempts were quashed by a Vatican that had little understanding of the issues: by Clement XI in Cum Deus Optimus (1704); by Clement again in Ex Illa Die, of 1715; and finally and definitively by Benedict XIV in Ex quo singulari (1742). These prohibitions were to stand forever, and so they did, or if not quite foreverm, at least until Piux XI in effect reversed them in 1935 and 1939.
Today - at least in Taiwan - (to quote the historian Fr. Jean-Pierre Charbonnier) "the traditional rites in honor of heaven and the ancestors, which had been banned for Catholics until 1939, were celebrated officially within the setting of the liturgy for the lunar new year. in Taipei, the archbp, surrounded by dignitaries in long black robes, presided over the offering of fruit and incense before the great red tablet of wood, on which the following inscription had been inscribed in gold characters. 'Honor to heaven; honor to the ancestors.' In some Catholic churches, a small altar of the ancestors was permanently placed in a side chapel."
One wonders whether Benedict XIV is spinning in his grave, and (far more important) how the history of the Church in China would have been different without Ex quo singulari.
The problem with the present Communist government is not the question of adaptation. The are against people practicing their faith, independent of them.
The Communists have no respect for religion. The know the freedom to practice one.'s faith the foundation of their totalitarian system. Hence their opposition is based on a different scale.
They will not allow anything to touch the basis of their atheism and totalitarianism.Adaptation won't change their attitudes.The Chinese people would definitely like the adaptation of Chinese culture in the practice of the faith.It is not a question of whether people like it or not but whether the totalitarian system of Communist ideology that guides the governemnt would like it.We have to be realistic in our appraisal of their ideology and their practice.Peripheral acts of tolerance on their part do not indicate that they are willing to part with their atheistic ideology.
Makes one wonder what might happened in Rome if the early Christians, for instance, "baptized" the incense everyone was obliged to offer to the emperor.
The serious XVIII century prohibitions of Clement XI and Benedict XIV were imposed to shield the church from pagan practices. The new wisdom of "inculturation" made it possible to make Christian the traditional Chinese rites of honoring the ancestors, noble practices Matteo Ricci tried in vain to sell to XVI century Rome.


text:
SEASIDE HEIGHTS, N.J. (AP) — Coastal areas of New Jersey and New York that lost their boardwalks to Superstorm Sandy's surge are racing to rebuild them in time for tourist season — in some places, without the boards.
For reasons both practical and environmental, some communities are proposing to replace their wooden boardwalks with more durable synthetic materials or even concrete. That is raising objections from those who say nothing else looks, feels or even smells quite like a true wooden boardwalk.
In New York, where Mayor Michael Bloomberg had already decided wooden boardwalks don't cut it anymore, a group from the Coney Island section of Brooklyn called Friends of the Boardwalk sued last year to block a plan to replace wooden boardwalks with concrete and plastic.
"When hurricanes come through, they don't ask whether it's concrete or wood," said Todd Dobrin, the group's leader, not convinced concrete boardwalks would withstand a storm any better than wood. "They destroy whatever is in their path."
While "Under the Polymerwalk" might not have the same ring to it as the Drifters' 1960s hit "Under The Boardwalk," New York City parks officials say concrete sections of boardwalk in Queens' Rockaways and Coney Island did hold up much better when Sandy hit in late October.
Bloomberg has long wanted to move away from the tropical hardwoods, harvested from endangered rainforests, that were used to build many boardwalks.
That is an issue Tim Keating, director of Rainforest Relief, has been working on for years. He says coastal communities will be under pressure to quickly rebuild but urges them to resist the temptation to use tropical wood such as ipe, which is cheaper than synthetic materials and popular for its durability. Belmar is considering ipe for its boardwalk reconstruction.
Keating says durable synthetic materials are the best choice for boardwalks; Belmar, Spring Lake, Point Pleasant Beach and other places already used it.
Manasquan, N.J., for decades has paved its beachfront walkway with asphalt. Yet that, too, gets trashed by major storms. A 1992 nor'easter smashed large sections of it, and Sandy wrecked about half of it.
Whatever communities decide, they need to do it soon. For many shore towns, boardwalks are their summertime economic engine, where tourists and residents alike spend their money on food and drinks, or on games of skee ball or balloon darts to win a stuffed animal.
In these towns, even in the many non-commercial sections where boardwalks are merely a non-sandy way to get from here to there, not having one is not an option. They will need the tourism money this summer more than ever as they try to rebuild homes and other infrastructure.
The destruction in Seaside Heights has become emblematic of the storm because of a roller coaster that plunged into the ocean. Mayor Bill Akers said 75 percent of his town's budget comes from tourism, with the remaining 25 percent raised from local taxpayers.
"You can see how important it is for us to get the boardwalk back up and running, and to make sure we have a summer season," he said. "It's something we have to get done."
Seaside Heights, like several other Jersey shore towns, is soliciting bids to rebuild its boardwalk; Akers estimated it will take $10 million to $12 million. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse towns for 75 percent of those costs, but local governments first must front all the money themselves, forcing many to borrow in the short or long term.
Terri Bissell moved to Seaside Heights 15 years ago after visiting it each summer for decades. Her parents started vacationing there 70 years ago.
"It was like heaven, coming down here to the boardwalk," she said. "It was our own little piece of heaven; that's why we bought here. The kids are so happy when they're on that boardwalk. Parents are always dying to bring their kids someplace to keep them busy; the Seaside Heights boardwalk has always been that place."
To the north, Belmar has approved the largest boardwalk rebuilding project so far in the aftermath of the storm, committing $20 million to rebuild its 1.3-mile boardwalk and haul away the remnants of the old one. It is also considering erecting a steel sea wall to be buried under sand dunes to help protect the boardwalk and homes and businesses.
"The beach and the boardwalk go together," said Mayor Matthew Doherty. "It's who we are; it's part of our identity."
Yet identity only goes so far in shore towns' calculus. Money is a bigger factor.
"If there's no boardwalk, people aren't going to come this summer," Doherty said. "They'll go somewhere else, and if they like it there, they won't be back here. We want to be the first in the race to get things started for the summer."
A 20-foot chunk of boardwalk is all that remains in Belmar, for one reason. It was an experimental section, bolted to underpinnings with the same hurricane tie-down straps that many home builders use to bind homes to their foundations. The entire new Belmar boardwalk will be built this way, Doherty said.
Other Jersey shore towns including Sea Girt, Asbury Park and Point Pleasant Beach are moving forward with boardwalk rebuilding plans; Spring Lake has to rebuild its boardwalk little more than a year after Tropical Storm Irene wrecked half the old one. New York state parks, including the popular Jones Beach, also are starting to rebuild.
Doherty, the Belmar mayor, is confident his boardwalk will be replaced before Memorial Day brings its own set of worries.
"If we rebuild this boardwalk, we'll have plenty of tourists," he said. "And then people will be complaining about parking."


text:
The third Three Brothers Bakery, located at 4606 Washington Ave., will open Monday, March 3 at 10 a.m.
The Heights area Three Brothers will be a little different from the other locations, co-owner Bobby Jucker said.
It will be a community-oriented, dog-friendly hangout with a patio and have a more serious coffee bar, he said. the Heights bakery will keep later hours, staying open until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
At the Washington Avenue bakery will be the first Three Brothers to allow customers to create their own cake parfaits, choosing the type of cake, filling, icing and topping they want, he said.
An in-depth story on Three Brothers, a bakery that has roots that go back almost 200 years and has recently reinvented itself, will appear in the business section of Sunday's Chronicle and on HoustonChronicle.com
Three Brothers also has locations at 12393 Kingsride Lane in the Memorial area and at 4036 South Braeswood near Meyerland.
The bakery had a location in the River Oaks Shopping Center for 17 years, but had to leave in the mid-2000's when Weingarten Realty began remodeling the center, Jucker said.
Three Brothers had strong business in 2013, Jucker said. The bakery is celebrating its 65th year.


text:
The Lindenwood University Communications Department will host a film and television camp this summer for high school students interested in learning production skills. Freshmen and sophomores are invited to attend camp daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., June 15-19. A camp session for juniors and seniors is scheduled from June 22-26.
Participants will learn introductory skills and techniques from award-winning Lindenwood faculty. The instructors have years of experience creating Hollywood movies, network television shows, local newscasts, and documentaries.
"We've been planning this camp for a couple of years now and we're really excited to be kicking it off," said Peter Carlos, LUTV station manager and assistant professor of communications. "Students who have an interest in the field will get a chance to use our new state-of-the-art facilities and high-definition cameras to produce professional films and television programming."
The cost to attend is $125. Participants will receive a bagged lunch each day, a t-shirt, a personalized DVD of their final projects, and a free screening of their work for family members and friends.
Space is limited. To register, please contact Carlos at (636) 949-4513 or by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Lindenwood University, founded in 1827, is an independent liberal arts university offering 84 undergraduate degree programs and 37 graduate programs in diverse areas of study --in traditional and accelerated formats.
Lindenwood operates a residential campus in historic St. Charles, as well as 10 extension sites throughout the St. Louis Metropolitan area.


text:
Phone: 503-823-7529
1120 SW Fifth Avenue, Portland, OR 97204
Phone: 503-823-7529
1120 SW Fifth Avenue, Portland, OR 97204
Terrace rehabilitation. The work included the removal of all the clay tiles, replacement of the waterproofing membrane underneath, installation of through wall flashing, reinstallation of the tiles, and restoration of the balustrade including seismic attachments.
Project Partners
Portland Parks & Recreation, Pittock Mansion Society
Project Manager
Susan Meamber, 503-823-9709
Talisman Construction Services, Spokane, WA
Brien Golis, 509-487-1292
The Pittock Mansion is a French Renaissance-style château in the West Hills of Portland, originally built as a private home for The Oregonian newspaper publisher Henry Pittock and his wife, Georgiana. It is a 23-room estate built of Tenino Sandstone situated on 46 acres which provide panoramic views of downtown Portland and the Cascade Range. The property was acquired in 1962 by the City of Portland Bureau of Parks and Recreation, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The Mansion is managed though a partnership with the Pittock Mansion Society and Portland Parks & Recreation. It is open for tours, providing educational exhibits depicting life in the early 20th century.
In 2006 the Comprehensive Seismic and Structural Analysis report for the Pittock Mansion was commissioned. This document examined previous studies, and provided recommendations for repairs. Included in this study was the exterior surface spalling of the sandstone facade due to the overflow of water onto the exterior of building and the terrace/balustrade repairs. In 2008, construction documents were produced for some of the repairs, including external copper downspouts, and structural upgrades at the west entrance were performed.


text:
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks were little changed on Thursday as the prospect of a drawn-out battle over impending tax and spending changes made investors wary of getting into the water, while retailer Wal-Mart tumbled after disappointing sales.
The S&P 500 is down nearly 2 percent for the week, adding to last week's selloff and eroding more of the market's gains for the year.
What had looked like a stellar 2012 for stocks has turned into merely an average year, and as 2012 draws to a close, investors are becoming more inclined to protect the gains they have.
The worry is the economy could contract again if no deal is reached in Washington to avoid the "fiscal cliff" - large, automatic budget cuts and tax hikes that begin to take effect in the new year.
Combined with the euro zone debt crisis, the uncertain outlook for corporations makes it hard to know how much a stock is worth, said Alan Lancz, president of Alan B. Lancz & Associates in Toledo, Ohio.
"Valuation is going to be uncertain because you don't know what the growth will be," said Lancz. "That is definitely not a good scenario for someone to step up to the plate and do a lot of buying."
The euro zone relapsed into its second recession since 2009 in the third quarter as the region was hurt by its debt problems.
Wal-Mart (WMT.N) fell 3.6 percent to $68.72 and was the biggest drag on the Dow as frugal consumers hurt the company's quarterly sales.
Investors will be watching Friday's meeting at the White House between President Barack Obama and Republican and Democratic leaders of Congress over deficit reduction for any sign the two sides are moving closer.
The memory of last year's political impasse over raising the debt ceiling has also made analysts nervous.
"(There is) uncertainty of whether we're going to have a functioning government going forward. That is a weight that sits on markets right now," said Troy Logan, managing director and senior economist at Warren Financial Service in Exton, Pennsylvania.
Even if the economy avoids an outright recession, there are fears a lengthy political dispute could sap business investment and consumer spending.
The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI slipped 28.49 points, or 0.23 percent, to 12,542.46. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX lost 2.16 points, or 0.16 percent, to 1,353.33. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC was off 9.87 points, or 0.35 percent, to 2,836.94.
The S&P 500 sunk to a 3 1/2-month closing low and was well below its 200-day moving average, which it pierced last week.
Data on Thursday showed new claims for unemployment benefits surged last week, while factory activity in the mid-Atlantic region unexpectedly shrank in November as the economy felt the effects of superstorm Sandy.
A flare-up in violence in the Middle East added to market unease as Israeli warplanes bombed targets in and around Gaza city for a second day, while two rockets fired from the Gaza Strip targeted Tel Aviv.
Apple Inc shares (AAPL.O) dragged the Nasdaq lower, falling 2.1 percent to $525.62 and down about 25 percent since September's high.
Also in the tech sector, shares of Dell Inc DELL.O fell in after-hours trading after it reported revenue that was shy of Wall Street's expectations. Dell was down 2.2 percent at $9.35.
Target Corp (TGT.N) bucked the trend, rising 1.7 percent to $62.44 after it reported a profit that beat expectations.
Volume was roughly 7.26 billion shares on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the NYSE MKT, topping the year-to-date average daily closing volume of around 6.5 billion.
Decliners outnumbered advancers on the NYSE by 2,069 to 975 on the New York Stock Exchange. Decliners also had the upper hand on the Nasdaq, outpacing advancers 1,506 to 948.
Editing by Kenneth Barry


text:
Flash floods kill more than 400 in Philippines
MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Flash floods devastated a southern Philippines region unaccustomed to serious storms, killing more than 400 people while they slept, rousting hundreds of others to their rooftops and turning two coastal cities into muddy, debris-filled waterways that were strewn Saturday with overturned vehicles and toppled trees.
Most of the victims were asleep Friday night when raging floodwaters cascaded from the mountains after 12 hours of rain from a late-season tropical storm in the southern Mindanao region. The region is unaccustomed to the typhoons that are common elsewhere in the nation of islands.
Ayi Hernandez, a former congressman, said he and his family were resting in their home in Cagayan de Oro late Friday when they heard a loud "swooshing sound" and water quickly rose ankle-deep inside. He decided to evacuate to a neighbor's two-story house.
"It was a good thing, because in less than an hour the water rose to about 11 feet (3.3 meters)," filling his home up to the ceiling, he said.
At least 436 were dead, based on a body count in funeral parlors, Philippine Red Cross Secretary General Gwen Pang told The Associated Press. She said that 215 died in Cagayan de Oro -- a city of more than 500,000 -- and 144 in nearby Iligan, with more than 300,000 residents. The rest died in several other southern and central provinces, she said.
Many of the bodies were unclaimed after nearly 24 hours, suggesting that entire families had died, Pang said.
The number of missing was unclear Saturday night. Before the latest Red Cross figures, military spokesman Lt. Col. Randolph Cabangbang said about 250 people were still unaccounted for in Iligan.
The swollen river sent floodwaters gushing through neighborhoods that do not usually experience flooding. A man floated in an inner tube in muddy water littered with plastic buckets, pieces of wood and other debris. Ten people in one home stood on a sloping roof, waiting for rescuers even as water still flooded the lower floors.
Local television footage showed muddy water rushing in the streets, sweeping away all sorts of debris. Thick layers of mud coated streets where the waters had subsided. One car was thrown over a concrete fence and others were crushed and piled in a flooded canal.
Benito Ramos, chief of the government's Civil Defense Office, attributed the high casualties in Mindanao "partly to the complacency of people because they are not in the usual path of storms" despite four days of warnings by officials that one was approaching.
Thousands of soldiers backed up by hundreds of local police, reservists, coast guard officers and civilian volunteers were mobilized for rescue efforts, but they were hampered by the flooded-out roads and lack of electricity.
Many roads were cut off and there was no electricity, hampering relief efforts.
The missing included prominent Filipino radio broadcaster Enie Alsonado, who was swept away while trying to save his neighbors, Iligan Mayor Lawrence Cruz said.
Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro said that about 20,000 residents of the city had been affected and that evacuees were packed in temporary shelters.
Authorities recovered bodies from the mud after the water subsided. Parts of concrete walls and roofs, toppled vehicles and other debris littered the streets.
Rescuers in boats rushed offshore to save people swept out to sea. In Misamis Oriental province, 60 people were plucked from the ocean off El Salvador city, about six miles (10 kilometers) northwest of Cagayan de Oro, said disaster official Teddy Sabuga-a.
About 120 more were rescued off Opol township, closer to the city, he added.
Cruz said the Philippine coast guard and other rescuers were scouring the waters off Iligan for survivors or bodies that may have been swept away to sea.
Tropical Storm Washi dumped on Mindanao more than a month of average rains in just 12 hours.
It quickly cut across the region overnight and headed for Palawan province southwest of Manila on Saturday night.
Forecaster Leny Ruiz said that the records show that storms that follow Washi's track come only once in about 12 years.
Lucilo Bayron, vice mayor of Puerto Princesa in Palawan, said he already mobilized emergency crews but local officials have not ordered an evacuation yet because the weather was still fine.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a statement that the Obama administration offered "deepest condolences" for the devastation in the southern Philippines.
"The U.S. government stands ready to assist Philippine authorities as they respond to this tragedy," the statement said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected."
Associated Press writer Hrvoje Hranjski contributed to this report.


text:
Please wait while we process your order.
YES! Please start my 3-month trial subscription to Financial Intelligence Report and rush my FREE digital reports. I will pay only a $4.95 processing fee.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Sales tax included where applicable. Your trial subscription comes with convenient automatic renewal. At the end of your subscription, we'll notify you. If you want to keep the publication, do nothing and we'll renew your subscription using your credit/debit card on file and charge you $109 for one year (12 issues) of Financial Intelligence Report and thereafter at the lowest renewal rate then in effect. There is no risk, you can cancel within the first six months for a full refund of the unused portion of your subscription.
More Info


text:
Companies with market power occasionally engage in intentional quality reduction of a portion of their output as a means of offering two qualities of goods for the purpose of price discrimination, even absent a cost saving. This paper provides an exact characterization in terms of marginal revenues of when such a strategy is profitable, which, remarkably, does not depend on the distribution of customer valuations, but only on the value of the damaged product relative to the undamaged product. In particular, when the damaged product provides a constant proportion of the value of the full product, selling a damaged good is unprofitable. One quality reduction produces higher profits than another if the former has higher marginal revenue than the latter.
Comments and Questions
Comment on R. Preston McAfee: Pricing Damaged Goods
This paper presents a model of companies with market power offering crimped products as a means of price discrimination. The importance of this question in real life is proved by a number of well chosen real life examples. I find the ...[more]
topic fascinating and also the model is very interesting even though I do not find the results surprising.
The main concern that I have with the paper is that I would like to learn more – not only by means of anecdotic evidence - about the distribution of the value attributed by the customers to the high-value product (and the crimped product). The examples suggest that this valuation might depend on the customers' budget constraints, etc.


text:
Much of America was going gaga over 176 Stanton Street in the Lower East Side on Manhattan last January when Stefani Germanotta aka Lady Gaga took 60 Minutes on a tour during a visit to her pre-fame haunts. Now, the very one-bedroom crib where Lady Gaga lived before she wowed the world with her eccentric style and sweet tunes is up for grabs to any little monster with $1,850 per month to burn.
Located in a nondescript tenement building, Lady Gaga's former home includes one bedroom, one bathroom and a tiny but very appropriate to Manhattan-sized kitchen. The singer reportedly lived at this very apartment before hitting it big time, which the listing is apparently capitalizing on. It reads: Former abode of the infamous Lady Gaga--legitimately!
U.S. & World
Unfortunately for Lady Gaga fans, the star didn't leave any notable mark on the place. In fact, Jezebel remarks, "she didn't leave any freak art on the walls, but it still looks like a nice place."
Copyright LXTVN - LXTV


text:
I don't do Black Friday. Dirty shopping malls and carts are just not my thing especially when there's a nasty stomach bug going around; a good friend is puking and pooping clear water as I type. But I also don't like to get up at daylight and rush out the door only to dodge elbows of crazed shoppers trying to get at that (probably one or two at the most in stock) "teaser" product before somebody else does.
The crowds suck but the main reason I do my dead level best to avoid shopping malls during cold and flu season is to avoid becoming infected with every virus making its rounds. When it comes to malls and shopping centers; if you build them and throw out a few hot products tagged with super cheap prices they will come. And by "they" I mean staph infections, flu viruses and lots of other really nasty germs left all over the place and NO Virginia, not just the unflushed toilets in the restrooms. Those little buggers are everywhere.
What is the most germy, nasty spot in the public bathroom? Well, you may be surprised to learn it's not the commode; experts say it's the sink!
When you think about it it makes sense. What do people touch right after they go to the toilet or change the baby's diaper? Those germy hands touch the faucets that probably get washed once a day at best leaving some of the worst strains of bacteria to grow. The sinks and faucets are both damp and dirty which translate into spa-like conditions for a germ where they can thrive unhindered and be spread to each and every unsuspecting visitor.
And if you were counting on germicidal soaps to save you, you should be aware that a large percentage of handwashing soap from the dispensers that they tested contained high levels of bacteria! WTH!
It's still your best bet to scrub your hands after using the bathroom for the time it takes you to sing "Happy Birthday". However, in light of these discoveries, you might consider packing a travel size of your own brand of eco-friendly, chemical-free hand soap in your purse or diaper bag so that you don't carry the germs from the dirty shopping malls and carts home with you.
Dirty Shopping Malls and Carts
I don't do Black Friday. Dirty shopping malls and carts are just not my thing especially when there's a nasty stomach bug going around; a good friend is puking and pooping clear water as I type. But I also don't like to get up at daylight and rush out the door only to dodge elbows of crazed shoppers trying to get at that (probably one or two at the most in stock) "teaser" product before somebody else does.
Posted by Unique Baby Gear Ideas at 12:02 PM
Labels: baby staph infection, bathroom germs, dirty shopping, shopping cart germs
9 comments:
- medical accident said...
Yes you are right and many of the people thinks as u think these all black Friday and same like it are just the false attraction.
Thank you very much for the posting.
- Diane said...
I have to agree with you. Last year I almost tried on a garment at one of these malls and noticed someone must have blown their nose of the sleeve. How gross!
I remember reading somewhere that during the Bubonic Plague of the Middle Ages there were four thieves that concocted a mixture that supposedly kept them alive.
There are variations of this formula but the main ingredients are essential oils such as clove, thyme,rosemary eucalyptus, mixed with cider vinegar.
If you scout around the web you will see recipes for 4 thieves vinegar. These oils have antibacterial, and antiviral properties.
It would make a good spray during flu and cold season.
- Michelle said...
I didn't even think about that aspect of Black Friday. I'm just weary of crowds.
- Anonymous said...
Good advice, many thanks and also nice blog Baby Massage
- Computer Disposal said...
When I lived in Sheffield, UK, I used to go to the UK's largest indoor shopping mall, Meadowhall. At the time, the warm atmosphere, large number of people and location (north UK) resulted in me getting more colds than I was used to. The past 5 years, I've been living in the country and have had 2 colds during this time. However, I've also given up smoking.
- Kolorkist said...
You are ten times more likely to catch the flue staying at home and being infdected by a loved one lol
- Castors said...
very informative post.
- beach robe said...
Great blog - healthy living and keeping the immune system boosted is probably the best way to stay unaffected by bugs.
- Bill said...
You can never be too careful when it comes to looking after your child's health. Kids love going to the mall/shopping centre and hang out with parents, but we, as such, should be aware of the dangers that these places hold in terms of germs...


text:
Cancer researchers have been studying angiogenesis — the growth of new blood vessels — since the early 1970s, when Judah Folkman first theorized that tumors could be destroyed by cutting off their blood supply.
For most of that time, scientists have focused on the biochemical signals that promote angiogenesis, in hopes of finding drugs that can starve tumors by blocking their ability to release the proteins that promote vessel growth. More recently, a few scientists have taken a new approach: studying how contractions in nearby cells can stimulate angiogenesis.
Krystyn Van Vliet, associate professor of materials science and engineering at MIT, and researchers at Tufts University recently showed that cells called pericytes, which surround small blood vessels, generate contractions that could serve as a mechanical signal to initiate angiogenesis. "Up to now, people have assumed that the role of pericytes was biochemical in nature," says Van Vliet.
Pinpointing the role of those mechanical signals could help researchers develop drugs that either promote angiogenesis to enhance wound healing or suppress the harmful angiogenesis that leads to tumor growth or vision loss (in age-related macular degeneration or diabetes-induced retinal damage), says Ira Herman, a professor of physiology at Tufts University School of Medicine and expert in pericyte cell biology who collaborated with Van Vliet on this study.
The search for new drugs
Angiogenesis is vital for all body tissues: Without access to functioning blood vessels and their life-sustaining stream of oxygen and nutrients, cells can't survive. Cancer cells, with their revved-up metabolism, especially need to stimulate blood-vessel growth because they require more fuel than ordinary cells.
Folkman's theory on angiogenesis and tumors spawned an entire research field — known as anti-angiogenesis therapy — as biologists scrambled to figure out how cancer cells turn on angiogenesis, and, more importantly from a treatment standpoint, how to shut it off.
In the past 40 years, scientists have pinpointed more than a dozen proteins, known as growth factors, that appear to be involved in angiogenesis. They have also identified drugs, including endostatin and angiostatin, that have shown some ability to slow tumor growth by interfering with those factors. Those drugs are now being tested in clinical trials. The FDA recently approved an antibody drug known as bevacizumab for use in some metastatic cancers. That drug, marketed as Avastin, targets vascular endothelial growth factor, a protein that acts on endothelial cells (cells that form the lining of blood vessels).
Those represent the first generation of angiogenesis drugs, but the field holds promise for many more once scientists learn more about angiogenesis and the different cells involved, says Marsha Moses, director of the Vascular Biology Program at Children's Hospital in Boston, who believes pericytes are a very promising target.
Van Vliet and Herman's research is an important step towards better understanding pericytes' role in angiogenesis, Moses says. "They have not necessarily shown the direct effect on angiogenesis, but they've laid the groundwork for a series of studies" that should reveal whether pericytes will become a viable drug target, she says.
Nanoscale measurements
Herman, a cell biologist, has been studying pericytes since the early 1980s. In 2007, he first reported that pericyte contractions might trigger angiogenesis, but he didn't have a good way to measure the forces they generated, or to visualize how they would affect surrounding cells.
He recruited Van Vliet, an expert in atomic force microscopy who studied angiogenesis as a postdoctoral associate in Moses' lab at Children's Hospital, to explore this issue. In graduate school, Van Vliet had worked on measuring the mechanical behavior of metals at the nanoscale and studying how that behavior influences macroscopic behavior.
"I wanted to see if I could apply some of these nanoscale mechanical tools to biological problems," such as how cells interact with materials, and how those chemical and mechanical interactions at the cell-material interface can affect cell functions such as angiogenesis, says Van Vliet.
In a paper published in April in the Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, Van Vliet, Herman and MIT students Sunyoung Lee, Adam Zeiger and John Maloney and Tufts research associate Maciej Kotecki reported measuring and imaging the force of pericyte contractions using an atomic force microscope — the first time that had ever been done. Atomic force microscopy generates very high-resolution images (about 5-nanometer resolution) by "feeling" the surface of a sample with a tiny probe tip.
The researchers believe that pericyte contractions exert influence on blood-vessel growth by either directly tugging on endothelial cells or altering the stiffness of the membrane underlying the endothelial cells.
In current studies, Van Vliet and Herman are investigating how the pericyte forces affect endothelial cells' growth rate, shape and chemical secretions. They hope to determine whether pericyte contractions can act as an "angiogenic switch," turning on blood vessel growth. They are also trying to determine the mechanism by which the pericytes exert their forces, which appears to involve inducing a network of cytoskeletal proteins to tense up, pulling in the cell membrane.
The researchers have already identified a few drugs that can interfere with the pericyte contractions by disrupting the activity of those cytoskeletal proteins. Such drugs could potentially be useful for anti-angiogenesis therapy, but only if they could be delivered specifically to the target cells, says Herman.


text:
You're still making zero sense. Not only are you not specifying what units of time you're using, but you're suggesting that it's possible to go back in time in a BrikWar. To do that, you'd have to have an identical battlefield set up, take pictures of every turn, and then set the second battlefield up to match the turn you rolled. I mean, maybe you have some magical negative dice that can go back to a previous turn, but I don't think they're that common.sjosten wrote:Not necessarily. When you end up is determined by what you roll.
That explanation makes more sense, except instead of just saying "roll for when you end up", try "roll for how many turns it takes to come back". This actually sounds like fun now. The big problem is that not everyone seems to have the same understanding of this mechanic.samuelzz10 wrote:Ok, here goes.
A random shock trooper finds a delorian, and is being chased by several savages. Unable to fend them off, he hops in and goes at 15" for 2 turns and he is suddenly whisked away. He rolls "Time travelers get older selves to fight along side them". then you roll a 1d6,(to determine how long it takes) and you re-appear in that location with a future self in the car with you. I hope that serves as a good example.