text:
Autistic man breaks through the silence
- Watson diagnosed with autism at age 2
- In 2011%2C his mother discovered he could respond to questions by typing out answers on iPad
- He hopes to get a job but faces difficult road to full independence
JACKSON, Miss. -- The last word Watson Dollar spoke before autism erased his ability to do so was "lights."
The chubby cheeked toddler lay in his father's arms as anesthesia, administered for an ear-tube surgery, dimmed his consciousness. Head lolling back, body going limp, Watson gazed at the fluorescent lamps above him, uttering the one-syllable noun.
Then he closed his eyes and never spoke again. That was 20 years ago.
In the two months between Halloween and Christmas of 1992, Watson had lost almost of all of his 150-word vocabulary along with an interest in the world.
His parents initially failed to notice the change, chalking up the subtle signs to stubbornness or fatigue or the ever-changing nature of a developing child.
By New Year's, though, the difference was both inescapable and worrisome.
The smiling, inquisitive boy who'd sung and pranced around his house in Magee now sat sullen and withdrawn. He rarely spoke. Instead of saying "juice" or "outside," Watson met his needs by tugging the nearest adult to the refrigerator or the backdoor.
Watson also stopped playing with his toys. He used to push little cars around the living room, making vroom-vroom sounds. Now he held the vehicles upside down and close to his face while silently fixating on the wheels he'd spin for hours with his tiny fingers.
By the time his pediatrician discovered fluid in his ears and recommended tubes, Watson was a different child. His parents, Pam and Donald Dollar, hoped the surgery would return him to his previous state.
"He can't hear, that's why this is happening," Pam remembers the doctor saying. "As soon as we get those tubes in, everything will be fine."
But the procedure changed nothing.
The Dollars got the dreaded diagnosis on May 17, 1993 — 10 days after his second birthday — autism — and took immediate action.
They bombarded Watson with therapy and enrolled him in Magnolia Speech School in Jackson. They enlisted the best doctors and attended the latest autism conferences. They did everything they could to loosen autism's grip, but it wouldn't let go.
Pam and Donald eventually accepted reality: The disorder had permanently severed communication in their only child and, in doing so, isolated him from the world. Watson was lost, and he wasn't coming back.
His own mother often wondered, "Is he even in there?"
That question lingered two decades, until, on Nov. 11, 2011, Watson sent a postcard from the other side.
Watson awoke from sleep thirsty and plodded down the hall to the kitchen, where his mother had left a half-empty water bottle on the counter. He reached for it.
Still awake and sitting nearby, Pam quickly snatched the bottle. She was sick and didn't want Watson to get her germs. He needed to get his own water instead.
Because she doubted he'd understand a verbal explanation, Pam grabbed the bottle and drank all its contents.
Watson became agitated and was headed toward a full-blown meltdown.
So Pam tried something she'd never before attempted. She grabbed her iPad and pulled up its keyboard, then typed, "Mom is sick, when someone is sick they have germs, germs can make you …"
Watson hesitated, then grabbed his mother's hand and slowly typed the last word of her sentence: "sick."
Pam couldn't believe it. Watson not only understood, but he was able to respond — albeit slowly and while clutching her hand. Still, she wanted to see if he'd do it again.
"Mom's water had …" she typed.
"Germs," Watson finished.
"Mom doesn't want Watson to get sick. OK?" she wrote.
"OK," Watson replied.
A simple exchange by all accounts, but for Pam it was a breakthrough. This was the first conversation she'd ever had with her now full-grown son and the first tangible evidence that he was, indeed, "in there."
She decided to press her luck.
"Is there anything else you want to tell me?" she asked out loud.
Watson grabbed her hand and typed the words she'd been waiting to hear his whole life: "I love you, Mom. Very much."
And with that, Watson cracked a door between two worlds long ago severed by autism. That door would open again and again in the months that followed, each time revealing more of the young man who'd been trapped behind it for years.
Watson, it turns out, has been watching us all along.
His mind has cataloged a lifetime of memories that he now recalls for his mother and a few others with whom he's comfortable enough to type. He remembers the way his preschool teachers physically restrained him and said he hated that school because of it.
"It was abuse," he typed.
He remembers wanting to console his second-grade classmate after her father had died, but he didn't know how. He felt sad and helpless. It still haunts him to this day.
He can name the kids who were mean to him in school, as well as those who showed him kindness.
He's also capable of complex thoughts and is keenly aware of his disorder, as evidenced by this Dec. 13, 2011, conversation between him and his mother.
Pam: "Do you understand autism?"
Watson: "Yes, I live with it."
Pam: "Yes, you do. You understand it better than anyone. Do you like autism?"
Watson: "No, it is hard to deal with. I wish I did not have it."
Pam: "I know. Me too. It has to be very hard for you."
Watson: "(I) try to really deal with my weird stuff, but it's hard because so many things to deal with."
Pam: "So what are the hardest things to deal with?"
Watson: "Sounds (are) too loud, and (I) can't tell you things, like, God, I pray to get better."
Pam: "You are getting better, every day. We can talk like we are now, and we weren't able to do that until a month ago."
Watson: "For a long time I wanted to talk to you, and now I can. That is great."
Pam" Yes, it's wonderful. I've wanted to talk to you for years, too. And now we can, so that means you're getting better."
Watson: "Really glad."
Pam: "Me, too. Is there anything you think people need to know about autism?"
Watson: "For people (to) try to understand more. Then they will be nicer to people with autism.
Pam: "Do you remember when you got autism?"
Watson: "Yes, it was when I was 4."
Pam: "No, it was when you were 2."
Watson: "I don't remember that."
Pam: "You were talking and were very socially outgoing, and then you changed. Something happened, but we still don't know what."
Watson: "Really? What happened to me?"
Pam: "We still don't know."
People like Watson who have autism suffer deficits in social interaction, communication and adaptability.
Hallmark signs of the disorder include a lack of eye contact, limited or absent language, social awkwardness, repetitive behaviors like rocking or humming, and a fixation on a narrow set of interests.
An estimated one in 50 children has autism, and boys are four times more likely to get it than girls, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Some people with the disorder are considered high functioning and have the ability to talk and interact with the environment despite their differences. Others, like Watson, are labeled low functioning because they lack language and a means with which to connect to the world.
The disorder typically appears before a person's second birthday but most likely is present from birth, according to the latest research.
Studies by doctors at the Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta reveal subtle, yet key, differences in early infancy that disrupt the entire developmental process.
Using eye-tracking technology, researchers found infants later diagnosed with autism don't focus on the eyes when looking at a face. Instead, they look at the mouth, or they don't look at the face at all.
That's opposite of typically developing children who glean important social cues from maintaining eye contact with caregivers.
Researchers also found typical children enjoy connecting to others — the pleasure centers of their brain light up when they do. This joy motivates them to deepen their connections through communication.
Children with autism don't get pleasure from connection and thus lose their motivation to communicate.
"The question isn't 'Why aren't they using speech?' We know why; it's not rewarding to them," said Gordon Ramsay, director of the Spoken Communication Laboratory at the Marcus Autism Center. "The question is 'Why isn't it rewarding?' That's really what we don't understand."
The answer lies somewhere inside the autistic brain, where mutations in any one of about 1,000 different genes disrupt normal synaptic firing, otherwise known as neural communication.
Everything we do — from talking to walking to slicing bread — requires neurons from different parts of the brain to share information, said Larry Young, director of Emory University's Center for Translational Social Neuroscience.
When that free flow of information slows or stops, seemingly simple tasks become difficult or impossible.
Think of an orchestra. In a typical venue, you would hear each instrument playing together harmoniously. In an autistic venue, you would still hear each instrument but fail to integrate them into a coherent piece of music.
Watson's parents say their son used to hear the full orchestra, as evidenced by video footage of the toddler interacting normally with peers and having simple back-and-forth dialogs. But for whatever reason, the instruments stopped harmonizing.
Roughly one in four children with autism experience what's commonly called "regression," Ramsay said. That means they lost skills that they'd already gained. The rest simply fail to develop those skills in the first place. No one yet understands why.
Either way, those on the autism spectrum experience the world as a confusing swirl of disjointed information. Those affected most severely likely give up trying to understand it, Young said, and they retreat into themselves and their narrow set of interests.
That appears to be the case for Watson, who spent most of the past two decades physically present but socially isolated.
Evident during a visit with Watson in his family's living room this summer, the odd behavior of the young man obscures his inner world. While his parents chat with a reporter, Watson leans back in his recliner and stares at the ceiling while unintelligibly reciting the script of a favorite movie.
"Oh-oh-oh-um," he says, his voice rising and falling with inflection. "Ahhhh! Du-sham-a-shish. Wee-eem, way-way-way. Woam."
Sometimes he'll shake his hands back and forth and look at them. Or he'll flip through the pages of a Dr. Seuss book; he always carries one around.
Watson doesn't acknowledge when the conversation turns to him and doesn't respond to his name, which is mentioned numerous times during the course of the morning.
Only when someone directly engages him does Watson snap to attention. Then he'll smile or follow a command. Otherwise, he seems lost, disconnected, on his own.
"What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book?"
His mom types the query on her iPad and summons Watson to read it.
Standing over her, he studies the screen and composes a reply. It takes him about one minute to type it: "Really? You yearn really (to) know?"
"Yes, I would love to know," Pam types for the reporter. "Will you tell me?"
"Yes," Watson types. Then he thinks for a moment. "Too hard to very much choose."
After a few more rounds of questions, Watson starts to pace. His vocalizations become louder. He's getting upset.
"What's wrong?" Pam types.
"These incessant questions," Watson replies. He sits down, and it's clear the session has ended.
"Incessant." Not a feeble-minded word.
For those who have known Watson the longest, his sudden communication comes as both a shock and a long-awaited chance to ask him their most burning questions.
Chaneka Roby has been Watson's friend since first grade. She sat by him in all their elementary school classes and visited him daily when he later was placed in a separate special education room. She had always wondered whether he truly enjoyed her company or just tolerated her presence.
"That was my first question," Roby said. "I asked him, 'Do you like me?' "
Watson said yes.
Roby, who now attends Hinds Community College, discovered Watson could type after reading about it on his mother's Facebook page. She got excited, and it wasn't long before she found herself engaged in her own conversation with her childhood friend.
They swapped stories and shared memories. They also solved at least one mystery.
"I asked him why he bit my finger on the playground when we were in first grade," Roby said. "I had always wondered about that. Why did he do it?"
It turns out Watson had been frustrated by Roby's relentless urging that he go down the slide before he was ready. Eventually, he'd had enough of her prodding and bit her.
"To me, it's amazing he can type a sentence," Roby said. "It's a mystery and a blessing. I wish we would have had this technology in junior high and high school."
The first iPad hit the markets in April 2010. But while the device indeed boasts a handy keypad, typing itself has been around for decades.
So why didn't Watson communicate on a computer or typewriter years ago?
And, furthermore, why can he type his thoughts but not speak them?
Once again, the answer lies within the brain.
Remember that disjointed orchestra?
The one where each instrument plays but can't harmonize together?
It's the same concept preventing Watson from meaningful speech.
The brain requires little coordination to emit a sound, to echo a word, or to recite from memory a script. "That's like a short loop within one brain area," Young said.
To arrange thoughts in a coherent structure and articulate them vocally requires a vast network of neurons to fire simultaneously.
Watson has the thoughts in one part of his brain, grammar in another and vocal ability and muscle movements in yet another. But none of them works together.
"It's a miracle all these things can come together efficiently and timely to allow us to do all the things we can do as typical people," Young said. "But if there's a disruption in our genes that slows or impedes communication between neurons, you can throw the whole thing off in some way."
Typing still requires some coordination, but not as much as talking or writing.
Watson needs only one finger and the sleek surface of an iPad to compose his thoughts.
Even then, he struggles. Watson initially found it easier to grab his mom's hand and guide her outstretched finger to type words rather than extend his own. He doesn't do that much anymore but still prefers to clutch her hand while he types with his own finger.
"Not understand how hard it is for me to really type," he wrote.
That could explain why Watson never sought out a typewriter or computer at an early age. It's also likely why he never initiates communication now. Someone else, usually his mother, always starts the dialog. Always.
Another reason involves the social impairment common among people with autism. Even those who can readily communicate often choose not to, said Alice Shillingsburg, director of the Marcus Autism Center's Language and Learning Clinic.
"I work with kids who speak in full sentences but never ask you personal questions," Shillingsburg said. "They never ask what your favorite cartoon is. That tends to be what stands out."
Watson spends his days at home with his father while Pam heads the nonprofit Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center in Jackson.
The family lives on some 40 acres just east of Magee, where Watson and Don tend the yard, pick blueberries and go fishing.
The two are close despite their lack of communication. Like many sons, Watson doesn't express himself as freely with his father as he does with his mother.
"We've tried," Don said, referring to the iPad discussions. "It just doesn't work with us."
On a sunny morning in late June, the guys stroll from the house to a nearby blueberry bush. Don silently gathers the ripe fruit as Watson watches. When his father has a big handful, Watson leans his head back and opens his mouth like a baby bird. Don feeds him.
They do this several more times, until Watson has his fill, and stroll on.
When it gets too hot, father and son retreat into the one-story house where Watson grew up. Now towering over his parents at 6 feet, 3 inches, the young man disappears down the narrow hall and into his tiny bedroom.
A vast collection of Dr. Seuss books fills a floor-to-ceiling shelf and spills out into a waist-high pile near the door. Watson selects one of them and returns to the living room to watch cartoons in his recliner.
It's a leisurely lifestyle, but one that bores the 22-year-old. While most of his peers, like Roby, are in college or working, Watson is stuck at home.
"(It's) killing me to be by myself," he types.
He's lonely. He wants friends who understand him, and a job — as a "data entry person."
His parents want that for him, too, and for the first time since his autism they feel it might be possible. But it will take time and patience, and he may never achieve full independence.
Nevertheless, life for Watson and his family has improved since he started communicating.
When Watson's grandfather, Buddy Dollar, died in September, the family used the iPad to work through the grieving process. The young man had questions about death that likely would otherwise have gone unanswered.
His parents also recently discovered Watson's belief in God and his desire to be baptized.
Pam recalled a recent car ride during which Watson became agitated in the backseat, rocking violently and making noises. She previously had no way of deciphering his behavior. Now she can pull over and get the iPad.
"What's wrong?" she typed on this particular occasion.
"I want to go to Wal-Mart," Watson replied. "You just passed it."
Pam laughed at the memory before turning pensive. How many temper tantrums could have been avoided, she wondered, if they'd been able to communicate all along.
All the misunderstandings, all the guessing games, all the grief.
"He's had a history of having a lot of behavioral problems," Pam explained.
They got him into frequent trouble at school and landed him at Millcreek, a center for emotionally disturbed children.
Watson attended the psychiatric day program there for four years as an adolescent.
"It was the typical teenage rebellion," Pam said, "but he couldn't talk back, so he used his behavior."
Watson's breakthrough has raised a flurry of what-ifs, but it also has validated his parents' decision to educate him despite his outward limitations. Years of schooling taught him how to both read and spell — two skills now vital to his communication.
If the Dollars have learned anything from this experience, Pam and Donald say, it's to never limit someone's potential.
"Presume competence," Pam said. "Presume they're absorbing everything. Expose them to the world, and never give up. He was 20 years old when his big breakthrough came. It can happen."


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One feature of speculation about how the Supreme Court might rule on the challenge to the ACA subsidies is reference to the Court's narrow upholding of the individual mandate against constitutional challenge in NFIB v. Sebelius. I've heard some conservatives wondering, to put it bluntly, whether the Chief Justice will fold again. This kind of framing, I think, misunderstands the nature of the Chief Justice's decision in NFIB v. Sebelius and ignores two key differences between that case and the ACA subsidies cases.
I accept the press reports that the Chief Justice changed his vote in the individual mandate cases. But I do not think it in his judicial character to have buckled somehow. The stakes of the case may have led to some re-examination, but I think the Chief Justice became persuaded of the legal merits of the arguments that he ultimately set forth in his opinion. I suppose we'll never know. So, on to the next issue …
Tom Goldstein argues that "a major lesson to be learned from the Court's previous decision holding that the ACA is constitutional is that a majority of the Justices do not want to determine the fate of a hugely important social issue that has been debated in this country for decades." At some level, it blinkers reality to say that consequences don't matter to judges. But they are less consequential for many. And there are at least two very important differences between the individual mandate challenge and the ACA subsidies challenge that should factor into assessment of the Chief Justice's likely position. First, a ruling for the individual mandate challengers required the development of constitutional doctrine in a way that a ruling for the ACA subsidies challengers would not. The political branches have long been on fair notice that text of enacted law controls, whereas they may have been lulled into complacency by the Court's own latitudinarian constructions of the scope of congressional authority under Article I over time. Second, there is no statutory inseverability issue in the ACA subsidies challenge. The decision in NFIB v. Sebelius was made under the shadow of potential statutory inseverability, such that a newly formulated limitation on congressional power could be used to take down the entire ACA in one judicial ruling. While the practical effects of invalidating the IRS regulation in the ACA subsidies could be severe, the legal ruling would itself be much narrower by comparison.
These two differences may partially explain why the Chief Justice might size up the ACA subsidies challenge differently from the individual mandate challenge from a judicial and institutional point of view.
Another piece of the explanation may be his recognition that the Court's authority stems from its identification with the law, and that identification is easier for people to make when there is relatively clear statutory language in contrast with murky constitutional doctrine that has been treated in accordion-like fashion over time.
Nor can one discount the possibility that, over time, Chief Justice Roberts has come to view President Obama's commitment the rule of law in a manner similar to how Chief Justice Marshall understood President Jefferson's commitment to the same.
For all these reasons, I hesitate to draw too close a connection between how Chief Justice Roberts approached the individual mandate challenge and how he might approach the ACA subsidies challenge.
From an interpretive point of view, more relevant data points would be his opinions and votes on similar questions of statutory interpretation. I have been surprised, for example, not to have seen any mention of Bond v. United States in any of the opinions upholding the regulation or in any commentary thus far on the interpretive issues raised. Bond was a case in which Chief Justice Roberts found statutory ambiguity to arise from the improbably broad reach of a statutory definition, the consequences of the interpretation, and the apparent lack of any need to take the broad definition in its full breadth given the background of the law. As Justice Scalia put it in his dissent: "Whatever has improbably broad, deeply serious, and apparently unnecessary consequences . . . is ambiguous!" In essence, that is at the core of what some critics of Halbig are arguing. And one can see the outlines of a similar argument from the improbably narrow formula for calculating credits, the consequences of adopting this interpretation, and so on. My own view is that this argument should be a loser given the relevant statutory language. But it's the kind of argument that those who disagree with Halbig need to be making if they are interested in the Chief Justice's vote.

subset: commoncrawl


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From Big Sky Country to Country of Heaven (Part 2)
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Apr 13, 2017
How Foreigners Can Overcome The Language Barrier When Ordering Food in Chengdu
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Oct 04, 2017
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The 2017 Sichuan Cuisine Competition opened December 24 in Chengdu.
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Ode to Uwe
Guess Who's Next. C'mon. Just guess.
Orson Welles, Stanley Kubrick, Stephen Spielberg. Each of these men changed cinema in their own way. Welles showed us what a masterpiece truly is. Kubrick showed us that space could actually be boring, and Spielberg showed us how to destroy a franchise and a reputation in one fell swoop. If there is one man whom deserves to join these three directors in the annals of history, it is indeed Germany's own Uwe Boll. A master of his craft, Boll manages to capture the hearts of movie goers every time one of his films stumbles like a drunk man into theaters. Other times, he entertains with his direct to DVD movies and direct to DVD sequels.
You Guessed It!
Of course, Boll stands tall as the worlds most adamant games-to-movies translator, earning himself a special place in the anals of gamers. He is our knight in shining armor. The hero that Gamers deserve, but not the ones they need. Oops, I slipped into "Dark Knight" mode for a second there. Did I mention that Boll's first video game film "House of the Dead" is better than "The Dark Knight"? Because it really is. It features actual gameplay footage from the video game that it calls father, House of the Dead. Isn't that just swell?
Two years later in 2005, Uwe Boll raped both the minds, and hearts of gamers (in a good way) with two new movies. "Alone in the Dark", perhaps the most faithful of video game movies, featuring Tara Reid as a Scientist Lady and Christian Slater as a sex offender. Immediately after "Alone in the Dark" gamers were treated to another cinematic abortion (the good kind of abortion) with "BloodRayne". Those who played BloodRayne were likely not surprised to find that "BloodRayne" far surpassed anything the game could offer, although they did manage to find a lady even less attractive than polygons.
Yes, we know. Now put down the clipboard before you hurt yourself
2007 will from here on be known as "The Year of the Boll". First up to bat was "In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale". This movie starred Jason Stathom as a farmer named Farmer doing un-farmer like things such as jumping around and running. Then came "Postal" which very prominently starred Dave Foley's junk. Dave Foley's junk did not win the Academy Award though, which unfortunately went to Forest Whitaker who played a king or something. Finally, video game wise, "BloodRayne II: Deliverance" hit store shelves to a large shout of "FINALLY!" from the gaming community. Once again, the actress is lackluster, but the acting, as in all of Boll's films, was superb. NOTE: Those were just the video game movies he released in 2007. I KNOW RIGHT!?! AMAZING!
Last year, 2008, we were treated to 2 Boll masterstrokes. One was the sequel creatively titled "Alone in the Dark II". AitDII thankfully starred a cast of people whom nobody has ever heard of. At least now viewers didn't have to stare at that guy who actually kind of resembled the pixilated mess that was Alone in the Dark's protagonist. "Far Cry" was released on DVD, unfortunately all copies left in stores self-destructed after 5 days due to pure awesomeness. This is why a copy cannot be found anywhere.
How did they NOT know that putting helicopters on
there would be too awesome?
And now we find ourselves at (kind of) the beginning of another year. We, as film-goers are once again looking down the barrel of Uwe Bolls enormous rocket launcher that he has pointed not only at us, but at culture itself. So far as IMDB can see we've got only 2 video game movies flying out to assault our senses this year. Luckily for everyone alive at this time (and in the future) though, there will be 7 Boll movies AT LEAST within the next 2 years.
One is forced to ask ones self, "How can someone continue to create movies of equal quality, and not realize that they are something truly special". And looking back at Boll's movies, it's plain to see that Uwe Boll is very, very special. Special in the most special sense of the word. Uwe Boll is special, and he seems to be completely oblivious to this fact.
Do you want me to once again re-iterate how special he is?
Because I will
So now, let us all rejoice at the many Uwe Boll movies to come in the future, and hope against hope that he doesn't ever die due to a very violent set accident. Very, very violent.
Oh yeah. Happy April 1st!
3 Responses to "Ode to Uwe"
thanks for article
This blog's great!! Thanks :).


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Open Workflow Manager
Available in: ArcFM (Workflow Manager toolbar), ArcFM Viewer for ArcGIS Engine (Workflow Manager toolbar)
Enable: No design currently open
Workflow Manager may be opened from ArcMap by clicking the Open Workflow Manager button on the Designer Workflow Manager toolbar. It may also be accessed as a standalone application in the Bin folder of the ArcFM directory. For example, D:\Program Files (x86)\Miner and Miner\ArcFM Solution\Bin\ProcessManager.exe. If you open Workflow Manager as a standalone application, the Open Design button will not be visible, and you will not have access to edit Designs in ArcMap.
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- Open Workflow Manager by clicking the Open Designer Workflow Manager button on the Designer Workflow Manager toolbar in ArcMap or access it as a standalone application.
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Login. If you are logging into an Oracle or SQL database, a user name
and password are required. If you are connecting to an Access database,
only a user name is required. If you are logging into a secure Access
database, enter the correct user name and password for the database
on the Process Framework login screen. IMPORTANT: If you are using a secure Access database, the *.mdw file must have the same name as the Process Framework database and must be stored in the same directory. If this is your first time logging in or your database connections have changed, click here for specific information about the Database Connection Properties.


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Think I have a problem with my D800 and it seems elsewhere on the internet there is quite some feedback on an AF issue.It seems my 24-70 and 70-200vrII need at least -20 adjustment on the AF fine tune. It would be nice to go a little further to see if it can be improved (can't go further than +-20). Not great sophisticated technique other than just trying the adjustment iteratively then comparing the resulting image at 100%. I wasn't trying to get a precise result because what I was seeing seemed to indicate that I do have a problem due to the scale of the adjustment required and my findings with manual focus lenses.I moved on to my Zeiss 100mm ZF to see what happened to the focus indicator in the viewfinder and this is way off. Live view correct focus and correct focus according to the camera indicator are significantly distant. I wondered whether a default value adjustment in the AF fine tune might help. In other words that I have a camera body with a more significant focus issue indicated by the scale adjustment of the individual lens bumping up against the -20 max. I was hoping that I could adjust the AF fine tune default value with the 100mm Zeiss (MF) then fine tune the individual lenses (AF) without bumping up against the max values. Wasn't able to achieve that with the manual focus lens and the Nikon Manual, as thick as it is, is sadly lacking in this department. Whatever AF default value I set for the manual focus lens, the viewfinder indicator never showed correct focus.Wondered what others had found and also whether my method is flawed?
Interestingly, whoever serviced the camera left an SD card in it showing their focus test set-up. I was somehow expecting something more elaborate, but hey, it got the job done!
Believe I read elsewhere here that Canon allows adj at the long and short end...The Canon 5D Mark III & 1D X bodies are currently the only Canon bodies with that feature. If absolutely precise focusing is the most important aspect you consider when evaluating a photograph, use the Live view feature + magnification at 10X when shooting.
also interesting is that they used a 50,mm 1,4 D lens at aperture 2,8I heard before that they test focus at d2,8 and not at 1,4. It maybe explains why these cameras do not work very well at 1,4 - also due to focus shift
Nikon took back the camera under the warranty with no discussion. They then took their sweet time (5 weeks...) but when my body came back, micro focus was perfect at 0 on my 24-70, using lens align for reference. And the culprit was the body: I hadn't sent the 24-70 with it.Now, why on earth would they sell a non-calibrated body in the first place, that is the question...
LensAlign is a very useful tool and far better than just serial photos. Allows you to adjust for front and back focus and enhances reproducibilitySadly, unless you're very lucky you will find your "zoom" has a variable factor at different pointsBelieve I read elsewhere here that Canon allows adj at the long and short end, but not in between
I agree- if you have a printer just print two pages and make your own LensAlign- no miracle there- stone age science.I tested two zooms f 2,8 70-200 VRII and f2,8 14-24mm and they did not change much while zooming- (as you could have guessed - of course they are calculated that way)On the other hand- my d800e came out at -10 to -20 with all my lenses and it took me halve a day to get everything right.A job Nikon should have done. I spend almost a year thinking autofocus was not good enough for 36MP to find out it was just a matter of fine tuning.also -20 means we are at the edge - and if i go back to nikon services to put it back to about zero i have to spend another morning on this silly matter.


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Items where Person is "Clastres, Pierre"
Group by: Item Type | No Grouping
Jump to: Article
Number of items: 3.
Coutand, Marie and Mouchet, Florence and Cyr, Martin and Gauthier, Laury and Clastres, Pierre. Ecotoxic evaluation of mortar leachate using the amphibian larvae (Xenopus laevis). (2010) Déchets Sciences et Techniques (57). ISSN 1271-0318
Bernues Savaete, L. and Coutand, Marie and Clastres, Pierre and Cyr, Martin and Cren, S. and Deydier, Eric and Gauthier, Laury and Guilet, Richard and Mouchet, Florence. Evaluation of laboratory and industrial meat and bone meal combustion residue as cadmium immobilizing material for remediation of polluted aqueous solutions: "Chemical and ecotoxicological studies". (2009) Journal of Hazardous Materials, 16 (2-3). 945-953 . ISSN 0304-3894
Coutand, Marie and Cyr, Martin and Clastres, Pierre and Deydier, Eric and Guilet, Richard. Characteristics of industrial and laboratory meat and bone meal ashes and their potential applications. (2007) Journal of Hazardous Materials, 150 (3). 522-532 . ISSN 0304-3894


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LUSH-ious Valentine's Day Bath & Body Treats
Love is in the air! Valentine's day is right around the corner, and it's the perfect time to stock up on your fave lovey-dovey V-Day themed LUSH body treats! Here are some of the vegan ones that I'm absolutely nuts over…
Tender Is The Night massage bar, $10.95: This sensual and sexy massage bar has a blend of soothing shea and murumuru butters. It's ultra nourishing and gorgeous smelling – you'll be seduced by its intoxicating blend of jasmine, ylang ylang and vanilla.
Prince Charming shower gel, $9.95: I LOVE this cleanser SO much! First of all it's pink, it smells fresh and cheery, and it leaves my skin feeling baby soft. It contains pomegranate juice, grapefruit oil, Fair Trade vanilla, marshmallow root, and almond oil. You will become an instant fan, TRUST.
Love Locket Bath Bomb, $12.95: The is the perfect romantic treat, and it's a plus-sized bomb so feel free to share this with a bath buddy. 😉 It's gorgeous and it's full of fun surprises, too! The outside layer is speckled with paper hearts that'll float to the surface of the water, and the hidden center releases a smattering of shiny red agar seaweed hearts to create a spectacular bath time display. It has a sensual blend of vanilla, jasmine, and neroli essential oils to boot. HEAVEN!
What are some of your favorite LUSH body treats?
About Sunny (Sunny's Profile)Longtime vegan, hardcore compassionate beauty junkie, serious cake aficionado, and lover of all things floofy and sparkly! If there's something in particular you'd like me to review, drop me a line at email@example.com. You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Google +.
Filed in: Vegan Beauty • vegan skin care
Comments (6)
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Oh, wow, where to start. I love,love, love The Olive Branch and Twilight shower gels. My favorite soap, Lust, is sadly being discontinued, so I got a couple of extra bars. I love their Emotional Brilliance line. The Ambition lip color is just wonderful. I also love the (now discontinued) A Million Kisses lip stain, but luckily I have plenty left in the pot because I'm a lipstick junkie. The Charisma skin tint also works as a pretty rosy blush, while the Emotional Brilliance powder evens everything out.
They have long since recognized me at the Lush in Washington, DC,and remember I'm vegan. That's scary.


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Fallin: state resources not to be used for federal programs in shutdown
October 15, 2013
Tulsa Business
At Gov. Mary Fallin's direction, Oklahoma Secretary of Finance, Administration and Information Technology Preston Doerflinger sent a letter to all state agencies directing them not to use state dollars to temporarily fund federal programs during the ongoing shutdown of the federal government unless federal reimbursement is guaranteed.
Fallin also issued the following statement:
"The state of Oklahoma doesn't have the resources to prop up federal programs with state dollars if the federal government shutdown continues. It's simple math. The money just isn't there. There is agreement between the governor's office and legislative leadership that the state is not in a position to put itself on the hook for federal responsibilities.
"Oklahoma can't and won't take the federal government's path of spending money it doesn't have. The state has its own commitments to meet with very limited state resources. The federal government needs to solve its own problems.
"There is no guarantee the feds will pay states back for temporarily funding federal programs. It's far too slippery a slope to cross, especially when the folks in D.C. have proven themselves less than responsible of late. Oklahoma taxpayers shouldn't have to pay twice for federal programs at the expense of state programs.
"Even if the state tapped emergency resources to fund federal programs, the burn rate would be incredibly swift to the point that the state would likely exhaust all its own resources with no guarantee of ever being reimbursed. It would cause more problems than it would solve, so it's not a responsible or realistic option at this point.
"We pass balanced budgets in Oklahoma, so we're not willing or able to spend money we don't have to prop up a federal government that won't keep its own doors open."


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Listening to record producers or music industry executives, you would think that the advent of free online digital music file sharing was the death knell for artists making a living from their music.
On the other hand, proponents of file sharing networks such as Napster and Kaaza argue almost the exact opposite — that the effect, if there is any, is a positive one, as someone who downloads a song online and likes it is more likely to then buy the whole album from the CD store. The free download, in effect, gives the opportunity to sample before buying.
A new mathematical model published in Management Science, the flagship journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), suggests that the truth is somewhere in the middle, and also provides a glimpse into the changing music business.
The Effect of Digital Sharing Technologies on Music Markets: A Survival Analysis of Albums on Ranking Charts by a collection of authors from the University of Connecticut, California Polytechnic State University and Carnegie Mellon University, suggests that although file-sharing does not reduce the sales of albums that debut high in the Top 100 sales charts, it does have a negative impact on lower-ranked albums.
They found that there is significantly reduced chart survival for all albums except those that debut high in the charts. This group can include those simply lucky enough to debut highly, superstars (Robbie Williams, Take That, etc.), and those with a big publicity machine behind them. Interestingly, they also found that female artists exhibit enhanced survival and that there is now a narrowing of the advantage held by major labels over independent labels. "These results point to increased risk from rapid information sharing for all but the 'cream of the crop'," said the authors.
The authors used what is known as a survival model and drew their data from the Billboard Top 100 chart. Underlying the model is a week-by-week stochastic process that governs when an album exits the charts. They assessed the impact of explanatory variables including the debut rank of the album, the reputation of the artist, whether or not a major or minor label was promoting and distributing the album, artist descriptors such as whether the artist is a group or a soloist, and holiday month debut.
The data was sliced before and after the period between 1998 and 2000 which saw the rise of the MP3 digital music format that can be used on portable music players, the birth of Napster — the first of the major tools to share music online — and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
The initial model used was:
where i is the album specific subscript, Survival is how long album i stays in the charts, X is the vector of the album specific variables such as debut rank and distributing label, and μ is an error term. The DebutPeriod variable is an indicator that signifies when the album debuted in the charts — it is 1 if the album debuted in the period of file-sharing, and 0 otherwise. By fitting the existing data to this model, the researchers were able to estimate β and δ. These are very important variables as they indicate how survival depends on album characteristics, and how survival has changed before and after the advent of file-sharing.
The authors then adapted this model to incorporate the idea that the change in album survival between time periods may not be linear and may be moderated by album characteristics. For example, the effects may be different for solo artists compared to groups, or albums with different debut positions.
To test this idea, the authors coupled album specific characteristics with the DebutPeriod variable and developed the following model:
where ξ is the vector of parameters to be estimated, along with β and δ.
The study found that the primary factor influencing music sales is simply that listeners do not know what to buy. Therefore, factors such as publicity, a high-placed debut in the charts and the superstar effect in which an artist has had past success, all increase the chance of chart survival. Although record companies will typically release over 30,000 albums each year, most of these sell under 1,000. Those albums that become successful make up the bulk of the profits from album sales.
Modern music buyers also now have shortened attention spans, and since 2001, the amount of turn-over in the charts has increased. Lower-placed albums on debut fall out of the charts much quicker than before. The average survival time in the charts has decreased by 42%.
The authors suggest that, in the modern music environment, "firms that do the best job in enlisting superstars and successfully utilising pre-release marketing to impact debut rank are well positioned to succeed."


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MPAA: Forget National Security, This Is About Internet Security!
from the it's-the-worst-thing-of-all...oh-wait,-it's-just-a-botnet dept
Just the other day, famed troll-magnet Marcus Carab and I were discussing my fear of diving too deeply into HTML code. What am I afraid of, you ask? Well, because I'm an idiot, part of me believes that there is some kind of HTML super code out there that, if inputted into a simple blog post, would literally undo the internet. Techdirt itself would simply fade away into dissolved binary. It'd be a great disturbance, as though millions of lolcats meowed out in terror and were suddenly silenced. Exposed Sony customer information would just melt into oblivion, leaving literally trillions of angry hackers with idle hands and too much Cheetohs residue on their fingers.
This, of course, is stupid. But it's this kind of uninformed fear that folks like the MPAA play upon when they insist that so-called "rogue websites" are a major threat to everyone connected to the interwebz. It's a scaled up political play, stemming from their appeals to nationalism. Take a gander at what the MPAA's Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Policy Officer Paul Brigner wrote on their website's (snicker) blog:
"Internet users who go looking for stolen movies online may end up getting more than they bargained for – a practically 'indestructible' form of malicious software designed to give cyber criminals remote control over users' computers."
Wow. Indestructible malware. That's pretty effing scary, right? You'd have to expect that this would be some kind of new holy terror brought down upon us by the likes of zombie bin Laden.
Well, from the Kaspersky post Brigner based his words on, not really. It's a new evolution in a traditional botnet, one which requires less centralization and an affiliate installation payment program. Hell, the writer in the post follows up with folks in the comments section with free software that can be used to detect and fight off the malware. And keep in mind, of course, that these dire warnings are coming from a company that sells antivirus to protect against these threats. But this is the launching pad for Brigner's conclusion:
"All the more reason to keep rogue sites from reaching U.S. consumers. Stealing movies isn't worth the risk to American jobs – or the risk to Internet security."
Somehow I'm not shaking in my boots yet. Oh, and nice phraseology there. Rogue sites reaching U.S. consumers? I was unaware that these rogue sites we've been discussing the past few months were accessing users rather than the other way around. It's a symptom of the problem that Brigner doesn't realize his customers are seeking out the sites when they should be seeking out his member filmmakers.
Filed Under: movies, rogue sites, security
Companies: mpaa


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IYHA December 2003 Meeting Minutes
From the President:
What is a Hockey Player? (Excerpts taken from Dave Dorr St Louis Post Dispatch)
Between the innocence of childhood and the dignity of an adult, we find a creature called a hockey player. Hockey players come in assorted weights, heights, jersey colors and numbers, but all hockey players have the same creed, to play every second of every period of every game to the best of their ability.
Hockey players are found everywhere....underneath, on top of, skating around, falling over, passing, twisting from, or stick handling through the opponent.
Teammates rib them, officials penalize them, students and fans cheer them, siblings idolize them, coaches encourage them, parents worry about them and dentists love them.
A IYHA hockey player is courage on skates, hope in a helmet, pride in pads and the best in a jersey and breezers.
Brad DeKanick, IYHA President
From the Vice President:
This segment of the SuperRink Spectacular tournament was a success. A number of the participating team coaches or managers made it a point to stop by and thank us. They had a good time and the tournament ran smoothly. Even the paramedics had positive comments and they attend a large number of tournaments. This tournament would not have run smoothly if not for our volunteers. Neither association would benefit financially if not for our volunteers.
A huge "thank you" to all of you. A special thanks to Dawn Stimmler and Pat O'Connor who coordinated all our volunteers. To our rink directors: Gary Rundle, Tom Welty, Colleen Law, John Eide, Steve Stimmler, Brad DeKanick, Jerry Batcha, Niki Gjere, and Randy Bortot. Renee Oleson assisted in volunteer coordinator behind the scenes and pitched in during the tournament.
Standing in the penalty boxes, scoring, timekeeping and announcing make for red noses and cold feet, and also provide the opportunity to watch some great hockey and learn something about other teams. Keeping watch at the gate helps ensure better gate totals.
Unfortunately this year, The Hattrick Cafι wouldn't let us work there, which is a loss of revenue, so we had very clean tables thanks to those who had volunteered for working food and ended up cleaning tables. A lot of raffle tickets were sold in a relatively short time (assertive selling). I apologize if I have left anyone or anything out. Again, a huge "thank you" to all. Hopefully the tournament in January will be as good (smaller, but good).
Thank you again. Jeanne Falconer, Vice President
S.K.A.T.E. Program
Skaters Keep Achieving Through Education (S.K.A.T.E.) was established to encourage, support and reward youth hockey players who commit themselves to their schoolwork while enjoying the sport of hockey. For the second year, IYHA is proud to participate in this program.
The goal of the S.K.A.T.E. program is to significantly increase awareness among youth hockey players that performance in the classroom is more important in life than performance on the ice. It is also a stated goal of S.K.A.T.E. to generate a lasting, measurable impact on higher achievement in the classroom.
Who can participate in this program? All youth hockey players, 10U/Squirt through Junior Gold.
What are the criteria for qualification? A grade point average of 3.0 during the academic period, which coincides with the youth hockey season. (First and second quarters or first semester in most schools).
The reward? All qualifying players are entered in state-wide drawings for prizes including hockey equipment, Easton Synergy hockey sticks, Acceleration Minnesota passes, clothing, gift certificates, etc. (The greatest reward, or course, is the obvious benefit of academic success)
The results of last year's participation is as follows: (Team and % of participants)
Squirt A 54%
PeeWee A 38%
Squirt B 31%
Squirt C 31%
Bantam B2 24%
PeeWee C 15%
Bantam A 6%
Association wide, 38% of our eligible skaters participated in the program last year.
Our goal this year is to beat 38%! What can you do?
Skaters: Work as hard on your school work as you do on the ice. (I know how hard you all work on the ice). Set goals, make school work a priority, participate in the program and win prizes.
Parents: Keep reminding your skater(s) about the importance of school and how S.K.A.T.E. will recognize their performance. Teach them that the sport of hockey is not a destination in life, but a vehicle to learn how to better live life.
Managers: You"ll soon receive additional information and forms for the players. Please help the Coordinator collect all information by stated deadline.
Everyone: In addition to the statewide prizes, we can also offer incentives exclusively to the kids in the Irondale Association. If you own or work at a business that would be interested in donating cash, gift certificates, prizes, etc. for this academic achievement program, please contact the Irondale S.K.A.T.E. Coordinator: Tom Welty 612-508-4833
From the Apparel Department:
I am sorry to say that the vendor made a second error again with the fleece and nylon pullovers again. I talked to them on Monday 12/8. They said that it will be here before Christmas. Again, sorry for the delay.
I have these apparel items left. Are you still looking for a Christmas gift? Here are some possibilities.
1-unlined pullover size lg. $28
2-fleece pullovers sizes lg, XL $35
3-nylon pants w/leg braid ylg, yxl, Lg. $40
2-full black turtle neck w/hockey mom and Irondale on the neck $30
3-mock turtle neck: 2 black-Sm., med. 1-grey med. $23
9-short sleeve grey shirts; ym, ylg., 4med., lg $12
7- long sleeve grey shirts; 3 sm., 2 med., 2 lg. $16
15-Arena blanket 50? X 60? $18
Thanks for your patience. Brad DeKanick 651-639-9110
The Board of the Lake Region Hockey Association meets on the third Tuesday of every month at various locations. If you are interested in attending the next meeting, please call Gayle Goben at 651-638-9756.
Irondale Youth Hockey Association Board Meeting Minutes for November 19, 2003.
**Note: these minutes have not been approved by the Irondale Youth Hockey Association Board.
Present: Jeanne Falconer, Pat O?Connor, Brad DeKanick, Dan Beeson, Mick Mata, Gary Rundle, Sally Sawyer, Niki Gjere.
Absent: Cindy Rundle, Dan Marcouiller, Steve Kracht. Guests: None.
Meeting called to order by President Brad DeKanick at 7:05 p.m. Minutes: Reviewed. Amendment to reflect that Sally voted no on the motion for the Summer Academy funding. Motion to approve minutes as amended. (GR) (SS), motion carried. Agenda reviewed.
Old Business:
· General discussion of budget and player development. Need to have an overall policy / process for the funding of player development. Motion to subsidize all IYHA players who participate in one off-season skill development program (between April 1st and September 1st of 2004) at a reimbursement of 25%, not to exceed $200, of the cost of the program, with the reimbursement payable upon proof of payment (SS) (DB). Discussion. Motion carried, no abstentions.
Apparel: Jane DeBruzzi will come to the meeting in January and present ideas she has for IYHA (coats).
· Tournament Update: Jeanne Falconer. Moving along. Going as scheduled. Program has been set. Jeanne believes we will be sharing in the January tournament. Will be asking for volunteers, however the tournament in January is not as big. Question about the volunteers for the Thanksgiving tournament and the summer clean up. On a bigger picture, how do we assure there is some equity in volunteering. Pat will work on some type of system to bring back to log volunteer hours.
Budget updates: Sally unable to present, will email when computer is running again. For future budgets, will have approval in August for the next hockey season.
Apparel: nothing at this time. No action on coach's apparel.
New Business:
President: Brad DeKanick. Nothing new. Sally and Brad participated at the School Board meeting for discussion about middle school students playing at the High School Level, all sports were included (baseball, hockey, volleyball, etc.)
Discussion about opportunities for improving communication amongst the Board members.
Vice President: Jeanne Falconer. Tournament update given previously. Feedback about the Twin Cities league from an A team parent: very glad to have us with the TC District because they have more teams to play.
Registration: Pat O'Connor. Be prepared for special bulletins for the next hockey season, will have registration as early as possible, starting in June. Initiation books are all signed off. Still some paperwork to finish; need to have some of the coaches turn in CEP. .
Initiation Coordinator: Steve Kracht. Absent.
Boys Coordinator: Dan Marcouiller. Absent.
Girls Coordinator: Sally Sawyer. Motion that during warm-ups the ice is divided proportionally by teams (or per level) (SS) (NG). Discussion. Motion carried. Many thanks to Sally; Niki's daughter is very happy with the 10U program! We have enough for two teams!
Ice Commissioner: Mick Mata. Absent for this part of meeting.
Treasurer: Cindy Rundle. Absent. Treasurer's report information given by Gary, distributed. Payments that need to be made: John Donovan ($552.00). Motion to approve: DB, GR, motion carried. Ramsey County $14859 and Super Rink $8310 will be paid. Checking accounts: Western Bank is going to start charging for accounts. Unless we have somebody on the Board that has an account, we will be charged a fee. Pull tab money: Dan Beeson will ask John Eide what the situation is. Directors and Officers Insurance is in place.
District 2 and Twin Cities District: Dan Beeson. President's meeting is December 13th at Roseville. Referee scheduling at TC District is different than the D2 process. Need a total of $2906 payable to TC District for referee scheduling. That covers the entire season, unless our Squirts play in the year-end festival, waiting for word from Squirt coaches (email was forwarded to Dan Marcouiller today). If TC doesn't hear by November 21st, then we won't be in the year-end festival. ($4072 is payable for the referees if the Squirts play in the Festival.) Scrimmages are extra.
TC Games: any league game change must be directed through the TC Director Gene King.
D2: Discussing alleged IYHA D2 rule violations, will have more information next month.
Equipment: Gary Rundle. All of the equipment has been distributed. Ordered 200 stop signs from the Minnesota Hockey web site. Socks,a few problems with size, now fixed.
Secretary: Niki Gjere. Used $150.00 for domain name (not the $475.00 which was approved at the last meeting). Newsletter deadline is December 1st.
Additional New Business: none.
Meeting Adjournment: Motion to adjourn meeting (NG) (GR). Meeting adjourned at 9:55 p.m.
New Privacy Policy


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It's that time of year again I am rolling out the Third Annual CVL Care Package Swap. This swap gives participants a chance to connect with other bloggers by the exchange of goods. The care package that you create can be filled with homemade or store bought items and can include any items you like such as food, clothes, health living items, ect. *Sign Up Closed* If you are a blogger and are interested please comment here and send me a note to please fill out the form below or email me (firstname.lastname@example.com) and include the following:
– Name
– Location
– Blog URL
– Where you are willing to ship (USA, USA & Canada or International)
– Type of items you would like receive only vegan, vegetarian or do you have no preference (including non-veg items)
Please do not send me your address. I will match people together, give each other your e-mail addresses and then you can go on to exchange mailing addresses.
Please expect to spend around $25 on goods, if you would like to spend more if you would like, you can discuss this more with your partner. FYI you do not have to be vegan to participate in this swap however you do need to have a blog. People will be paired based on the shipping and dietary preferences.
*Sign Up Closed* Please enter to participate by September 8, 2011 at 1:30PM EST. I will match people up and let them know their pairs by September 10, 2011. You will have one month to gather your items and mail them out- so all packages should be mailed by October 12, 2011. Once you receive your package please photograph the contents and make a post to your blog detailing what is in your package, link to your partners blog and a link to this posting.
*Disclaimer: Please remember that this swap is based on trust and only for those who are serious about participating and will follow through.
My Past Care Package:
– Care Package 2010
– Care Package 2009


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Hey everyone. I've been busy with real life and other forums, and a job. But I'm back now, and wondering what all I've missed RP wise.
Damn, how am I going to explain the absence of 20-odd characters? (Or is that 20 "odd characters"?)
Anyways, I should be hanging out in the chat now that I know it's still alive.


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Nonstopenglish.com is a FREE English as a Second language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) activity website. You can practise English language with our online interactive exercises. There are many English grammar tests. Our English vocabulary tests can help you to build your vocabulary and improve your understanding of the English language. It is an online interactive language course. If you register you can receive free motivating email exercises and you can see which exercises you have done and how well. There will be a Free TOEFL test practice. All exercises are self-checker. Easy to advanced. Check your knowledge and study everyday English language with self evaluation tests. Drill English grammar items, use English in a funny way. Improve your English grammar, vocabulary knowledge and skills. Unique personal page with activity history to see which tests you have done how many times and how successfully. New English grammar tests are added every week. Keys to self-check your scores and to see what alternative answers, if any, are possible.


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Lezyne SV Tool Review
SV10 Multi-Tool review by Wojtek Wysocki for the Atlanta Sports Gear Examiner. Thanks Wojtek!
Andy Johnston has spent most of his life in the bike world, and over 20 as a Mechanic. There are a myriad of multi-tools out there, but few as finely crafted such to appreciate the detail as the Lezyne SV multi-tool.
The SV 10, as implied, includes 10 tools: hex wrenches of 2,3,4,5,6 and 8, Phillips screwdriver, T-25 and T-30 torx wrenches, and a chain breaker for 9 & 10 speed chains. Price is $45.
All bits are stainless steel for extreme durability and rust resistantance. Forged Stainless steel bits means a hard, long lasting tool and no rounded off corners for the hex wrenches. Side plates and chain breaker are CNC aluminum to keep the weight at 101 grams.
The chain breaker is the most ingenious component for its simplicity and lightweight. A threaded pushpin attaches to the tool and a machined aluminum chain breaker body threads onto that. Chain pin removal is easy, but to further save grams, there is no method for reattaching a pin. It is assumed most racer-oriented trail repairs will be made with a master link, so be sure to have a spare or two on hand. Lower down the Lezyne line the chain breakers do have this option.


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So, you're building a small business with only the proverbial wing and prayer to keep you aloft.
What are you most intensely focused on?
If your response is "stretching my shoestring budget," "establishing processes that work," or (the biggie) "making money," you're not alone.
But according to Joseph Callaway, all of those answers are wrong.
Anything that takes your focus off the customer, he says, puts your fledgling business in harm's way.
"Whatever industry you're in, success boils down to this: attracting enough customers and keeping them coming back — with interest!" says Callaway, who, along with his wife, JoAnn, is the author of the new book Clients First: The Two Word Miracle.
"When you're growing a small business, you can't afford to disappoint customers, or even offer them a good-enough experience. You have to 'wow' them every time, which means giving them the first fruits of your time, energy, creativity and focus."
"And here's the payoff," he adds. "When you succeed in putting your clients first, you will find that everything else — growth, a positive reputation and financial security — all fall into place."
The Callaways' book describes how they had their "Clients First" revelation, and how it has impacted their professional and personal lives.
It also gives readers step-by-step advice on how to put their own customers first, as well as why each one works.
"Living and working this way is not easy," Callaway admits. "Putting your customers' interests ahead of your own — every time — will seem counterintuitive, risky and sometimes even frightening, especially at first. Eventually, though, keeping your commitment to Clients First will start to feel more natural. And by that point, the benefits, rewards, satisfaction and success will be rolling in — and you'll be proud of the person and professional you've become."
Callaway shares a "dirty dozen" tips that might not be obvious … but that will help you to put clients (and competitors and employees) first so that your small business can grow and prosper:
Change your thinking about why you exist.
If you go into work thinking, "How do I make money?" you're already off on the wrong foot.
As Callaway has pointed out, what you need to be thinking is, "How do I serve others?"
Callaway admits that taking your focus away from the bottom line may feel uncomfortable at first.
Yet, ironically, it changes everything for the better.
"Consciously putting your own best interests in second place goes against the grain of human nature," admits Callaway. "But you will find that when you focus on how best to serve clients, tough decisions make themselves. If it serves the client, you do it. If it doesn't, you don't. This neutralizes moral dilemmas and really simplifies your life. And it almost always has a miracle effect on your growth and success."
Take your business personally.
Never let the words "it's just business" cross your mind — and certainly not your lips.
This old standby phrase is simply not true, especially to a client who feels as though he has been belittled, treated coldly, pushed away or used.
Remember, to truly serve, you have to care.
When you keep yourself at arm's length, you can't give your clients 100 percent … and you give them an incentive to take their business elsewhere.
"Do you see your clients as sources of income, or do you see them as actual human beings with likes, preferences, quirks and stories?" Callaway asks. "People want to do business with individuals they like — and they like people who like them! Make a deeper connection with your clients by asking about their kids, their pets, their hobbies and their jobs or businesses. You'll find that most of them are just like you: filled with worries, hopes and dreams. Once you get familiar with and invested in these things, you'll work that much harder on each client's behalf, and you'll earn their loyalty in the process."
Little things matter more than you think.
Especially when you're trying to get a small business off the ground, it's easy to get caught up in pursuing the "big" goals: growing your company, expanding your client base, hiring more employees and making a profit, for example.
But don't become so fixated on the forest that you fail to see the trees.
In other words, stop being so distracted by the "big grand ideas" and start getting the small details right.
Promises kept, deadlines met, little extra flourishes and small acts of kindness add up to happy clients.
"This principle definitely includes the simple act of communication," Callaway comments. "One of the things we do with clients in escrow is to call or email them every day, even if nothing is happening. This simple message of 'nothing happening, wanted you to know,' is a huge stress reliever and an even bigger business builder."
Hard times don't justify stinginess.
We've all heard the expression, "The more you give, the more you get."
And you may be willing to put it into practice when it comes to giving your clients things like honesty, competence and care.
But if you give away your expertise, time, energy and (gasp!) money, won't you just go broke?
Not necessarily, says Callaway.
It may take time, but whatever you give will usually come back to you with interest.
"I remember being very apprehensive about donating a large sum of money to build a Habitat for Humanity house as a Christmas gift for our clients. I thought I'd never see that money again. But in the years since, I've learned that new clients chose us — and even that a bank gave us all of their foreclosures to sell — because they had learned of that donation. Now, you might not always give and get on such a large scale. But the principle works for all amounts of money, and it also works when you're giving over-and-beyond service."
Don't lie — even if it makes you look better, makes you rich or keeps a client from walking.
Sometimes, it's tempting to tell white lies, exaggerate, misdirect, omit and cut corners to make life easier.
Generally, it's also easy to justify these things to yourself.
But when it comes to putting clients first, Callaway says, these "little" lies are just as bad as the whoppers.
Yes, honesty can be tough in the moment, but in the long run you'll gain a reputation for trustworthiness that will change your life.
"Trust the truth," Callaway instructs. "When you cultivate a reputation for rock-solid honesty — for laying out all your cards even when it doesn't benefit you, for telling the whole truth, for never holding back or sugarcoating — you'll gain customer loyalty that money can't buy. Clients will trust, respect and refer you, and your own life will become easier. When you have only the truth, you wave goodbye to moral dilemmas and sleepless nights. You don't have to worry about getting the story straight or remembering what you have and haven't shared. You know you're doing the right thing."
Be honest with yourself, too.
As Callaway has already established, you should never lie to a client, or to anyone else.
But honesty shouldn't stop there.
Ask yourself, "Am I lying to myself about where my priorities lie and how others perceive me?"
Try to see your business as your clients and customers see you.
Are you putting them first — or putting yourself first?
"Small businesses start off with the best intentions and with a clear picture of what the customer wants," Callaway acknowledges. "But soon, most of them drift off the path. Little by little, they start making it all about them and their growth, and poof! No more 'Clients First' … and no more of the benefits living by this philosophy brings."
Continued in part 2.


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CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — One day before Atlantis was set to launch — marking the end of the storied space shuttle program — the Canadian government seemed caught off guard by a proposal in the U.S. Congress to kill a major new space telescope in which Canada is heavily invested.
But a senior official here on Thursday underscored how important the James Webb Space Telescope is to Canadian ambitions in space. Canada is also spending $150 million in it.
On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives' Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science approved a yearly budget for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration that does not include funding for the telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, which has yielded a heap of amazing images and data.
Federal Industry Minister Christian Paradis, in Florida with his 10-year-old son to watch the shuttle's historic launch, seemed to have had no warning of the decision. It comes at a time when U.S. politicians are debating deep government budget cuts in a range of areas.
"I was just told about this," Paradis told reporters near the launch pad. "I will take the time to fully analyze what it is going on and check with the (Canadian Space Agency).
Standing nearby, Steve MacLean, president of the CSA and an astronaut who went on two space shuttle missions, said the Webb telescope is absolutely worth trying to save.
"I think the one thing that people in North America will remember from the astronomy program in a hundred years is what the Hubble Telescope has done so far and what the James Webb Telescope could do,"
Hopefully, the cash-strapped U.S. government will figure out a way to fly the Webb, he added. "It's that telescope and a few other things that we're doing on the ground that will teach us much about our future. Canada has a major role in this telescope. We have a technology that is at the heart of the telescope that's involved in precisely pointing it."
The telescope is slated to launch in 2014 and use infrared technology to detect the first stars, quasars and supernovae of the early universe with unprecedented sensitivity. It is to be positioned 1.5 million kilometres from Earth.
The Webb telescope project has been criticized for being poorly managed and for a budget that reportedly ballooned to $6.5 billion U.S. from $1.6 billion U.S..
Minister of State for Science and Technology Gary Goodyear, who is also in Florida, downplayed the vote in Congress, calling it merely "a recommendation."


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IRS Announces 2020 HSA/HDHP Limits
Volume 42 | Issue 49 Download this FYI as a printable PDF The IRS has released the health savings...Publié 30 mai, 2019 — En savoir plus
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Flexible benefit schemes have been used (to varying degrees) by employers for the last 40 years. The first schemes...Publié 28 mai, 2019 — En savoir plus
DC pensions – what is the point? The role of DC pensions in the modern workplace and the rise of the Master Trust
Increasingly, employers are revisiting the social contract they have with their employees to ensure their culture and environment are...Publié 26 mai, 2019 — En savoir plus
House passes SECURE Act – Retirement legislation moves closer to enactment
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There's a Light at the End of The Tunnel: Mid-Market UK Pension Review 2019
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It's 2019: Where's my jetpack? (and my Electronic Medical Record)
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Information Requirements Expanded for PBGC Reportable Events and Late Contribution Reports
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Article: Why organizations need a solutions-based view of HR compliance and employee benefits
In this interview, Laurie DuChateau, leader of Buck's U.S. Knowledge Resource Center, discusses her start in compliance, the compliance...Publié 10 mai, 2019 — En savoir plus
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In a few short days my wife and will be heading down to Cornerstone Festival (about a 6 hour drive)! I began attending Cornerstone back in the mid 90's as a late teenager. Something happened when I turned 22 that prevented me from attending any longer…I became a youth pastor. One of the highlights for me was to attend the Sanctuary tent to hear Pastor Bob Beeman speak each night. It was his ministry that got me excited to work with young people.
Fast forward a few years to 2010 and now I am the lead pastor of a church and good friends with Pastor Bob Beeman. Over the past few years Pastor Bob and I have become good friends, he even came up a couple times to speak at the church I pastor. This year I get to return to Cornerstone with my wife (a newbie to C-Stone) to enjoy the great concert line-up and times of ministry. The highlight for me will be speaking at the Sanctuary tent due to Pastor Bob's absence. I am literally bummed he will not be able to make it and am truly humbled that I would be asked to speak at this event I loved as a young adult (now 36).
There are some amazing things going on at the Sanctuary tent and I will keep you posted on all that is happening. Be sure to stop by the Sanctuary tent and say hi to me!


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Mind you, I am not destitute. In fact, just a few weeks ago, I received a "job
So tomorrow morning I will be handing over several hundred dollars to a plumber to install a new, made-in-this-century water heater and haul away the rusty old one whose label bears the name of a department store that's been out of business since my early grade school years. If I were a glass-half-full kind of girl, I would be grateful that the work bonus came just in time to pay for this household problem. Apparently I'm more often a bitter, "I can't catch a break" sort of gal, however, so the Universe and I are on thin ice. On the plus side, at least I get to sleep in a bit tomorrow, which is a rare treat on a Monday. The plumber will be here no earlier than 8:30, and since I'm not about to take a second cold shower in two days (Sidenote: Cold showers? Not as appealing as one might think, even after an hour of yard work on a 90+ degree day. The first few moments? Lovely and refreshing. After that, not so much.), that means I need to get up around 8:20, rather than 6:30. So yay for that, anyway. Glass half full after all. I might even get to watch tomorrow's Ellen. See? I'm all about the silver linings here, aren't I?
That said, the Universe and I still need to have a few words. Remember that whole Year of Stef thing? How I decided to do what Oprah says and put positive thoughts out into the world hoping the law of attraction would bring positive things back? Well apparently the Universe did not get my message, because this year has been no more successful (romantically speaking, anyway) than any other.
I admitted last week that there was some context to that little question I posed for all of you. Again, thank you for the crowd participation on that one. As I said in my cop-out follow-up post, the explanation I started to type quickly turned into an excessively rambling and introspective post that I didn't really want to finish, I guess. Suffice it to say, there was a boy. Or, two boys, rather. Both were men I was matched with during my brief Free-Communication-Weekend foray back into the nonsense that is meMarmony, although one also turned out to be a very good friend of a good friend of mine--someone I know I've met before but apparently needed a computer to tell me was in any way interesting to me. And he was interesting... on paper (or, on screen), anyway. Like so many of the perfectly nice, respectful, smart, and genuinely decent men the mysterious Dr. Warren has set me up with, he was ideal for me in the magical world on my computer screen. We don't live on the computer screen, however (much as some of us try, anyway). Perfect on paper doesn't mean perfect in real life. And with both of those fine-on-paper men, I just wasn't feeling it in person. My gut was telling me that if I wasn't even giving more than a passing thought to either of them in between dates (much less looking forward to seeing them again in any genuine way) then neither was probably the guy for me. But the "on paper" stuff (as well as the echo in my brain of certain friends who have, on occasion, suggested I might be too picky or not be giving things enough of a chance) made me reserve judgment anyway and made me wonder if I was perhaps giving up on them too quickly.
Times like this, I keep hoping that I'll be wrong--that suddenly, on a third or fourth date something will click or a wall of awkwardness and reservations will break down and I will find myself laughing easily, willingly grazing his arm or thigh casually, saying "I had a really good time" and meaning it, hoping my phone will ring the next day and I'll see his number on the caller ID display. None of these things has happened recently, and maybe I should finally feel confident that I do know what I'm doing and that my instincts aren't failing me. I may have a hard time meeting someone I connect with, but maybe that doesn't mean I'm supposed to connect with someone with whom I simply don't.
That's where you guys came in. I was wondering if perhaps those certain friends of mine were right and I really shouldn't expect some sort of fireworks (or, at the very least, a tiny sparkler) right away. Nearly every one of you confirmed what I've suspected, though. There has to be something (aside from the on-paper stuff) to keep you interested at the outset. Whether it's a physical attraction or a mental one (or just a gut feeling telling you something other than "Meh"), something tells you "This one is worth getting to know a little more."
A lot of people my age are fond of saying, "I'm sick of the bar scene" or "I don't want to meet anyone in a bar." I'm starting to think maybe I should go back to looking in bars, however. Much as I accept the fact that meeting dates online is the norm by now, it always seems sort of backwards to me. In the old days (by which of course I mean the late 90s), I would meet someone (yes, most likely in a bar or at a concert) and we would strike up a conversation, feel some sort of connection, and because of that connection go on a date to find out more. When you meet online, you go on the date first and then try to see if there's any connection. It is absurd and backwards and it's a wonder to me that anyone ever finds a partner this way. It seems so entirely random--no matter how appealing someone might look in an online profile, no matter how promising things might seem in initial emails, you really can't tell much of anything at all until you meet face to face. Maybe the guy with the bad work ID badge photo and the horrendous grammar is actually the one I'd find myself in rapt conversation with for hours. Maybe a matching list of interests and a properly constructed email means little after all.
I maintain that all this ridiculous seemingly recreational dating must serve a purpose, however, and it's a purpose that goes beyond practice for "the real thing." This nonsense continues to be a learning process, frustrating and uneventful a process as it usually is. A year ago, two of you asked me about my relationship deal-breakers. Oddly, I wasn't entirely sure how to answer at the time. Three nice-but-too-shy boys later, however, and I finally have an answer. The obvious things still stand (no drunks, no puppy-kickers, no Los Lonely Boys lovers, etc.). But lively conversation is a non-negotiable as well. Seems an obvious one for me, but I'm not sure I've ever outright acknowledged it as such. With every bad or mediocre date, however, I still think about that first date with Jimmy-the-Pothead--how despite all the red flags and the reasons to run, I genuinely liked him, how midway through that first dinner, he smiled at me and looked up at our waiter and asked, "Can you tell this is a first date?" and the waiter replied, "No, I probably wouldn't have guessed that... you guys look like you're having a really good time." I want that again--that easy conversation, that undeniable spark of something, that certainty that yes, I genuinely had fun tonight and I really want to see this guy again, as soon as possible. I don't think it should be too much to ask.
Maybe someday the smart, lively conversationalist I'm meant to be with will just knock on my door. Maybe he'll be one of those clipboard people I'm usually so reluctant to open for. Or maybe, if Noelle's luck earlier this year is any indication, he'll be the hot plumber who comes to fix my water heater tomorrow.
What? A girl can dream, can't she?