text:
- Publications Available to Learn Nemeth Code
- Other Ways to Learn Nemeth Code
- Nemeth Code Reference Sheets
- Teaching Nemeth Code
- Nemeth & Adventitiously Blind High School Student
- Sighted Math Teacher Needs to Learn Nemeth Code for Algebra II
- Nemeth and College Algebra
- Set Notation
- Nemeth and Advanced Math
- Nemeth and GED Students
- "Moveable" Nemeth
Other Math Pages
- Producing Math Materials in Nemeth Code Page
- Tactile Math Graphics Page
- Calculators Page
- Other Math Tools Page
- Math Resources Page
Nemeth & Adventitiously Blind High School Student
A parent writes: I have been working with my daughter on math, and I know math reasonably, but it is visual in nature and a challenge to know the best way to present it. My daughter is not exactly "resisting" Nemeth, but rather until last year, she was able to pretty much do everything in a print medium, but lost more of her vision making that impossible. She went to a residential school for the blind where she learned Braille reasonably efficiently, and she knows Nemeth to "read" it, but writing it is often slow and she makes occasional mistakes- which, of course, makes it difficult.
The school she is in now is a "regular" school that has no experience in dealing with blind students. They have provided the math text (as well as her other textbooks) in braille.
The problem comes in attending classes, where blackboard work to the class is effectively useless, and taking tests, etc where translating back and forth between braille and print to have effective communication between her and the teacher is proving very difficult. She has traditionally done everything in her head in math (she can do amazingly complex calculations in her head) but obviously, at some point that is an unworkable strategy.
She likes math, she is very good at it, and would like to continue in it. My goal, I suppose, is to try to find the best way to go about this...should we concentrate on Nemeth alone? or is there other technologies that might make this easier? I, of course, don't have a clue, and rather than "reinventing the wheel" here, I am hoping to research to find the best way for her to achieve the best she can.
Susan replies: I teach secondary mathematics at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Austin. In my opinion, learning to read and write Nemeth Code is absolutely essential for your daughter to be able to continue in higher mathematics. I am surprised that she is better able to read than write. My adventitiously blind students are usually faster at writing than reading. Of course, they do all of their homework for me in Nemeth, so I guess they get LOTS of practice! They use Perkins braille writers and can therefore easily read their own work - especially with all those steps in Algebra. They use either an abacus or a talking calculator to perform long computations. Using the braille writer for computations is too time-consuming. Previously, our standardized tests did not allow any students to use calculators. Now, the TAAS (our state test required for a high school diploma), SAT, and ACT are allowing braille students (and sometimes all students) to use calculators. I still value the use of the abacus as a braille student's equivalent to paper and pencil for a sighted student.
Here in Texas, a blind student in elementary or secondary school should be able to obtain instruction in Nemeth Code. After high school graduation, they are on their own, and I get frequent calls from college students and their professors on how they can learn Nemeth Code. There are few opportunities for blind college students to learn Nemeth code. So, try this as an incentive for your daughter to learn it now while she still can - assuming of course that she would like to go to college.
I am a user of technology for preparing materials for my students and for correspondence, but the field is way behind for blind individuals, especially in the areas of math, science, and engineering. Although it is easy to translate print into Grade II literary braille, research is still continuing on perfecting how to get from mathematical print equations to Nemeth Code and vice versa. (Go to Current Research) Three print to Nemeth translation software packages are currently available: MegaMath, DBT (Duxbury Systems, Inc.) and Scientific Notebook/Nemeth Filter (MacKichan Software, Inc./MAVIS at New Mexico State University). I beta-tested all three products. The Scientific Notebook/Nemeth Filter (SN/NF) is very user friendly for secondary and higher mathematics, especially for producing Geometry materials, and suits my needs best. I can obtain a regular print, large print, and braille copy from one document. MegaMath does not provide a useable print copy and is less user friendly; however, with practice, one can become quite proficient at producing all levels of Nemeth materials. MegaMath might be preferred for producing elementary level mathematics materials, as it allows for the spatial arrangement of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems, whereas SN/NF does not. DBT is the least user friendly at the present time, but their new beta version has a LaTeX importer, which imports Scientific Notebook files for translation to Nemeth. This importer was developed at, and is copyrighted by, New Mexico State University.
I do allow one type of technology, if the braillewriter is not acceptable in the mainstream classroom. Several of my students have used a Braille-Lite, which has one row of refreshable braille. The student doesn't use the translation mode and simply brailles in Nemeth Code and outputs in Nemeth. However, they can always go back a line and re-read their last step as they are progressing through an algebra equation or a trig identity, for example. The key features here are that it is a braille device and it has a row of refreshable braille. Other manufacturers have similar notetaking devices. A regular computer with a refreshable braille display is also acceptable. I do not advocate the Braille 'N Speak (made by the same company) as the student only receives voice-output as they make entries into the equipment.
There are many tools, aids, and supplies for teaching math to blind students, and I hope your daughter has had (and will continue to have) the opportunity to use them. Does she know how to graph on a number line? Does she know how to graph on a rubber graph board (Graphic Aid for Mathematics by APH) or raised line graph paper on a cork board independently? Does she know how to measure an angle using a braille protractor (Braille/Print Protractor from APH)? Can she (or will she) learn how to do constructions in Geometry using a braille compass (from Howe Press) and straightedge? Is she provided manipulatives, especially in Geometry?
An opposing view: Hi. I have been totally blind from birth. I remember math being one of the most difficult subjects because of its visual nature. There are a couple suggestions I would have to help deal with this problem. First, it is my opinion that Nemeth code is an absolute nightmare. It looks like jumbled up nonsense under the fingertips. I took a course just so I could learn to read my math books, and it was still ridiculously difficult. I realize this is going to stir up some controversy, but I feel that private tutoring in math is the best way to approach this, and it gives your daughter the best chance for really understanding the concepts. I recommend the use or what is known as a raised line drawing kit to help your daughter attempt to visualize how math problems are arranged. This is particularly important when dealing with fractions. You can obtain the raised line drawing kits from suppliers of blindness-related equipment. I learned the shape of the numbers so that sighted folks could demonstrate concepts for me with the raised line drawing kit. There is also something called a cube slate which also can be helpful. I don't know if the cube slates are sold anymore, but they have cubes with all the braille number combinations and a rubber board so that the cubes can be arranged to help keep track of what one is doing. Maybe a combination of these tools would be the best bet.
Susan replies: I'm sorry to hear that you had such a negative reaction to Nemeth Code. I do not find it to be a "jumbled up nonsense under the fingertips"; on the other hand, I think for the most part that it is very logical, systematic, and an absolute miracle for braille readers wishing to continue in higher mathematics. I am not a tactual reader though. As a math teacher with visually impaired students, I taught myself to read Nemeth Code visually (and braille it) out of necessity to be able to teach my students. There were no courses at the university in Nemeth above the basic numbers and operations, and I needed to be able to teach Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Informal Geometry, Geometry, Algebra II, Math of Money, Trigonometry, etc. As I would introduce each new print mathematical symbol, the students and I would learn the corresponding Nemeth symbol; as I said earlier, I really learned to appreciate the logic of why Dr. Nemeth did what he did. Perhaps the key here is that students learn Nemeth Code most easily if they learn each new symbol as they progress through the mathematics. Learning Nemeth as a separate course from mathematics is as logical as a sighted person learning all the print mathematical symbols in a separate course. However, sometimes lack of time necessitates the Nemeth Code class.
I do agree that tactile graphics made using the tactile graphics kit by APH can be extremely useful - especially when created by certain people more artistic than I am, such as the Region IV Service Center in Houston, Texas. I was on a panel of experts called in to help facilitate the improvement of such graphics for our TAAS (state test required to graduate from high school) and for our math textbooks.
I do not like the graphics produced from the Sewell raised line drawing kits, except for emergency situations. They are too flimsy when using the plastic wrap type film that comes with the kit. However, when a piece of braille paper is placed on the drawing board and a tracing wheel and/or writing implement (regular pen or pencil) and braille compass are used along with a straightedge, even I (no artist) can make an excellent quick-fix graphic that any Math teacher (non-VI certified) can use to communicate with a blind student.
If you have access to a tactile imaging machine ("toaster"), you can transform black-lined print graphics into raised line drawings within a matter of seconds. (Go to Math Graphs Made by Others for Students)
I have also had great success using sturdy manipulatives to introduce many math concepts.
A successful blind Nemeth Code user replies: Actually, I had no trouble with the Nemeth code at all. I was first introduced to it in second or third grade. (When do we start doing math these days?) Anyway, my itinerant teacher did not know Nemeth at all, so it was up to me to learn it. And learn it I did, as I went along. I had very little difficulty with it, and math in general was no trouble (until I reached trig in 12th grade). Algebra was only minimally annoying with the graphed equations, but trig has lots and lots of them, and I'm sorry to say, that is the first math class I did not get at least a B in. Oh well. That's ok though, because if I need something like that done now, I just use my computer. *grin* Well, guess that's it. Nemeth isn't all that bad, it just takes some time. It's actually not all that different from regular braille (whatever that is) and I found it very easy to learn.
A Network Specialist in a data communications group replies: I read your messages to the list with much interest. I fully agree with your statements about the Nemeth Code and wonder what sort of educational hick up occurred which broke the learning process for the person who did not do well with it.
I find it alarming and totally unnecessary that so much of the blindness community seems to think that science and math are to be avoided at all possible cost. There certainly are problems in communicating mathematical ideas using tactile methods, but it is sure not impossible by any means. I know that there are blind engineers and people should think of at least one blind mathematician every time they use natural logarithms. There is just no excuse for a blind kid graduating from high school without even having had Algebra.
Yet another supportive user replies: I really enjoyed your messages! Would you consider giving a summer crash course in Nemeth and Math. I've done the Hadley course, read the BANA computer code, but really have little confidence in my math skills such as Algebra, and the stats I took in Grad school. You ought to consider a math camp for adult blind--I know you'd get a result. I'd come!
A returning student replies: I lost my sight 7 years ago as a result of diabetic retinopathy. In January I will be returning to school at the University to pursue simultaneous bachelor's and master's degrees in computer science (I already have about 3/4 of my EE degree, but haven't been to school in over 15 years), and for the first couple of semesters I will be concentrating mostly on my math courses. After talking with many people about this, I have decided to approach this by using nemeth braille -- I have talked to a few who have managed to "pass" their math requirements without braille, but most of them admit that it was a struggle, and once the course was completed, they quickly forgot about it. I want more than that; I want mastery, and I'm convinced that braille is the only way to go to get to this level. In case you're wondering, yes, I do read grade II braille, and do have enough sensation in my fingers to do the job -- not very fast, but that will come with more practice.
Once again, I want to say thanks for your positive approach to math and technology for blind students -- the more things like this that I read, the more convinced I am that I am making the right choice.
Nemeth and College Algebra
A college instructor writes:Hi all. I know of a blind college student who would prefer to do his algebra in braille. If he uses the computer to do any calculations, can they be printed out in braille as well as in print? Does the braille version come out in Nemeth? What advice would you give this student in terms of successful strategies for completing beginning and advanced Algebra? I will be pleased to pass on any tips or answers.
Susan replies: I am glad that he wants to do his algebra in braille. I am definitely an advocate for using the Perkins Braillewriter so that all the steps can be shown in Nemeth Code (both for the teacher who reads Nemeth and the student). Listening to steps in algebra doesn't work for 99% of the population (including me). However, I finally decided that technology had advanced sufficiently to satisfy me when they came out with refreshable braille displays. My students use Blazie's Braille Lite with one row of refreshable braille, but any computer or notetaker with refreshable braille is acceptable. They input all their algebra steps in Nemeth Code and can easily go back and check any previous step in braille as they continue toward their solution. My students input in Nemeth, don't translate, and output in Nemeth. It works for me; it works for them. The problem comes in trying to produce something in print for the teacher who doesn't read Nemeth. Many students try to input in something they invent (half-way between Nemeth and print) which both they and the print reader can decipher. It makes me cringe. Unfortunately (at the present time), Nemeth Code does not translate into print with the touch of a button - as with literary braille, but I'm helping with the alpha testing. *CAUTION* If you input in Nemeth Code and run it through the translator, you will output garbage! (Go to Current Research)
Stand alone talking scientific calculators or a good calculator software package can be used for computations. I don't know that most people would need to print out the answers in braille or print, if the plan is to plug these computational answers into an ongoing equation, working toward a final solution. However, there is now a braille scientific calculator, if one is willing to pay the price for the refreshable braille display. Did you catch my previous recommendations on calculators? (Go to Calculators)
He'll also need some other aids, tools, and supplies (especially for tactile graphics), but I'll send you that information directly. (Go to Susan's Math Packet)
A private tutor for a state rehabilitation department asks: I tutor a visually impaired individual in college who has just successfully completed elementary and beginning algebra. He is currently taking intermediate algebra. We are just refreshing some basics of algebra, when I came across a problem. I don't know the Nemeth symbols for putting together roster notations, set builder notations, solution sets, empty sets and subsets, my question to you is what are the codes? or if you may know what sources I can look into in order to find them it would be very helpful of you to let me know.
Susan replies: First, I'll give you some sources that will help you with this and more things to come.
- On my math homepage, go down to the very last item on the contents page and click on: Download Computerized Nemeth Code Tutor. I worked with RDI on this for three years, and you can download it for FREE!! Once you have the tutorial on your computer, go to Lesson 10, Section 6:Braces. This section covers your questions on: roster notations, set builder notations, solution sets, and empty sets. It also has information on intersections and unions of sets. Lesson 11, Section 2 covers your question on subsets. We also incorporated a lot of math hints.
- Ruth H. Craig, Learning the Nemeth Braille Code, A Manual for Teachers, Brigham Young University, 1979, 1987 (available in braille and print from the American Printing House). This is the most user-friendly resource book, but I'll warn you that it doesn't have the highest level math. It does have a small section on set notation on pages 65-66.
- The Nemeth Braille Code for Mathematics and Science Notation 1972 Revision, American Printing House for the Blind, Louisville, Kentucky, 1979 (available in braille and print). This is THE code book. It has everything of course, but it's a bit difficult to navigate.
- Helen Roberts, et al., An Introduction to Braille Mathematics, Based on The Nemeth Braille Code for Mathematics and Science Notation, 1972, Library of Congress, Washington (available in braille and print from the American Printing House). This is very similar to the code book and is similarly difficult to navigate, but it gives more examples.
I have all of the above references, and use them all.
Now, if you don't already have it, I highly recommend that you purchase Scientific Notebook (SN). You can prepare all of your student's materials on this in print and run it through the Nemeth filter. It's ready to go as is, but I like to bring the document up in either Duxbury or MegaDots (not for translating because it's already translated) to check the dots and change the formatting to the way I want it. Although I can, and always used to, use six-key entry on the computer to prepare my Nemeth materials because I'm fast, I'm even faster at typing into SN. Also, this way I have a beautiful print and braille copy. In addition, the back-translator is in alpha testing at the moment. Here are your contacts for these products:
MacKichan Software, Inc.
600 Ericksen, Suite 300
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Phone: 1-877-SCI-NOTE
Fax: 1-206-780-2857
Website: http://www.mackichan.com/
With Scientific Notebook, create attractive documents with text, mathematics, and graphics, have it compute the solutions, import data from your graphing calculator, connect to the Internet and download documents, then translate to Nemeth Code and/or convert to large print. (See MAVIS below.)
(The Nemeth Code filter from MAVIS is now incorporated into Duxbury's DBTWIN as their LaTeX Importer)
Mathematics Accessible to Visually Impaired Students (MAVIS)
Chris Weaver, MAVIS Program Coordinator
New Mexico State University
Nemeth Code filter that translates Scientific Notebook documents containing mathematics to Nemeth Code. "The fast production of Scientific Notebook files on a Braille embosser means that visually impaired students can obtain class handouts, syllabi, exams, and other course materials in the sciences in real time. And it means that institutions can comply more easily with federal disability regulations." (see MacKichan Software, Inc. above)
See the cheat sheet on set notation.
Nemeth and Advanced Math
A computer access specialist writes: I read an article a while back that talked about the difficulty of doing advanced mathematics in Braille. According to this article, Braille doesn't include all of the symbols that you might want to use, such as the sigma or integral, making more advanced algebra difficult to use.
I am interested in finding ways to present advanced mathematics to blind students.
Susan replies: Nemeth Code does include symbols for advanced mathematics, including the integral, sigma, etc. The problem is that advanced mathematics texts, articles, etc. are written in print. Most of this information can be tapped into electronically these days, but the blind reader cannot access it. As John Gardner states: "For many decades, people in organizations providing services for the blind have been transforming this kind of information into some form that blind people could use. Such transcribing is an art, and an enormous amount of loving human labor is required for every equation, every table, chart, graph, picture, etc. The need far outstrips the resources of the organizations that do this work." The state of Texas is required to braille all state adopted textbooks for students in K-12 grades. There are no such requirements at the college level.
Be sure to check out John Gardner's articles and work in progress:
Science Access Project Homepage
John Gardner, Director
Department of Physics
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331-6507
Phone: 541-737-3278, FAX: 541-737-1683
Website: http://dots.physics.orst.edu/
The "Bumpy Gazette", Volume 2: Issue 1, June, 1996, is also devoted to math and science. It contains articles by: John Gardner, David Schleppenbach, and Albert Blank. Contact Repro-Tronics for your copy. They are able to provide computer disk and braille copies of the gazette upon request.
Repro-Tronics Inc.
75 Carver Ave.
Westwood, NJ 07675
Phone: 800-948-8453, FAX: 201-722-1881
Website: HTTP://WWW.REPRO-TRONICS.COM/
Nemeth and GED Students
A professional writes: How does one prepare a recently blinded (but fairly competent braille reader) to do the math sections of the GED? Are there any commercially available Nemeth materials (the equivalent of "Read Again" for math) for adventitiously blinded teens?
Susan replies: The CAI Nemeth Code project (I was on the Research and Development Institute, Inc., Sycamore, IL, panel of experts.) is completed, and The Computerized Nemeth Code Tutor is now available to the public. I wish it were available for blind clients as wellas the sighted teachers it was designed for; however, they are currently working on a new tutorial for Braille users to access with a refreshable Braille display. (Go to Current Research)
I have had several students in recent years who are adventitiously blind due to trauma (mostly gunshot victims). First, we try to give them at least a quick introduction to literary braille and an abacus class (perhaps during summer school), so they know some literary and the basic Nemeth Code symbols (learned while reading and answering the abacus problems). Many students find the Nemeth easier than the literary braille. However, you say that this student is a fairly competent braille reader. Excellent!
If the student is at the pre-Algebra (possibly paced Algebra level - 2 years to take Algebra I) level or below, I can place him/her into that class, give them a braille book, and teach the math and the Nemeth Code as we go along. However, if they are at a more advanced level (Geometry, Algebra II, etc.), I can do one of two things:
- Place them in a lower level math class as a review and teach them the Nemeth Code as we go along.
- Teach a separate Nemeth Code class similar to the Computerized Nemeth Code Tutor.
I have always felt that Nemeth Code was best taught as the students were learning the math and the new symbols; however, one year I happened to have five students who were past Algebra II, had completed their math requirements, were planning to go to college, and were between mediums. They could all still use print by spending hours huddled under a CCTV and/or using other forms of magnification, but they realized this was not going to be efficient for them in college, and their vision continued to deteriorate. I warned them that once they entered college, there would be no lessons in Nemeth Code. I get calls from colleges around the state. No one is teaching Nemeth - including the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (formerly known as Texas Commision for the Blind) - for the student over 22. So, I had all of these students in a class where they were learning Nemeth following a plan similar to the Computerized Nemeth Code Tutor, were learning how to read raised line or tactile graphics, and were reviewing for the TAAS, ACT, or SAT. The TAAS, ACT, and SAT people provide practice materials in braille (also on cassette with tactile graphics).
If the GED people have practice materials in braille (or cassette with tactile graphics), I would order these for the student in question. (We also have a braille copy of Contemporary's GED transcribed by APH in our LRC.) Then based on the level of mathematics contained therein and the mathematics level of the student, I would choose one of the methods outlined above. Don't expect this to be an overnight accomplishment. However, if the student is highly motivated and intellectually capable of learning the material, amazing things can happen.
Now, I suppose you're going to tell me that this teacher is "just" a regular math teacher and knows no Nemeth Code. If so, give him/her a copy of the Computerized Nemeth Code Tutor and wish her/him good luck!
"Moveable" Nemeth
An expert on braille literacy writes: A gentleman called me who is 52, adventitiously blind, and has been a braille user "off and on" for about 10 years, although he says he is quite slow. He has diabetes and prefers jumbo braille, but can use regular braille slowly. He has never learned Nemeth code. He is now in college and taking an algebra class. He is having a great deal of trouble with this class. He uses the computer a lot with speech (he doesn't have a refreshable braille display) but his book is not available on e-text.
He really likes using the cube slate because he can move the pieces around easily. He finds this much easier than having it on paper. He wanted to know if someone has invented something similar for Nemeth that he could learn to use. I think I had read somewhere that Tack-Tiles is developing a set for Nemeth? Anyone have any information about that or any other movable system?
Susan replies: I teach secondary mathematics at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Austin, and I have taught at the college level. I have consulted with blind math students and their instructors at both levels.
In my opinion, learning to read and write Nemeth Code is essential for being able to continue in higher mathematics for 99% of the blind population. Although there are a few people who can do higher mathematics mentally, most of us need to "see" the process, whether it be in print or braille. Since your gentleman is having a great deal of trouble and is using speech on a computer, I do not believe he falls within the 1% category. I am also disappointed that he doesn't have a refreshable braille display because this is the most appropriate use of technology to do algebra in my opinion. But with his tactual impairment, Nemeth on paper or on a refreshable braille display may not be appropriate.
TACK-TILES Braille Systems has developed two sets of Nemeth TACK-TILES(R). One is a more general set and the other is configured to teach calculus and chemistry. I did participate as a consultant in their development. Perhaps the Nemeth Tack-Tiles can meet both his concerns and mine. Contact Dr. Kevin Murphy for more specifics:
TACK-TILES Braille Systems.
P.O. Box 475
Plaistow, NH 03865-0475
Phone: 800-822-5845, FAX: 603-382-1748
Website: http://www.tack-tiles.com/
P.S. Gentle readers: I think these Nemeth TACK-TILES(R) would be very appropriate for elementary students and/or students with learning disabilities, as well as those who suffer vision loss in adulthood and/or may also lack fine tactual discrimination. Your thoughts and eventual experiences would be greatly appreciated.


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A Chicago teen pleaded guilty Friday to the 2011 shoving death of a 68-year-old church deacon at a "L" train stop and was sentenced to 32 years in prison.
Prince Watson, 17, was charged with murder and robbery for pushing Sally Katona-King down a flight of stairs at the Chicago Transit Authority's Fullerton station on the city's North Side. He later was denied bail by a judge who called the teen "a dangerous individual."
The teen pleaded guilty to stealing an iPhone from Katona-King and pushing her as he ran away. King, a Lutheran deacon known for her work with the homeless, died from the fall.
Prosecutors said King suffered a fractured collar bone, skull, nose and ribs, as well as bleeding in her brain. They initially said Watson gave a videotaped confession and told police he heard screams but never turned around because he didn't want anyone to see his face.
Investigators said Watson committed two virtually identical crimes after the woman's death, stealing iPhones from commuters at the Sedgwick station on the CTA's Brown Line on April 17, 2011, and again at the Red Line's Clark and Division stop on May 15, 2011.
"That's how we became aware of him," said Area 3 detective Michele Wood. "We also became aware of him because an officer who saw one of the videos we had of the offender, thought it might be Prince Watson."
About 200 mourners gathered to remember Katona-King. Her daughter, Eileen Katona, said her mother was devoted to her community. She praised her art of baking and lamented that so many of the plans her mother had made for the year would not happen.
Chicago Teen Gets 32 Years in Woman's Shoving Death
Prince Watson, 17, pleaded guilty to stealing a woman's phone on a Chicago train platform and pushing her down the stairs
A Chicago teen pleaded guilty Friday to the 2011 shoving death of a 68-year-old church deacon at a "L" train stop and was sentenced to 32 years in prison.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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Wear the tape for up to 10 days depending on skin texture and activities.


text:
Grains finished strong to close the out the week. March corn settled 5 ½ cents higher at $6.41 ¾, March beans up 9 ¼ cents at $12.67 ½, and March wheat up 15 ¼ cents at $6.44. For the month of February, March beans are now up 68 ½ cents compared to March corn up 2 ¾ and March wheat down 22 cents.
Grains were stronger overnight led by soybeans. After the overnight closed we did see that massive soybean sale to China of 2.803 MMTs mostly for 2012/2013. This was in line with expectations. We also saw sale announcements of 132,000 MTs of corn to S. Korea, 120,000 MTs of SRW to unknown and 20,000 MTs of US soyoil to Morocco. Cash bids remain firm as producer selling continues to be slow. Wheat exports have finally started to pick up as we have recently become more competitive in the world again. Ukraine stated they would limit wheat exports to 1.7 MMTs from now through July.
I have talked a lot about the corn-to-soybean ratio over the past couple of days. The market has done its job trying to predict an increase in corn acres before we actually see planting intentions. We are at great levels for hedging new crop soybeans again as we don't see the need for beans to really "bid" for acres given current world supply. The market continues to put a large premium estimating South American production to be lower than current USDA estimates. If these fears are in fact overstated and production ends up not as bad as "some" say, then we may find this latest rally a good place to have sales on the books. Based on what we have seen so far for weather we still agree with the USDA expectations for S. American production.
"Managed Money Net Futures/Options Positions" Source: Commitment of Traders
Corn: Net Long 206,053 contracts which is a decrease in net longs by 1,661 contracts
Chicago Wheat: Net Short 44,441 contracts which is an increase in net shorts by 13,572 contracts
Soybeans: Net Long 81,042 contracts which is an increase in net longs by 1,292 contracts
**We will be closed Monday, February 20th in observance of Presidents day. Grains will re-open on the night session Monday at the regular time of 6 pm CST. We will be back in the office on Tuesday morning. For a free trial of the EHedger research, please click on the link below.
Best Regards,
Trading commodity futures and options involves substantial risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors. You should carefully consider whether trading is suitable for you in light of your circumstances, knowledge and financial resources. The market information contained in this message has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but is not guaranteed as to its accuracy or completeness. Market information may not be consistent with current or future market positions of EHedger LLC, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees or agents.


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* Farmers bringing in faster-growing, drought-resistant crops
* More need to store water, switch to hardy crops
* Africa specially vulnerable to climate change
By Alister Doyle
OSLO, Sept 7 (Reuters) - African farmers are finding new ways to cope with droughts, erosion and other ravages of climate change but need to develop even more techniques to thrive in an increasingly uncertain environment, scientists said on Friday.
Smallholders have started to plant more drought-resistant and faster-growing crops to keep the harvests coming in, according to a survey of 700 households in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania.
"The good news is that a lot of farmers are making changes," said Patti Kristjanson, who heads a programme on climate change, agriculture and food security at the World Agroforestry Centre in Nairobi and led the study.
"So it's not all doom and gloom ... but much more needs to be done," she told Reuters.
Farmers, backed by researchers and international donors, needed to find better ways to store rain water, increase the use of manure and bring in hardier crops like sweet potatoes, she said.
In the past decade, 55 percent of households surveyed said they had taken up faster-growing crop varieties, mainly of maize, and 56 percent had adopted at least one drought-tolerant variety, according to the findings in the journal Food Security.
Fifty percent of the households were planting trees on their farms - helping to combat erosion, increase water and soil quality and bring in new crops like nuts.
Half of the farmers had introduced inter-cropping - planting alternate rows of, for instance of beans and maize, in the same field and then swapping the rows next season. Beans fix nitrogen in the soil, helping reduce the need for fertilisers.
But Friday's study found just a quarter of farmers were using manure or compost - avoiding the use of more expensive fertilisers. And only 10 percent were storing water, it added.
The study said that global warming, leading to erosion, less reliable rainfall and changes in the length of growing seasons, was adding to other stresses for farmers worldwide such as price spikes and a rising population.
Kristjanson said the study showed encouraging signs of many farmers' willingness to adapt.
But faster change may be needed because Africa is especially vulnerable to climate change, according to the U.N. panel of climate scientists which blames heat-trapping emissions of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels.
In Africa, up to 220 million people could be exposed to greater stress on water supplies by 2020 and yields from rain-fed agriculture in some countries could be cut by up to 50 percent by 2020, according to a 2007 U.N. report. (Reporting By Alister Doyle; Editing by Andrew Heavens)


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U.C. Berkeley Is Cutting Down Ridge Road Redwood Grove
This morning (Sunday) U.C. Berkeley has begun cutting down redwood trees at Ridge Road and Le Roy Avenue in order to build the Paul Jacobs Design Institute. Students, faculty/staff and Berkeley residents want the trees to stay, but the UC has ignored the community.The ground breaking ceremony for the design center is April 12th, Cal Day. The trees are being cut down to clear the lot for the public ceremony.
Update from a reader: That isn't a UC crew cutting the redwoods, it's an outside contractor. They've also recently cut down some pretty old olives and younger redwoods at Kleiberger Field for a new parking structure. -more-


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|System: X360, PS3, Wii, PS2
|Review Rating Legend
|Dev: Midway Studios Los Angeles
|1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid
|4.0 - 4.4 = Great
|Pub: Midway Games
|2.0 - 2.4 = Poor
|4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
|Release: Sept. 9, 2008
|2.5 - 2.9 = Average
|5.0 = The Best
|Players: 1-4
|3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
|ESRB Rating: Teen
|3.5 - 3.9 = Good
by Pete Richards
I always felt that when ECW, WCW, and then-WWF merged in 2001, it was somewhat cool that you finally got to see stars from each league interact.
However, it didnt take long for me to realize that with all three promotions under the control of Vince McMahon, the fun was short-lived. Gone were the different television programs, live events, and video games that gave wrestling some variety. The good news is though, while Vince has continued to run the wrestling show, over the past several years other leagues have slowly gained popularity on television in the shadow of the superpower. Thankfully, Total Nonstop Action, formed by Jeff Jarrett in 2002, has gained lots of support from true fans of wrestling seeking an alternative. Making its video game debut, this first and very welcomed edition of TNA iMPACT! features some of the biggest wrestling legends of all-time to thrash around in TNAs hexagonal ring.
Theyre all here: Sting, Booker T, Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner, Kurt Angle, Devon and Ray Dudley, Rhino, and 20 other contract athletes to take complete control over. Wrestling fans will love being able to take some of the biggest legends in the game such as Scott Steiner and pin them up against lesser known, yet equally cool, athletes like Homicide or Shark Boy. The absence of any TNA Knockouts is somewhat disappointing, though the ability to play as some of TNAs most famous and bizarre characters is long overdue. TNA iMPACT! doesnt offer many playable characters when first jumping in either, meaning players will have to fight their way through an entire career if they wish to unlock all the superstars and arenas the game has to offer.
For anyone familiar with wrestling games, the controls for TNA iMPACT! arent difficult to grasp at all, borrowing heavily from WWEs blueprints. Simply enough, you have your punch, kick, grapple, and action face buttons; your reversal, run, strength, and taunt buttons on the left and right shoulders; and player movement is controlled with the Left Analog. Combining buttons pulls off all the really fun stuff such as picking up and swinging weapons, jumping off cables, performing Irish whips, and putting opponents to sleep using the games unique finishing system. Each player is given an iMPACT! meter located on the sides of the screen. Both meters fill up with flames as players act out successful moves on each other, but, if one meter fills completely, then that player can pull off his finisher before the flames extinguish. Its a good system that adds a unique spin on the finishing scheme. However, its too bad that each athlete is only designated one finishing move, whereas SmackDown! vs. Raw offers multiple finishers per character. In addition to the iMPACT! meter, there is also a stun meter which fills up to show how dazed each player has become throughout the match. Also, theres an image to show how much damage each character has received to various parts of the body, exactly like the type of damage meter found in WWE titles.
In a genre long dominated by one organization, it is inevitable that TNA iMPACT! is going to get compared to SmackDown! vs. Raw (SDvR). In this case, there are several lacking elements that I hope Midway and TNA will focus on in the future. The first is the lack of moves. Not only are players only capable of pulling off one finisher each, many players are designated the exact same moves, whether its a suplex, ground punch, or a simple taunt. The lack of any double-team moves is a noticeable blemish, which can definitely be improved to add more variety to the game. It is the lack of moves that makes it pretty easy to become bored with TNA iMPACT!, as too many players pull off the same motion captions. The inability to roam through arenas makes Falls Count Anywhere matches somewhat pointless, as you cant throw opponents over guard rails, and invisible walls make it impossible to go up the entrance ramp. One of the most fun elements of SmackDown! vs. Raw is dragging an opponent room to room and through the crowd, picking up whatever weapons you can find, and using your environments to beat the living hell out of each other.


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Mad Scientist (VP Racing Fuels)
Available Options
- Brand: Movie Cutouts
- Product Code: AG3124
- Availability: In Stock
- Easle attached, easy to assemble, use immediately
- Official life size cutouts stand as tall as the celebrity they portray
- Huge range of celebrity cutouts from all fandoms
- Great for collectors, fans, hobbyists, family and friends.
- All cardboard standees arrive folded for easy transportation and storage
About Our Cardboard Cutouts
Mad Scientist (VP Racing Fuels) themed cardboard cutouts are sure to bring a smile to any fans face. Mad Scientist (VP Racing Fuels) cardboard cutouts allow for amazing photo opportunities at your next event or party. Use multiple cutouts to create a unique scene in just minutes for a maximum wow factor. Search the world's largest collection of licensed cardboard cutouts and stock cutouts online. Having trouble finding the cutout you need for your next event? Order a custom cutout today .
Every Mad Scientist (VP Racing Fuels) standee made by Movie Cutouts features a semi-gloss bright white side to ensure a true color perfect print every time. our cardboard uses horizontal corrugation to provide strength, rigidness and durability. Each cutout includes an easel and folds flat for storage and transportation. Mad Scientist (VP Racing Fuels) Cutouts are easily self-supported and set up in just minutes.


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Blessed John van Ruysbroeck
- John Ruysbroeck
- Jan van Ruusbroec
- John the Admirable Doctor
- John the Divine Doctor
- Ruysbroeck the Admirable
Nothing is known of John's father, but history remembers his mother as a very pious woman who eventually entered a convent. At age eleven John moved in with and was educated by his uncle, Father John Hinckaert at Saint Gudule's, Brussels, Belgium. Ordained in 1317. Served as chaplain at Saint Gudule's for 26 years.
In response to pamphlets teaching heresy, John began to write his own, primarily on false mysticism being taught. None of these writings have survived.
In 1343, John and his uncle retired to a hermitage in Groenendael. His reputation for wisdom and holiness began to spread, and the hermitage attracted like-minded men. The group founded a formal community of Augustinian canons regular on 13 March 1349 with John as prior. Many people came for spiritual guidance by the canons, and especially from John. He led a life of extreme austerity, became famous as a sublime contemplative and skilled director of souls. As the Spirit moved him, he resumed writing. Noted as the greatest of the Flemish mystical writers.
- 2 December 1381 at Groenendael of natural causes
- relics translated to Saint Gudule's, Brussels, Belgium in 1783, but were lost or destroyed during the French Revolution
- 1 December 1908 by Pope Pius X
- in canonical habit, seated in the forest with his writing tablet on his knee, rapt in ecstasy and enveloped in flames, which encircle without consuming the tree under which he is resting
- Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
- Catholic Encyclopedia
- New Catholic Dictionary
- Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
- The Sparkling Stone
- The Book of Supreme Truth
- The Adornment of the Spiritual Marriage
- The Spiritual Tabernacle
- The Twelve Points of True Faith
- The Book of the Four Temptations
- The Kingdom of God's Lovers
- The Mirror of Eternal Salvation
- The Seven Cloisters
- The Seven Degrees of Love
- The Twelve Beguines
Where I assert that we are one in God, I must be understood in this sense that we are one in love. – Blessed John
- "Blessed John van Ruysbroeck". CatholicSaints.Info. 1 July 2020. Web. 11 August 2020. <>


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Heavy Lifting on the Hill Earns Big Results
NEA members and lobbyists score major victories for legislative program
July 5, 2010
Working hand-in-hand with NEA members from across the country, lobbyists for the Association won significant legislative victories on funding for education jobs, health care, higher education, and state affiliate pension funding.
Most recently, the win column got a bold checkmark with the U.S. House's passage of $10 billion in funding that saves an estimated 138,000 education jobs. An intensive campaign involving nearly every NEA department, state affiliate and tens of thousands of members was crucial to the success.
Laid-off educators from North Carolina, Indiana, Illinois, Oklahoma and California came to Washington, D.C., to lobby their members of Congress. Every member they met with voted for the jobs bill. NEA members made more than 63,000 phone calls, wrote 42,000 postcards and sent more than 210,000 emails to Congress supporting the package.
Other victories included:
- Health insurance for 32 million previously uninsured children and adults.
- Increased Pell Grants to help students afford higher education.
- $2 billion for community colleges to support their invaluable role in economic recovery.
- $4 billion for school construction – to ensure safe, modern learning environments.
- Private pension funding fixes that will save our affiliates millions of dollars and help prevent staff layoffs and cuts in services to our members.
The work continues. In the upcoming months, NEA member activism and lobbying will focus on getting the education jobs bill through the U.S. Senate as well as pushing its positive agenda for reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
"Our lobbyists are working very hard to make sure that all members of Congress understand our deep concerns with No Child Left Behind and the Administration's proposed reauthorization blueprint, and our proactive ESEA agenda," Linda Reames, chair of the Standing Committee on Legislation, told RA delegates at a session earlier this week on the Association's legislative program.
The ESEA campaign includes lobbying, policy analysis, communications, outreach to partner groups, member and affiliate engagement, political work, and research.
NEA lobbyists also continue to fight for repeal of unfair Social Security offsets, including working with the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility to protect Social Security benefits and repeal of the offsets.
RA Media Headlines
View All RA Speeches


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News | November 13, 1990
New Parallel Supercomputer Acquired
A new highly parallel supercomputer capable of solving problems at extremely high speeds is being acquired by a consortium involving the California Institute of Technology, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA and a number of other organizations, it has been announced.
Complex problems in space sciences and global atmospheric modeling related to the greenhouse effect and ozone depletion will be among topics assigned to the supercomputer, according to Dr. Carl Kukkonen of JPL.
The announcement was made this morning (Nov. 13) at a news briefing in New York City at Supercomputing '90, an industry event.
The speed and memory of the supercomputer -- a Touchstone Delta System made by the Intel Corp. -- will make it the world's most powerful computer when it is installed early next year, consortium organizers say.
The Delta uses a network of 528 Intel i860 processor units working concurrently on a problem at a given time. As a result it can achieve a peak speed of 32 gigaflops, or billions of floating-point operations per second. Its memory capacity is 8 gigabytes.
The Delta is 2 to 10 times faster than other existing supercomputers, said Kukkonen.
The Delta System is the result of research collaboration between Caltech and Intel. Work in parallel processing has been pursued at Caltech and JPL throughout the past six years.
JPL researchers will use the supercomputer to explore a wide range of Earth and space science topics under NASA's High Performance Computing Initiative. In addition to atmospheric studies, initial problems to be run on the Delta include solar and astrophysical modeling.
Another major application will be visualization of scientific data from the planets Venus and Jupiter gathered by the NASA/JPL Magellan and Galileo missions, Kukkonen said.
JPL will also use the Delta to design future solar system exploration spacecraft and remote-sensing instruments, and to develop command sequences to control spacecraft.
NASA researchers in other parts of the country are expected to use the Delta in areas such as computer simulation of aerospace vehicles.
Kukkonen heads JPL's Microelectronics and Advanced Computing Technology Office, which will manage JPL's share of the Delta.
Joining Caltech and JPL among the consortium's partners will be Argonne National Laboratory; the Center for Research in Parallel Computation, operated by several institutions under National Science Foundation sponsorship; various other National Science Foundation-sponsored programs; the federal Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA); Intel Corp.'s Supercomputer Systems Division; NASA; and Pacific Northwest Laboratory.
Other consortium members include Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Purdue University and Sandia National Laboratories.
The Delta will be physically located in Caltech's Concurrent Supercomputing Facilities in Pasadena, Calif.
Development of the Delta at Intel and related basic research at Caltech are funded by DARPA. Additional funding for research in parallel computation at Caltech and JPL was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy's Applied Mathematical Sciences program and the U.S. Air Force's Electronic Systems Division.
Dr. Carl Kukkonen is the son of Carl and Shirley Kukkonen of Hancock, Michigan.
News Media Contact818-354-5011


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Greg Beaver has a new post today on his blog concerning the interesting crossing paths of the phpDocumentor project and PEAR.
Yesterday and today I released phpDocumentor 1.3.0RC6. Aside from a number of exciting features and many important bug fixes, including some bugs opened over 2 years ago (!) this release is unique in another way: in addition to working as a PEAR-installable package, it also works as an extracted file.
He notes that this improvement not only makes installing the phpDocumentor package more flexible, but it also makes it a snap to get up and running. Those used to the PEAR package system will be happy to know it's a simple "pear " command away. It makes full use of the package.xml 2.0 features to really make the install nice and clean.


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If Charlie Sheen wants a blueprint for going from rock bottom to rock star, Robert Downey Jr. is available for a consultation.
Sheen was taken to a New York hospital earlier this week after cops found him in a posh Manhattan hotel, naked, intoxicated and extremely agitated with a porn star. He was already on probation an incident last Christmas in which he was charged with assaulting his then-wife, Brook Mueller.
Downey had his own trouble with drugs and alcohol, serving a year in prison in 1999 and going through rehab numerous times before finally getitng back on track. Now he commands as much as $20 million per movie.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
When asked by E! how Sheen could duplicate his triumph over substance abuse, Downey said he will help if he can.
"It's different for everybody," he said "The weird thing is that someone who's been through it is expected to talk about it. I'd rather just talk to them. Maybe they don't want to talk to me. But I'd like to talk to Charlie. I've known him for ages."


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On March 31, 2006, it purchased 470,000 TNT N.V. ordinary shares at an average price of euro 28.5693 per share.
It is TNT's intention to cancel the repurchased shares.
TNT N.V. provides businesses and consumers worldwide with an extensive range of services for their mail and express delivery needs. Headquartered in the Netherlands, TNT offers efficient network infrastructures in Europe and Asia and is expanding operations worldwide to maximize its network performance. TNT serves more than 200 countries and employs over 128,000 people (over 163,500 people including the division Logistics which is intended to be divested). For 2005 the company reported € 10.1 billion in revenues (€ 13.6 billion including Logistics). TNT N.V. is publicly listed on the stock exchanges of Amsterdam, New York, and Frankfurt. TNT recognizes its social responsibility, and has formed partnerships with the United Nations World Food Programme and the United Nations Environmental Programme to fight hunger and pollution in the world.


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CLEVELAND -- The Minnesota Twins escaped Jacobs Field with a wind-aided, 4-1 victory over the Indians on Sunday.
The Minnesota Twins escaped Jacobs Field with a wind-aided, 4-1 victory over the Indians on Sunday. Wind-aided because of the stiff breeze blowing in from center field that, incredibly, stilled just as Minnesota's Mike Redmond was crushing a game-tying double over the head of right fielder Trot Nixon. Wind-aided because of the breeze being generated at home plate by Indians hitters, who struck out 12 times. Wind-aided because, over the past three weeks, the once-hopeful talk of postseason baseball is looking like just more hot air. "More often that not, these guys have made plays to help us win ball games or hang on," Manager Eric Wedge said. "Today, we didn't." The Indians didn't, and haven't in a while. They have lost five of their past seven games, five of their past seven series and are 9-13 since July 3. Don't blame C.C. Sabathia (13-6), however. He pitched seven shutout innings, but his team was clinging to a 1-0 lead because the Indians' offense was going nowhere. The Twins finally broke through in the eighth, and Sabathia took his fourth loss in five July starts. "If the guys are not hitting, I need to be shutting the other offense down," Sabathia said. "This is one of those tough stretches. The fact we've been about .500 and not played our best baseball is encouraging. When we do turn it on, we'll be fine." Good to know. The Indians just weren't quite ready to turn it on Sunday. Twins rookie right-hander Matt Garza dominated during his fourth start of the season, striking out 11 in six innings. The only Indians run off Garza came on Nixon's second-inning RBI double. "He used both sides of the plate, he pitched away when he needed to and he kept us from getting big hits," Nixon said. Minnesota left-hander Johan Santana had struck out 12 Indians a day earlier. "Yesterday, Santana was pretty special," Wedge said. "Today, it was more on us. Garza was good, but I felt like we could have done a better job against him." The Indians have scored one run in Sabathia's past two starts. Sabathia did a good job for seven innings, but sparked the decisive rally in the ninth by hitting Jason Tyner in the back with a one-out pitch. Redmond came up with two out and belted a long drive to right field that fell out of Nixon's reach for a double that gave the Twins a 2-1 lead. "The wind was blowing in all day," Wedge explained. "Then, it seemed like everything died down." Nixon didn't offer a wholehearted endorsement of the dead-wind theory. "He just hit it over my head," Nixon said. "I thought I had a bead on it, but the ball kept carrying." Second baseman Josh Barfield booted Joe Mauer's ground ball, then compounded the error by throwing wide of first baseman Ryan Garko as another run scored. Justin Morneau's RBI double down the left-field line widened the gap to 3-1. "I just missed it," Barfield said. "You can't play scared out there." Dennys Reyes (2-1) induced an inning-ending double-play ground ball from Garko in the eighth. Joe Nathan induced an inning-ending double-play ground ball from Franklin Gutierrez in the ninth to finish off his 22nd save. Reach Repository sports writer Andy Call at (330) 580-8346 or email@example.com.


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I realised recently that people who live on small islands have a low rating on punctuality. I think this is due to the fact that given the short distances involved they don't think they will be late as long as they set out before the time of their appointment. This philosophy of time doesn't work so well in the big world.
Then there are personalities who can never keep a deadline and live in a time dimension of ever-melting horizons.
If the spiritual dimension of life has been awakened and if we are exploring its life-enhancing depths then the balance between waiting and acting becomes regulated. This is no doubt why meditation reduces stress and promotes creativity.
To learn to say the mantra and, as John Main said 'to be content to say it, is to see that all time exists in the present moment. The gift of seeing that that moment is the moment of Christ adds the icing to the cake. – Fr Laurence Freeman


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Anyone have a good theory on why so many of these sets have been showing up loose without their weapons?
PM sent.
Even loose without the weapons these have been running pretty high.
Yikes! That's a hell of a price. ULTRA RARE !! MEDICOM KUBRICK Star Wars 5 Pack Set
I think now you know how people in other countries feel about collecting all of these American Toy Lines...its the price you pay for collecting a foreign little produced line. Just my 2 cents
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Ralph McQuarrie (1930-2012)
Ralph McQuarrie was the visionary artist who developed the look of one of the most easily recognisable moments in cinema history. Twin suns in the sky over Tatooine, A-wings sailing passed destroyed ATAT's on the icy surface of Hoth. A young adventurer named Starkiller against an enemy named Darth Vader. All of these concepts had been brought to life long before a crew of hundreds started work on production of Star Wars. Lucas himself was quoted as saying 'when I run out of ways to describe what I want – I point to Ralph's work and say – like this.'
The Darth Vader suit was a combination of Samurai armour, Nazi uniform and gas mask. To stand in a room with it represents a real moment of awe. Combining aspects of mechanised war, machine, ancient warrior, vampire lord and dark magician – McQuarrie created an image of unsurpassed power and contained evil. His vision of Darth Vader, completed with the voice of James Earl Jones the most recognisable vision of evil and power in fictional popular culture in the 20th Century.
Anyone who loves the Millenium Falcon or Darth Vader should remember Ralph McQuarrie. King of concept artists – but much more than that – a man who brought dreams alive for an inexperienced director and ultimately the whole world. A true visionary.
Thank you Ralph McQuarrie. Dream maker.
To do the same thing again Lucas employs teams of visual artists for every scene. McQuarry did it effectively alone with one man's ideas in his head.
The very definition of visionary.


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"How beautiful upon the mountain are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Isaiah 52:7) When I read this verse of scripture, I see sandaled feet of ancient messengers. Their feet were indeed beautiful when they brought good news instead of bad. To his followers, Jesus' appearance after his death was GOOD NEWS, so they named their message, "good news," which we translate as "Gospel." We are accustomed to think of death as the end of life as we know it. Well, good news! It is not. We are accustomed to worry that the world is heading toward disaster. Well, good news! It is not. And, we are accustomed –at least some of us –to think we are not worthy of blessings. Well, good news! We are!
The concept of resurrection is a stumbling block for many people. It is a stumbling block because it is unscientific. It emerges from an age when myth shrouded reality, or stated more crudely, when superstition reigned. But, that is what makes it all the more remarkable –that it was a real event among all the superstitious and fake appearances of the dead, then and now. Now, if you think the resurrection is a stumbling block, what about the incarnation? We are not as familiar with that word, but it means God becoming flesh (human) like us. The incarnation, too, can be a stumbling block because for God to become human sounds like mythology. But, again, that is what makes it so remarkable –that Jesus was a real "divine" man among the many mythological and phony ones. But, the circumstances of Jesus' divinity were like no other. He was not numbered among the great people of the earth. He was born into lowliness, in a barn, from oppressed peasant parents. As in his death, his power was perfected in lowliness, and that has saved the world. Merry Christmas!


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Sustaining the destinations we visit is of great importance to us at Uniworld. We are part of a joint initiative by The Travel Corporation (TTC) family of brands called TreadRight; a not for profit working to ensure that the environment and communities we explore remain vibrant for future generations.
TreadRight is The Travel Corporation's hub for all corporate social responsibility efforts, and manages a long-standing grants programme that benefits sustainable tourism projects.
TreadRight encourages industry best practice through our support for the World Travel & Tourism Council's Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, The Travel Foundation & Tourism Cares. To learn more about our work at TreadRight, please visit us at treadright.org.
Uniworld and TreadRight are proud supporters of WHOLE WORLD Water's campaign to raise awareness and funds for clean and safe water projects around the world. As a member, Uniworld will reduce its plastic waste, work to reduce its supply-chain carbon footprint and put a greater emphasis on educating travellers on global water issues. In addition, Uniworld will donate $1 on behalf of each guest to the WHOLE WORLD Water Fund, money that will, in turn, finance water projects around the world, bringing safe sustainable water to global communities in need.
Uniworld continues its partnership with The Travel Foundation, a United Kingdom-based charity with the same socio-environmental values we share. With their support, Uniworld is spearheading the Sustainable River Cruising project—the first of its kind—focusing on minimizing the environmental impact of Uniworld's ships, and the river cruising industry at large. We believe conservation starts at the local level, and encourage the public to learn more about our Sustainable River Cruising initiative and its impact on Uniworld and the river cruising industry as a whole.


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So we've just had what amounts to the proverbial ad break with our story on how we, the world, got to Zhik (pronounced Z i i K, you might remember). In this, Part Two of The Brand is Zhik, we'll have a look at what's emerging right now and then what is to next install for us all.
Earlier on, we talked about how keelboat sailors can now enjoy some Zhik-ness and as you now know, this is a company on a mission. 'We are diversifying and growing. Right now we are moving into the yachting world', said Brian Connolly, Zhik's CEO.
'Sailors are an intelligent bunch. You can't trick them. Just because Zhik was producing fabulous dinghy wear doesn't mean you could assume Zhik yachting gear would be as brilliant. It takes time to build authenticity into each layer in the market, which is what we are up to now with keelboats. We like to work on new products and now we are involved in the whole sport, whether it is junior dinghy sailors, right through to the America's Cup level.'
Zhik Isotak is the brand's flagship offshore wet weather gear. Its creation is typically Zhik, in that they looked at it from first principles, but Zhik also completed a full review of the competing products. 'We put a fair bit of energy in to looking at the actual materials being used. There is a lot of material around quoting levels of breathability and waterproofness.'
'When we looked at that it was a little annoying, because these numbers were often confused and used in different ways depending on whether it was just the membrane itself, where it was stitched and how the seam was prepared.'
'We are very proud of choosing the right material and in addition to that, making sure that the seams are bound together correctly, double glued and taped properly. These items are expensive, because they are hard to make, but they have to operate in a very harsh environment.'
It would seem there are a lot of custom fabrics deployed in the Zhik range already and this is set to increase. 'Our business now has quite a significant agenda around material research. Whilst we are a sailing company that produces sailing wear, we are quite excited by the R&D programs that we have started.'
'We are collaborating with some leading researchers and have got some fantastic science behind a lot of what we do. New Zhik products coming onto the market will increasingly have more proprietary and unique compositions. It's quite an exciting field for us - we like material science at Zhik.' By any measure, that has to be good for sailors.
You can tell that Zhik are very proud of what they do, so which products stand out in Brian's mind? 'That's hard because we have so many. It really comes down to the customers you are serving. We put so much energy into every product to make it the best out there. It is almost too unfair to isolate one from the other, as we are very proud of many of our products.'
'As a Laser sailor, I would have to say that I have a soft spot for the Power Pads, especially when combined with the micro fleece wetsuit. I find the micro fleece wetsuits extremely forgiving in both cold and hot weather. All you need to do is combine it nicely with the right top depending on how cold the day is. Hiking pants used to be these clunky things with fibreglass rods sewn in.'
We thought that hikers could be designed more like gear in other impact sports, where you put your pads on and then you put your suit on over the top. You don't build your pads into your suit because it becomes very clumsy and hard to control. With Power Pads, you have pad in a sleeve and you stick it on your thigh in the right place and made sure it was tight, and didn't wobble around, which gave you lots of freedom.'
'I remember the first time I wore hiking pants on a Laser and I thought, Wow! Thank God for that. Here was something more comfortable. I also remember the first time I wore Power Pads and it was like the same revelation all over again, because the freedom, flexibility and ease of movement, meant you didn't feel like you were wearing big, clunky old hikers anymore. Zhik design department came up with this innovation because they weren't tainted with traditional thinking, and am really very proud of that', said Brian.
'A more recent favourite of mine would have to be the ZKG shoe. This is a classic Zhik product, inspired directly from our Team Riders asking the design department for a deck shoe, which we did not have inside our range.'
'We asked what they were wearing and they all replied, 'Dunlop Volleys'. It is a tennis shoe designed in 1966 or something, but unanimously they all said it grips better. They wear out after a while, but they are cheap and we just throw them away.'
'We set ourselves the task and created a new amphibious shoe, with aof perforated neoprene upper, that if you looked at it on the shelf it just looks like cool, street wear, but the sole on our shoe is amazing. This shoe flushes the water through it really easily. It is very grippy, light and flexible. and the thinner soles give you more of a bare foot dexterity. It is also very comfortable. I recently went through America and I wore mine because they were so easy to slip on and off through all those security checks that you get at the airports.'
'They are extremely comfortable to leave on your feet when you have to have your shoes on for an extended period of time, such as on aircraft, etc. They're almost like Clayton's shoes, you know 'the shoes you wear when you don't have to wear shoes', but they still provide you with all the look, feel, and grip and function that you need. We are taking these to the broader marine market, as we feel they'll be greatly appreciated'. Plimsolls and Topsiders did it, so why not I say?
Now with that spectre of expansion opened up so nicely, you begin to wonder what is next for this most ambitious of companies. 'We are still thinking of ourselves (, even though we are coming up to ten), as a young start-up high tech company. We think of nothing less than to eventually become number one.'
'That's all healthy ambition. If we keep doing what we are doing, we could get there. If you make good products and you are doing a good job, then you are going to create a bit of a stir. That's all healthy for the market. We actually want the competition, as we thrive on it. You become boring if you are dominant in any fleet.'
'We have got some great new things coming that will inspire a whole new class of product we think. That's exciting because you are defining it. We are pioneering the whole concept from the beginning', which of course sounds very Sony or Apple to me.
Brian finished by saying, 'We will see our material science explore new regions of apparel physics that will hopefully find their way into a far more diverse field, beyond just the marine and sailing world.' With that said, when you need marine apparel, look for the brand that has got so many personalities behind, with and in it. You cannot go


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Resurrect this blog & my current personal project
It is long ago that I wrote the last blog post here, but in the future I hope there will be more posts with lots of interessting development stuff 😉
And here is the interessting stuff.
I started writing C# bindings for the Enlightenment Foundation Libraries (EFL). They are used in the windowmanager E17 and are designed for usage from small, embedded devices up to multi core desktop pc's.
You will find all important information on their website: www.enlighenment.org
You can find the sources here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/21420050/efl-sharp.tar.gz
I started implementing some common elementary widgets and some methods of edje to load an edje-file and get the loaded widgets.
What does currently not work:
.) EinaList
There is some code for that already there, but it does not work at all.
.) The autotools build system
I used MonoDevelop as my IDE, which should generate Makefiles and all the stuff. But there are some major bugs in this generation. I didn't have the time until now to fill bugs or patch MonoDevelop, but this is on top of my todo list.
How to get something build that is working
1.) run autogen.sh
2.) build the bindings with MonoDevelop
3.) run sudo make install
4.) go to %PREFIX%/lib/efl-sharp – here are the assemblies installed
5.) add executable right to all dll's with sudo chmod +x *.dll
6.) install the libraries in the Global Assembly Cache: run for every dll-file sudo gacutil -i %FILENAME% -package efl-sharp
Now you have installed the libraries and you can work with it.
As an example app I started to write the RSS- reader efeed.
You can get the sources from here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/21420050/efeed.tar.gz
A screenshot: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/21420050/efeed.png
Currently it is more an example and test app, but I plan to extend it to a more usefull application.
I appreciate any feedback and suggestions for efl-sharp and efeed


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Form 720-CS(redirected from 720CS Form)
Form 720-CS
A form that ship, barge, and pipeline owners must file with the IRS to report the liquid material (such as gasoline) that they transport from place to place. Form 720-CS helps the IRS keep track of the liquid materials subject to federal excise taxes. The form must be filed each month. See also: Form 720.


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Find out a bit more about what it is like to be a volunteer overseas
One thing that you find if you have been away with Projects Abroad is that you want to tell everyone about your time overseas. Lots of our volunteers write about their experiences and what it is like for them.
A popular section of our website is the volunteer stories section where you can read about volunteers individual experiences. There are a wide selection of different stories.
To read about Sinead G. working on a Radio Journalism placement in Ghana click here.
To read about Fleur H. on a Teaching placement in South Africa and a Newspaper Journalism placement in Ghana click here.
To read about Claire E. on a Conservation placement in Peru click here.
If you want to get in touch with someone who has already been on a placement please give us a call on 01273 007230 and we can put you in touch with someone that has come back from a project.


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Dubai, JBR, Rimal 3
Daily: 470 AED
Weekly: 3224 AED
Monthly: 9400.00 AED
For more inquiries call or whatsapp on 0504958400 (Ashad)
This spacious 1 Bedroom apartment is located on 3rd floor Rimal 3 , JBR.
1 Bedroom Apartment is Fully furnished and ready to move in , size is 1341 sqft and it got with new double bed and a Livingroom with sofa where we take care to bring you all the comfort.
We also provide: washing machine, fully equipped kitchen with cooker, cutlery & crockery and kettle, television, free high-speed internet wireless, bed linen and towels.
The 1 Bedroom is comfortable and perfect choice for 1 or 2 people. Our facilities are swimming pool, gym, Central A/C & Heating, security.
Parking : Available
Balcony : Available
Pets are not allowed.
Smoking is not allowed.
Please, note: Passport /ID copy must be provided upon check in.
Standard check-in will be 2 pm
Check our Youtube Channel where you can watched live videos of our apartment .
Minimum Stay: 7 Days
Bathrooms: 1
Bedrooms: 1
Building Security
Built in wardrobes
Central AC
Central air conditioning
Covered Parking
Fully Furnished
Internet access
On low floor
Shared swimming
Shared swimming pool
Washing Machine
Price per night: 470 AED
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Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance.
Check-out Hour: Before 12:00
470 AED per night
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United Arab Emirates, Dubai , JBR
Feb 2018
I want go to Dubai again. Our family was here last year. It was our fist visit to Dubai. When we came to beach, we surprised - the water is very clear. We lived in big and light apartment. Big window... I want go to Dubai again. Our family was here last year. It was our fist visit to Dubai. When we came to beach, we surprised - the water is very clear. We lived in big and light apartment. Big windows, king-size bed, fast Internet. There was everything. View of beach was cool! Most of all we liked this butiful sea. I want to thank MYRENT for nice opportunity to live in such wonderful place! + more
5200 AED per month
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Call 844.344.3536 For Trade Pricing
Updated 08/12/2019
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I was recently playing around with the feedback mechanism, whereby one of the possibilities is for a new event to be presented as part of the feedback. Evidently, the event called as feedback could do all the things that any other event could do, including getting a response and, most importantly, presenting its own feedback. Therefore, you can have a chain of events, each with stimuli and response, each subsequent event being produced as feedback from the preceding event.
It seems to me that this could be very useful, if extended slightly so there was some way to have different feedbacks as a function of different conditions. That is, one branch of feedback for a correct response, one branch for an incorrect response, one branch for a timeout. In my view, this capability would be valuable in its own right, but if it existed, then you could, in effect, create the equivalent of a small finite state machine for a trial based on a set of events connected to each other by feedback rules.
What I mean is that a trial would begin always with a certain event, but then, depending on the subject's reponses or lack thereof, the remainder of the trial could go in an unlimited number of different directions for an unlimited amount of time, transitioning from state/event to state/event depending on what the subject did.
Similar state machines could be initiated using macros at the block level, by causing an event with feedback to be presented.
Greg Shenaut


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WASHINGTON—"Lumen Fidei" ("The Light of Faith"), the first encyclical of Pope Francis, says that faith is like a light illuminating all of human existence.
The encyclical, begun by Pope Benedict XVI, his successor Pope Francis said, was released by the Vatican July 5.
Dated June 29, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, "Lumen Fidei," considers the role of faith from the days of Abraham until modern times.
"The light of faith is unique, since it is capable of illuminating every aspect of human existence," the pope said. "A light this powerful cannot come from ourselves but from a more primordial source: in a word, it must come from God."
Faith heralds the transforming power of belief in Jesus, said Pope Francis.
"Faith does not merely gaze at Jesus, but sees things as Jesus himself sees them, with his own eyes: it is a participation in his way of seeing," the pope said.
Pope Francis offered his signature down-to-earth comparison.
"We trust the architect who builds our home, the pharmacist who gives us medicine for healing, the lawyer who defends us in court," he said. "We also need somebody trustworthy and knowledgeable where God is concerned. Jesus, the Son of God, is the one who makes God known to us."
Pope Francis noted faith's impact on the family, especially young people.
"Faith is no refuge for the fainthearted, but something which enhances our lives," Pope Francis said. "It makes us aware of a magnificent calling, the vocation of love. It assures us that this love is trustworthy and worth embracing, for it is based on God's faithfulness which is stronger than our every weakness."
The pope also pointed out that faith provides perspective in the search for truth, so that believers do not fall prey to great totalitarian movements on one side and relativism on the other. He warned of "a massive amnesia in our contemporary world."
"The question of truth is really a question of memory, deep memory, for it deals with something prior to ourselves and can succeed in uniting us in a way that transcends our petty and limited individual consciousness. It is a question about the origin of all that is, in whose light we can glimpse the goal and thus the meaning of our common path," he said.
Pope Francis addressed several contemporary concerns, including the environment and development of people.
"Faith," he said, "by revealing the love of God the Creator, enables us to respect nature all the more, and to discern in it a grammar written by the hand of God and a dwelling place entrusted to our protection and care.
"Faith also helps us to devise models of development which are based not simply on utility and profit, but consider creation as a gift for which we are all indebted; it teaches us to create just forms of government, in the realization that authority comes from God and is meant for the service of the common good."
He cited faith as a way to unity among peoples.
"Faith likewise offers the possibility of forgiveness, which so often demands time and effort, patience and commitment. Forgiveness is possible once we discover that goodness is always prior to and more powerful than evil, and that the word with which God affirms our life is deeper than our every denial. From a purely anthropological standpoint, unity is superior to conflict; rather than avoiding conflict, we need to confront it in an effort to resolve and move beyond it, to make it a link in a chain, as art of a progress toward unity."
"The Light of Faith"("Lumen Fidei") is available from USCCB in print ($6.95) and e-book ($4.95) editions in English and Spanish. More information on ordering can be found at www.usccbpublishing.org or at l 800-235-8722 to order anytime.
Keywords: Pope Francis, environment, Jesus, Lumen Fidei, The Light of Faith. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, USCCB, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops,
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Most people would probably shout from the mountain top when they finally reach the pinnacle. However, in the fitness industry, shouting about your achievements isn't necessarily to everyone's liking.
Take, for instance, this year's top-ranking club company, 24 Hour Fitness, San Ramon, CA. It has ranked No. 1 on our annual Top 100 clubs list for several years. However, this year, 24 Hour Fitness submitted a Top 100 form that simply stated its revenue as more than $1 billion. Because we could not get an exact number from the company, we had to estimate its 2007 revenue. Based on the form the company submitted last year, the percentage of revenue increase the company expected in 2007 and the reported struggles that 24 Hour Fitness had reaching its revenue goals, we estimated the company's 2007 revenue at $1.3 billion compared to $1.211 billion in 2006 revenue.
24 Hour Fitness began moves into new markets last year, and since the beginning of this year, it has seen an exodus of a number of its top-level executives, most notably, its founder, Mark Mastrov. But the effects of those departures will be better measured in next year's Top 100 list.
An even tougher company to crack this year was Bally Total Fitness, Chicago, which fell to No. 4 on our list. Few people would say that Bally had a peak year in 2007. Bally's tumultuous year turned into silence after the company filed for bankruptcy in July 2007, then re-emerged two months later as a private company — and still a relatively silent company. Repeated calls to the company for 2007 revenue were not returned, but we could not leave Bally off the list. For last year's Top 100 list, the company reported $1.059 billion in 2006 revenue. Considering the company has sold or closed about 50 clubs since 2006, we lowered its revenue to an estimated $650 million for 2007.
Partly because of Bally's drop in revenue, Club Corp. jumped to No. 2 on our list this year (up from No. 5 last year). Club Corp. is a bit of a different animal in the fitness industry as it comprises more than just fitness clubs. The company also owns and manages golf and country clubs with and without fitness amenities. For this reason, it is difficult for the company to divide out strictly fitness-related revenue. The $903 million in revenue that the company reported for 2007 is much higher than the $320 million it reported for 2006. Last year, the company reported it had 80 facilities (20 multipurpose and 60 golf/country clubs) with fitness in them. This year, it is reporting that it has 109 (15 multipurpose, two hotel/resort/spas and 95 golf/country clubs), hence, the increase in revenue.
The downward move by Bally and upward move by Club Corp. kept Life Time Fitness, Chanhassen, MN, at No. 3, even though the company increased its revenue to $656 million in 2007 from $512 million in 2006. Some of the revenue growth came from increases in the company's personal training business, heart rate monitor sales and the company's café business, Michael Robinson, executive vice president and CFO, said in a call with analysts this past February.
One of the other public companies on the Top 100 list, Town Sports International, New York, also had revenue growth in 2007. Its $473 million in 2007 compared to $433 million in 2006 brought it into the No. 5 spot on the list. The growth occurred during a year in which the company's CEO, Bob Giardina, resigned for health reasons. Two other top-level executives resigned early this year. The company opened 15 new clubs in 2007.
In addition to these top five performers, the rest of the top 10 consists of Powerhouse Gyms International, Farmington Hills, MI (No. 6 with $283 million); Crunch, New York (No. 7 with $133 million); Millennium Partners Sports Club Management LLC, Boston (No. 8 with $110 million); Western Athletic Clubs, San Francisco (No. 9 with $97.4 million); and Xsport Fitness, Big Rock, IL (No. 10 with $96 million).
A couple of club companies fell several spots this year. The Columbia Association fell from No. 39 last year at $23.5 million to No. 60 this year at $13.5 million. The Columbia Association is a private community service corporation providing recreational, cultural and community-based facilities, programs and services to the Columbia, MD, area. That includes three large multipurpose family-oriented fitness facilities, three racquet clubs and two golf/country clubs, plus an indoor swim center, 23 outdoor swim clubs, one ice rink, one family fun center and one equestrian center. According to the company, the 2006 revenue reported last year included revenue from more than just its fitness-only facilities while the 2007 number includes revenue from just fitness facilities. If revenue from all its facilities was counted, the 2007 revenue was $23 million.
American Leisure, Nanuet, NY, also fell from No. 42 last year to a tie for No. 84 this year with a revenue of $7.5 million. However, the drop was due to the fact that in previous years, the company had reported revenue from clubs it managed rather than just the management fees collected from those companies. This year, the 2007 revenue includes just the management fees.
A notable change on the list is that Royce Pulliam's Global Fitness Holdings company appears this year as Urban Active, Lexington, KY, rather than as a Gold's Gym franchisee as it had appeared in the past. Pulliam split from Gold's Gym last year to form Urban Active, which ranks No. 20 with $60 million.
This year, several new club companies joined the list. Until almost two years ago, Latitude Sports Clubs (John Grossi and Spellman Inc./Jorada Inc./Grossi & DeNisco Inc.), Salisbury, MA, was a Gold's Gym franchise, but now Grossi is out from under Gold's and on his own. The club company ranks No. 74 at $10.2 million.
Also new to the list this year are several franchisors: Powerhouse Gyms International, noted previously at No. 6; Planet Fitness, Dover, NH (No. 24 with $48 million); and key-card clubs Snap Fitness, Chanhassen, MN (tied for No. 51 with $18 million); and Anytime Fitness, Hastings, MN (tied for No. 61 with $13 million). All of the franchisors, except Snap Fitness, are reporting revenue from their corporate-owned facilities plus franchising fees but not revenue from their franchisee facilities. Snap Fitness is reporting franchisor fees collected but not revenue from corporate-owned facilities.
New, too, are PH Fitness Inc. dba Fitness First, Frederick, MD (No. 41 with $27 million); Fitness Edge, Fairfield, CT (tied for No. 51 with $18 million); The Gym Holdings LLC, Armonk, NY (No. 65 with $11.7 million); Riley's Health and Fitness Centers Inc. dba Little Rock Athletic Club, Little Rock, AR (No. 69 with $11.2 million); Eastern Athletic Clubs LLC dba Hockessin Athletic Club, Hockessin, DE (tied for No. 94 with $6.3 million); and Universal Athletic Club Inc., Lancaster, PA (tied for No. 99 with $5.7 million).
PlusOne, New York, also submitted a form for the first time in several years. The company, which manages corporate wellness facilities, took over management of the four fitness centers at Google's headquarters last year, which may be what helped PlusOne increase revenue by 38 percent to $33.7 million (revenue is for fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2007). The company ranks No. 31 on the list.
Missing from the list this year is Pro-Club Management LLC (Will Power Fitness LLC), which had been on the list since 1996. Will Estell, owner, sold his clubs last year to several buyers but retained the name Pro-Club Management.
The list also is missing several companies that undoubtedly belong in the Top 100, but for various reasons, the club owners have declined to provide revenue. Those noteworthy companies are listed in the sidebars on this page.
Regardless of these missing companies, the list is a snapshot of some of the larger health club companies in the industry and how they performed financially in 2007. Many of these companies are still reaching upwards in the hope that next year's list will show how far their climb has taken them.
Rules: The rankings are based strictly on revenue, not on how well managed, equipped, staffed or programmed these club companies are. All rankings are based on 2007 revenue, self reported by the companies or estimated where noted. The revenues included are for owned or leased clubs plus only the management fees from managed clubs. The total revenues received by franchised or managed clubs are excluded. If a person or company has a partial ownership interest in a club, there is no adjustment, so the total revenues of that club are included in that company's overall total.
Special thanks: The staff would like to thank Rick Caro, president of Management Vision, New York, for his assistance on the Top 100 list. He reviewed the list, helped call club owners to submit their forms and guided the process. He also was consulted on several of the revenue estimations for companies that did not submit their Top 100 forms.
Missing Clubs
Some club owners prefer to keep their revenue private or do not respond to our requests for their financial information. Therefore, each year our list leaves off club companies that probably should be included. This year's list of missing companies includes:
The Alaska Clubs, Anchorage, AK
California Family Fitness, Vacaville, CA
Cascade Athletic Club, Gresham, OR
Champion Fitness Inc., dba Bally Total Fitness, Syracuse, NY
Chelsea Piers, New York
Chicago Athletic Association, Chicago
Club Sport of San Ramon, San Ramon, CA
Elite Fit & Racquet Clubs, Brookfield, WI
Equinox, New York
Gold's Gym International, Dallas
Harris HealthTrends Inc., Toledo, OH
Jewish Community Center, Rockville, MD
LA Fitness, Irvine, CA
Lucille Roberts Health Club, New York
PRO Sports Club, Bellevue, WA
Salutary SportsClubs Inc., Vacaville, CA
SIM Investment Corp. dba The Right Stuff Health Club, San Jose, CA
Shapes Family Fitness Inc., Tampa, FL
Wheaton Sports Center, Wheaton, IL*
Women's Workout World, Chicago
Workout 4 Life Health Clubs, Vista, CA
*Wheaton submitted a form, but because it could not disclose its revenue, we could not rank it on the Top 100 list.
Franchisors on the List
- Powerhouse Gyms International, Farmington Hills, MI - No. 6
- Snap Fitness, Chanhassen, MN - No. 18
- Planet Fitness, Dover, NH - No. 24
- Anytime Fitness, Hastings, MN - No. 63
Franchisors Missing From the List
- Curves, Waco, TX
- Gold's Gym International, Dallas
- Lady of America, Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Retro Fitness, Manalapan, NJ


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The One Ring Messageboard
heliona wrote:I don't see why not. The more the merrier. Although bear in mind that we're working very slowly and I'm not sure how long it will be until we actually get to Harad!
heliona wrote:Got it and replied. (And yes, FB was Facebook. )
Lovely post, Eari.
Shadowfax wrote:I got a message on FB from her the other day. She's been real busy with work and family it sounds like.
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