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Poor Health
This story appears in the April 2000 issue of Business Start-Ups magazine. Subscribe »
When Kiersty Lombar was shopping for health insurance for the seven employees of her year-old online coffee and gourmet-foods company, she faced two challenges. "We had limited funding, yet we needed a competitive benefit package to recruit people," she recalls. Lombar, 27, worked with an online insurance broker to find the right plan. She finally settled on a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), a form of managed care that offers more freedom and a wider range of choices than the traditional health maintenance organizations (HMOs).
Today, Lombar's company, The Perk.Com, offers generous health-care benefits. The Austin, Texas-based company pays 100 percent of its employees' costs and 60 percent for spouses. "It's important for us to take care of our employees," reasons Lombar. "We see this as a recruiting and retention tool. Even though we felt like we were at the mercy of the insurance companies, we decided it was something we couldn't cut back on."
To offset the cost of health insurance, The Perk.Com keeps tight control on salaries and other overhead. No fancy offices for this Internet start-up. "We don't have a whole lot of beautiful furniture in our offices," says Lombar. "Health coverage is more important to us."
Ellen Paris is Entrepreneur's "Management Smarts" columnist.
Stiff Competition
Lombar's dilemma is shared by millions of America's entrepreneurs, who are wrestling with one of the tightest job markets in years and double-digit annual health-care cost increases this year.
Finding and keeping good employees these days means offering plenty of competitive benefits, something small employers historically haven't had to do. "Most small businesses I represent feel helpless," observes Keith Rosenbaum, an attorney specializing in health care at Berger, Kahn, Shafton, Moss, Figler, Simon & Gladstone in Irvine, California. "They see the health-care benefit as required because they can't attract good workers without it. It's like high-tech companies not offering stock options. The health benefit has become just as important in attracting a talent pool."
The pressure for small employers to offer health-care benefits is increasing. An emerging trend as the labor market continues to tighten: Low-wage hourly workers, the largest group of uninsured, are now being offered health-care benefits by employers ranging from day-care providers to restaurant owners.
Nearly everyone wants and expects health-care benefits today, says Randy Myer, who teaches entrepreneurial policy at New York City's Pace University. "Unlike other benefits, [health insurance] is attractive to many workers because it crosses the age and gender spectrums."
Myer, 52, who founded and still owns shares in Norwalk, Connecticut-based Best Friends Pet Care, a national pet-care company, offered health-care coverage to his hourly workers to reduce turnover and to help in recruiting. It worked. "Many employees said they stayed with us because of the health-care coverage," he says.
If you're forced to shift a greater portion of the premium costs to your employees, it's better to offer some coverage than no coverage, say experts. "Even if employees have to pay a large portion of the premium, it will still be cheaper for them than individual coverage," advises Don Gasparro, managing director of Apex Management Group, a health-care consulting firm in Princeton, New Jersey.
But merely offering a health-care plan may not be enough in today's especially competitive job market. "Your plan has to be competitive with other employers, even much larger ones," Gasparro adds. "You have to see what kind of provider network is around your office and your employees' homes so your people can use it." Matching your particular employees' specific needs with a plan's benefits will save you time and money and also help your employees get the most out of a plan.
Bigger Is Better
Finding a health plan that meets your employees' needs is only the first step. You may also need to offer some of the bigger and better benefits larger companies provide, because they're often vying for the same workers. But, of course, large companies enjoy a significant cost advantage when it comes to health-care benefits, making for a less than even playing field.
The Health Research and Educational Trust says health-care costs for larger employers rose 4 percent between spring 1998 and spring 1999. "Smaller employers faced a very different experience," says Jon Gabel, vice president of the organization. The costs for small companies rose about twice as fast. "It's not that employees of small employers were sicker," explains Gabel. "Many large employers self-insure, while small ones have to purchase their insurance from health insurance companies."
Larger cost increases are on the horizon. This year health-care
premiums are expected to rise 12 to
20 percent for smaller employers and 8 to 14 percent for larger ones, according to Matt Quade, a vice president at employee-benefits provider AON Consulting's Bethesda, Maryland, office.
What's behind it all? "All the [managed care] companies were fighting for market share throughout the nineties by underpricing their products. Now it's catch-up time," says Gabel. "The small employer is the one who is paying for it."
In other words, the lower-priced products many managed-care companies came into new markets with have been hurting their bottom lines in recent years. They now see from experience how much the real costs are. According to Weiss Ratings Inc., over half the country's HMOs lost money in 1998-and those combined losses approached half a billion dollars.
Small employers have few options and little purchasing power when it comes to buying their companies' health-care coverage. "Rising costs hit small employers right between the eyes. They have no control when rates go up, and there's little they can do about it," says Patricia Halo, author of Managing Health Benefits in Small & Mid-Sized Organizations (Amacom), president of Halo Associates and founder of the Wellness Institute in New York City, which provides benefits consulting services and work-site wellness programs. One sick employee in a small work force can wreak havoc on the group's rates. "Carriers look at the track record of small groups very carefully," Halo adds.
Another issue: Several states have enacted legislation that makes it illegal to deny a group member coverage. While this has helped people obtain coverage who might have been rejected before, it's added another cost factor to the mix for business owners. "Since the states got involved in legislating health insurance in the last five years, we've seen many carriers pulling out of the small-group market," explains Edith Livingstone, a vice president at AON Consulting. And typically, less choice means higher prices.
Another detail adding to the consistently growing costs are state mandates such as those requiring infertility treatments to be part of health plans. That means an employer whose work force has little or no use for certain costly treatments must still provide them. "Small businesses are the ones underwriting state mandates. They get socked with paying the additional costs of each new mandated state benefit," says Richard Coorsh of the Health Insurance Association of America, an industry trade association whose members include 290 health insurance carriers. Because many large companies self-insure and don't buy coverage in the standard marketplace, they are largely exempt from these state mandates.
Prescriptive Measures
No question about it, small employers are in a tough spot. But don't despair. "No matter what you hear, small employers are not powerless; they do have options," stresses Halo. Those options include reducing benefits, shifting more of the premium cost to your employees, requiring employees to pay higher co-payments when they visit a doctor, switching from a PPO to an HMO, and covering only employees rather than including family members.
One area ripe for possible savings is prescription drug coverage. In recent years, drugs as treatment have been winning out over more costly invasive procedures. So it's no surprise the cost of prescription drugs has risen rapidly, with insurance carriers passing those cost increases on to employers. Over the last several years, prescription-drug-plan premiums have risen as much as 50 percent, says Ivy Silver, an employee benefits broker in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania.
To offset the cost increases of drug coverage, employers are now asking employees to pay larger co-payments at the pharmacy, says Silver. "Instead of paying $5 per prescription, maybe they're paying $20. That will save some money on your monthly premium," he says.
Silver suggests a "take and give" strategy. If you feel you need to take away a benefit, give back a small one. "For example," says Silver, "if you increase an employee's co-payment, you can increase the vision-care benefit to maybe 70 cents a month per employee."
A trend in the prescription drug area is for small employers to go with a drug card that requires a $5 co-payment for generic drugs, a $20 co-payment for name brands and a $35 co-payment for any drug not on an approved list. "Patients with prescription-drug plans were pressuring their doctors to write them prescriptions for certain brand-name drugs," explains Silver. "They go into the doc's office saying, 'I only want [that brand-name drug], it's the best.' They don't have any idea of the specific differences between the drugs." In the past, says Silver, drug companies marketed almost exclusively to medical professionals, but today, with omnipresent, name-brand drugs advertising in print and on the airwaves, people regularly demand the name brands-and some doctors are giving them what they want, regardless of whether it's cost-effective or not. The drug card's purpose is to curtail that practice.
Meanwhile, the health insurance industry is bringing a variety of new products to market aimed at addressing problems faced by small employers. Aetna U.S. Health Care, for example, introduced its Affordable Health Choices last summer. This plan doesn't have the comprehensive coverage of more expensive plans. "Our intent was to put something into the marketplace to get the attention of small employers, especially ones who had not offered anything before," explains Mike Cardillo, Aetna U.S. Health Care's president.
WellPoint Health Networks, one of the country's largest health-care companies, now offers two group products for small busineses, a Premier plan for businesses offering rich benefits, and an Employee Elect plan for more affordable, employee-selected coverage. "We need to do everything possible to make plans affordable so employers can provide benefits in a price range they can afford," says David Ludwig, a WellPoint senior vice president.
Wisely managing your health-care costs may mean making tough choices in other areas, such as compensation. "I think, over time, we won't see wages grow as fast as they otherwise would because of health-care costs," says Paul Fronstin, senior research associate at the Employee Benefit Research Institute.
It's also important to review your health plan regularly-before you get that notice of a premium increase. Halo advises clients to "look five to six months ahead and anticipate cost increases so you're not surprised. You need to put the idea of rising health-care costs into the mix of your overall compensation. If you do your employee reviews and give 10 to 20 percent increases and then a few months later get stuck with a big increase in your health-care coverage, it's a double whammy."
Capitol Intervention
Health-care costs and insurance coverage have garnered lots of attention on Capitol Hill in recent years. The best-known and most far-reaching piece of legislation is the so-called Patient's Rights Bill. This bill includes a provision allowing the insured the right to sue both his or her group health plan and, by extension, his or her employer. This issue is a political football, and no one knows what, if any, bill will ultimately be enacted. At press time, House and Senate bills were on hold.
The liability issue has the health insurance industry clearly worried. If enacted, many in the insurance industry fear it would trigger an explosion of litigation. Predicts health-care attorney Keith Rosenbaum: "Suing your HMO will be the next big wave in liability lawsuits. The trial lawyers will be lining up to sue insurance companies." Many industry observers feel that patient-rights legislation could have the unintended consequence of pushing up the number of uninsured Americans because employers will simply not be able to afford health-care coverage on account of the liability exposure. Last fall, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce surveyed 769 companies on the topic and found that 25 percent would terminate their health insurance coverage if the right to sue was enacted.
Expect to hear lots of talk about health-care access and containing costs during this election year. No matter what Congress passes, keep your eyes and ears open-it will impact your business.
Contact Sources
Aetna U.S. Healthcare, 980 Jolly Rd., Blue Bell, PA 19422, (215) 775-4800
AON Consulting, (301) 280-7500
Apex Management Group, (609) 452-2488, http://www.apexmgmt.com
Berger, Kahn, Shafton, Moss, Figler, Simon & Gladstone, 2 Park Plaza, #850, Irvine, CA 92614,(949) 474-1880
The Commonwealth Consulting Group Inc., (215) 884-2600, email@example.com
Employee Benefit Research Institute,http://www.ebri.org
Encore Images Inc., (800) 868-4568
Health Insurance Association of America, (202) 824-1787, http://www.hiaa.org
Health Research and Educational Trust, (312) 422-2632;
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, (202) 659-6000, http://www.uschamber.com
Weiss Ratings Inc., (800) 289-9222, http://www.weissratings.com
WellPoint Health Networks,http://www.wellpoint.com


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Because I wanted to. XD
The guys didn't want to do so at first, but then they joined in after Woo Tong's persuasion and my forcing. lol
I LOVE PURIKURAs. It's one of the best inventions of all time!
P/S: 2012 was OK. Didn't get the ending I expected but OMG I GET TO LISTEN TO TIME FOR MIRACLES!! ADAMMMMMMM!! <3 But I didn't get to finish the full song coz everyone just left after the movie ended and I was like nooooo I wanna listen to Adam. T_T Sigh.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Puri Kura Love <3
Posted by kurokei at 10:15 PM 2 comments
Holy crap
It's a special drink that you get to order on birthdays. lol Everyone will get their share in a diff cup of course and the remainings are all mine. Dx
After this, I'm not full but I feel sick. LOL. Damn a lot of liquid in my stomach eh.
Posted by kurokei at 4:15 PM 1 comments
Going going
Posted by kurokei at 2:10 PM 0 comments
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subset: commoncrawl


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$19.95 AUD $39.95 AUD You Save 50% ($20.00 AUD)
BIINK-FIT | This garment fits True-to-Size in our signature fitted style.
i.e. if you are a Size M, then please order a size M.
Model is 5'8 [177cm] and wears a Size S in Bottoms and Size S in Tops.
Fabric Technology: Polyester, Elastane.
Product Care | Machine Wash on Cold.
How to reduce climate impact, effort and money caring for fashion the clever way.
See clevercare.info


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Are you in the United States?
Visit our U.S.A. & International site for relevant pricing, distribution and product availability information.Go to StarTech.com
USB-C, HDMI or Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Converter Cable - 2 m (6 ft.)
Connect your USB Type-C, HDMI or Mini DisplayPort laptop to an HDMI display or projector
Product ID: CMDPHD2HD
- Avoid the hassle of using multiple adapters in a single boardroom or classroom
- Be prepared for all of your presentations and different user requirements
- Astonishing video quality with support for video resolutions up to 4K at 30Hz
This unique adapter cable lets you connect almost any laptop or desktop computer to an HDMI® display or projector. It supports the USB-C™, HDMI and Mini DisplayPort™ output from your computer, and video resolutions up to Ultra HD 4K.
The adapter is compatible with your DP alt mode computer. DP alt mode means your computer can pass a DisplayPort video signal through the USB-C port.
Simple boardroom setup
This adapter cable is ideal for your boardroom's HDMI display or projector. You can reduce clutter and eliminate the need for multiple adapters on your boardroom table by providing a single adapter cable that can support a variety of signals.
One adapter for multiple users
The adapter cable supports multiple input signal types, so you'll be able to accommodate a variety of user needs. Employees and guests can plug in their USB Type-C™, HDMI or mDP laptops and deliver their presentations using your boardroom's HDMI display, without having to carry their own adapters.
Astonishing picture quality
This adapter cable ensures you can maintain an astonishing picture quality with four times the resolution of 1080p. The adapter is also backward compatible with lower resolution displays and video sources. With support for high-definition resolutions of 1080p and 720p, you can future-proof your existing setup for 4K video.
The adapter can be powered through the provided Micro-USB cable by connecting the cable from the adapter to a USB port on your laptop or the HDMI display. You can connect your laptop to either input on the adapter cable, and share presentations.
The CMDPHD2HD is backed by a 3-year StarTech.com warranty and free lifetime technical support.
Note: Your USB-C equipped device must support video to work with this adapter.
- Connect a USB-C, HDMI or Mini DisplayPort computer to an HDMI display or projector
- Replace multiple boardroom adapters with a single adapter that can support three video inputs
- Use in school rooms to allow different teachers and students to present information from various types of laptops
Product Numbers
Ingram Micro Australia
UPC Code
Technical Specifications
|Warranty Information
|3 Years
|Active or Passive Adapter
|Adapter Style
|Cable Adapters
|AV Input
|AV Output
|Wide Screen Supported
|Connector A
|1 - Mini-DisplayPort (20 pin) Male
|1 - HDMI (19 pin) Male
|1 - USB-C (24 pin) DisplayPort Alt Mode Male
|Connector B
|1 - HDMI (19 pin) Male
|Connector Type(s)
|1 - USB Micro-B (5 pin) Female
|Special Notes / Requirements
|System and Cable Requirements
|Your USB-C port must support DisplayPort over USB-C (DP Alt mode) in order to work with this adapter.
|Power Source
|Operating Temperature
|0°C to 60°C (32°F to 140°F)
|Storage Temperature
|-10°C to 80°C (14°F to 176°F)
|Physical Characteristics
|Cable Length
|6.6 ft [2 m]
|Product Height
|0.6 in [1.5 cm]
|Product Length
|6.6 ft [2 m]
|Product Width
|2.4 in [60 mm]
|Weight of Product
|7.8 oz [222 g]
|Packaging Information
|Package Height
|2.6 in [67 mm]
|Package Length
|8.7 in [22.1 cm]
|Package Width
|4.8 in [12.2 cm]
|Shipping (Package) Weight
|16.9 oz [478 g]
|What's in the Box
|Included in Package
|1 - 2m USB-C, HDMI or mDP to HDMI Converter Cable
|1 - 2m Micro USB cable
|1 - instruction manual
Related Products
HDMI, DisplayPort or Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Converter Cable - 2 m (6 ft.)
Connect your HDMI, DisplayPort, or Mini DisplayPort laptop to an HDMI display or projector
3ft Micro USB Cable - A to Micro B
Charge or sync micro USB mobile devices from a standard USB port on your desktop or mobile computer
Product Support
Data Sheets
Frequently Asked Questions
Before You Buy
USB-C is a type of USB connector that is capable of supporting the following:
- Data transfer speeds up to 10Gbps, if you use USB 3.1.
- Bi-directional power delivery up to 100W, if both the USB host connection and the device support it.
- Alternate modes, which deliver different types of data at different speeds. For example, DisplayPort Alternate Mode (DP Alt Mode).
If using Thunderbolt 3 over USB-C, the connection is capable of additional features. For example, Thunderbolt 3 is capable of 40Gbps of total bandwidth. For more information, refer to the following FAQ: https://www.startech.com/faq/thunderbolt-3-port-capabilities.
Not all USB-C ports or devices are capable of supporting all of the features listed above, or all of the features at the maximum capabilities. If you require a specific USB-C feature, your USB host connection, cables, and device must all support the feature that you require. For more information about whether your components support specific USB-C features, refer to the information provided by the manufacturers.
This USB-C device requires that all of the following components support alternate modes:
- The USB-C host connection (for example, a computer and its port)
- The USB-C cable
- The USB-C device (for example, a hard drive docking station)
If your host device includes a Thunderbolt™ 3 connection, this USB-C device will work with your host device.
For more information about the modes that your setup components support, refer to the information provided by the manufacturers.
This device is plug and play. It does not use any drivers, and does not require any setup tasks other than plugging in the source (for example, a computer) and the destination (for example, a monitor).
When you troubleshoot issues with a USB video adapter, there are some quick tests that you can complete to rule out potential problems. You can test to make sure that the following components are working correctly and are not the source of the issue:
Video cables
Video source
Video destination
USB video adapter
To test your setup components, try the following:
Use the video cables, video source, video destination, and USB video adapter in another setup to see if the problem is with the components or the setup.
Use a different video cable, video source, video destination, and USB video adapter in your setup to see if the problem persists. Ideally, you should test a component that you know works in another setup.
When you test your cables, it is recommended that you do the following:
Test each cable individually.
Use short cables when you are testing.
When you test the video cables, video source, video destination, and USB video adapter, it is recommended that you do the following:
Check Device Manager under Display adapters, Universal Serial Bus controllers, or USB Display adapters. To do this, press the Windows key + R, type devmgmt.msc, and press Enter to open Device Manager.
If you do not see the USB video adapter in Device Manager, refer to the following FAQ: https://www.startech.com/support/faqs/technical-support?topic=expansion-cards#usb-cannot-detect-windows.
If the device is listed with an error, reinstall the drivers following the instructions on the website.
Check to see if your video card drivers are current. You can check what video card you have in Device Manager under Display adapters. It is recommended that you go directly to the video card manufacturer's website to check for the latest drivers.
Check to see if the monitor is being detected by Windows.
To check to see if Windows is detecting the monitor using a computer that is running a version of Windows XP, do the following:
- Right-click on the desktop and click Properties.
- Click the Settings tab.
- If you see Drag the monitor icons to match the physical arrangement of your monitors, it means that Windows is detecting more than a single monitor. You can click the drop-down menu under Display to see which monitors are detected. This option is not available if Windows only detects a single monitor.
To check to see if Windows is detecting the monitor using a computer that is running a version of Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8, do the following:
- Right-click on the desktop and click Screen Resolution.
- You can click the drop-down menu under Display to see which monitors are detected.
The error "Out of Range" normally means that the resolution being output by the computer is not compatible with the display. Try lowering the resolution to see if that helps resolve the issue. You may need to connect another monitor or restart the computer or source to accomplish this.
Compliance and Safety
Compliance Letters
Safety Measures
- If product has an exposed circuit board, do not touch the product under power.
- If Class 1 Laser Product. Laser radiation is present when the system is open.
- Wiring terminations should not be made with the product and/or electric lines under power.
- Product installation and/or mounting should be completed by a certified professional as per the local safety and building code guidelines.
- Cables (including power and charging cables) should be placed and routed to avoid creating electric, tripping or safety hazards.
* Product appearance and specifications are subject to change without notice.


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Golden Tate seems to find a way to get himself noticed during Monday night games.
Last year, it was Tate's last second touchdown on a Hail Mary that lifted the Seattle Seahawks to a victory over the Green Bay Packers that drew attention. Against the St. Louis Rams Monday night, Tate delivered the biggest play of an offensively challenged game for both teams.
With Seattle holding a 7-6 lead, Tate hauled in an 80-yard touchdown pass over cornerback Janoris Jenkins to give the Seahawks a 14-6 lead.
Tate leaped over Jenkins to haul in the pass close to 50 yards downfield. Tate then immediately began to wave at safety Rodney McLeod for the final 30 yards of his run to the end zone. Tate was called for taunting on the play and got a talking to on the sidelines by head coach Pete Carroll. The penalty was enforced on the ensuing kickoff.
Through three quarters the Rams and Seahawks have combined for just 328 yards of total offense. Despite the 80-yard touchdown to Tate, Seattle has just 82 passing yards in the game. Wilson has thrown for 123 yards but Seattle has lost over 40 yards due to six sacks from the Rams' defense.


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Forums: Index > Administration > OGL in Homebrew Lists?
Do we want OGL material that I'll be uploading to show up in the homebrew navigation page lists? Or should we make separate OGL pages? I lean towards the latter. Surgo 18:14, January 7, 2010 (UTC)
- Agreed on the latter. I'd actually like to see the UA link turned into an OGL link with all of the publications listed there. - TarkisFlux 18:19, January 7, 2010 (UTC)
- Once we get some complete publications up, sure. Surgo 18:20, January 7, 2010 (UTC)
- From the breadcrumbs it looks like you're setting up a structure similar to the one we have for homebrew stuff. That the intent, or did you want to make the OGL stuff more publication centric? - TarkisFlux 03:52, January 8, 2010 (UTC)
- That is the intent, yeah. Surgo 03:54, January 8, 2010 (UTC)
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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Student Stories: Environmental major studies marine issues in Bonaire
Student Stories: Environmental major studies marine issues in Bonaire
Alexandra Lukasiewicz got an up-close look at the oceans' mysteries while she studied abroad in Bonaire.
A senior environmental resource management major in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, she spent four months -- from August to December 2012 -- in a program offered by the Council on International Educational Exchange designed to get students to work independently on the Caribbean island.
Lukasiewicz, of Queens, N.Y., and 13 other students were required to devise their own research projects and write proposals within the first weeks of the semester. Their projects, which ranged from fish larval ecology to nutrient pollution and sewage effluent, touched on an array of important topics in the marine world.
"The main message that I took home from our multitude of underwater labs, kayak trips and hikes was that our oceans are not as resilient and infinite as they seem," she said. "The island of Bonaire prides itself on having the best diving in the Caribbean, with the best protected marine area and most 'pristine' reefs."
While she found these claims to be true, Lukasiewicz also noticed that the island was plagued by infrastructure issues, poor marine management in some areas and a general ignorance among the tourist community about the preciousness of the ecosystem that exists there. So she devised a research project to address climate change, nutrient pollution and coral disease in the reef ecosystem.
"My plans were unfocused before I went on the program," she said. "But after being around many determined, driven and intellectually charged people, I realized that I really enjoyed working in marine research."
While in Bonaire, Lukasiewicz utilized important skills she learned in her classes at Penn State, including Science Diving, Coral Reef Systems, and a course on climate change and small island nations.
She returned from Bonaire with a more comprehensive understanding of marine management and coastal biology. Lukasiewicz plans to attend graduate school for marine ecology, preferably working on a research project in microbial ecology.
Click here for more information about the environmental resource management major.


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Lose Something? These Tiny Stickers Will Find It
Good news for anyone prone to losing the TV remote.
A group of developers created a series of Bluetooth-powered stickers that track down the objects you're most likely to misplace. The StickNFind stickers are about the size of a U.S. quarter and sync with a smartphone app. They have a range of about 100 feet and a battery life that reportedly lasts almost a year.
Using them is easy: The objects you tag with the stickers are displayed on the app's screen, which lets you know how far away you are from them. If you lose something that's tagged, you can tap the object on your phone's screen, and the sticker will buzz and light up.
SEE ALSO: 20 Life-Tracking Tools for Better Health, Wealth and Productivity
The developers say the stickers are also handy for finding your luggage at the airport. With the "Find It" feature, you can choose which object you want to track — in this case, your suitcase(s) — and you'll receive an alert whenever it comes into range. So, instead of crowding around baggage claim while hundreds of bags pile up on the conveyor belt, you can relax in the back of the line until your phone buzzes.
The group behind the project is currently raising funds through an Indiegogo campaign. At the time of this writing, funding was at $93,007 — far past its original goal of $70,000. There are still 41 days left to donate. The group expects to release its first batch of SkickNFind stickers by March 2013.
Watch the video above to learn more. Does StickNFind sound like something you'd use? Tell us in the comments below.


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American Iron News: Big Dog Closing Rumors
The blogs and forums are buzzing today with the topic of Big Dog Closing. According to the Wichita Eagle, "The company cut 10 production workers and now has 22 employees, company president Mike Simmons said today. He said the company hasn't made any motorcycles since last year and is now filling orders for parts and other supplies."
Blogs and Big Dog rider forums are also getting heavy traffic on the subject. No news on their website or facebook pages at the time of this post. Most blogs are posting that the future will be a form of parts making for existing models for now.More details to follow.Read more:


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Get registered to vote on Voter Registration Day!
Building political power for young people one voter at a time.
Building political power for young people one voter at a time.
An open letter to Embassies of Myanmar, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Philippines To whom it may concern, This
Proibir remédio ao cidadão que esta em tratamento sem endosso dos médicos além de antiético é CRIME !
Making Democracy Work! Elections are about all of us—our health care, the education of our children, the safety of our
To ensure & facilitate maximum authentic voting & hence a TRUE election. Thus ensure rise of Men of Character in
Se todos assinarem esta petição nós teremos um sistema político de representatividade moderno e único no mundo. Chega de
The Every Child Matters Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan organization working to make children,
Non-partisan organization that serves the Asian Pacific Islander American community through civic participation,
To fight back against the Conservative Elite & Wall Street Empire. To reclaim our Nation for the Working-Class!
Bringing Californians together to support marriage equality and stop the marriage ban. 1. Marriage is a fundamental


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A waterproof zipper with Vislon teeth – easier to zip than standard waterproof zippers.
Thigh vents with a 2-way zipper allow for adjustable ventilation.
A fit that allows extra layering, with an extended back length for warmth as well as articulated sleeves and knees for great freedom of movement and comfort.
Garments with GORE-TEX® fabric are durably waterproof, windproof and breathable. The 3-layer construction with flannel backing provides a warm and comfortable feel and ensures no movement between the layers, less wear and tear, and greater durability.
Fully taped seams ensure perfect all-weather protection.
Specifically created for all-season all-mountain skiing, the Atomic Revent 3L GTX Pant is constructed from 100% waterproof and windproof flannel-lined GORE-TEX® fabric. The flannel backing provides a more comfortable feel next to skin and a slightly warmer pant without taking the step of adding insulation. Built to be layered, it comes in our comfortable ski fit that provides the best protection from the elements, the most freedom of movement, and the highest degree of versatility in our collection.


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My da|ra Login
Detailed view
ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, September 2010
- ABC News
- The Washington Post
- Version 1 (Subtitle)
- ABC News/Washington Post Poll Series
AbstractThis poll, fielded September 30 through October 2010, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. A national sample of 1,002 adults was surveyed. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling the presidency and the economy, whether they approved of the way the United States Congress was doing its job, which party they trusted more to do a better job in coping with the main problems the nation faces over the next few years, and who they trusted more to do a better job handling the economy, health care, immigration issues, the war in Afghanistan, the federal budget deficit, and taxes. Respondents were queried on whether they approved of the way their own representative in Congress was handling their job, whether they have heard about Republican congressional candidates signing something called a "Pledge to America" that pledges them to keep certain campaign promises if they are elected, whether they were inclined to vote to re-elect their representative in Congress in the next election, whether they were following the November election closely, whether they were planning to vote in the Congressional election in November, which party they would vote for in the election, whether they thought that this congressional election was more important or less important as past congressional elections, and whether voting in midterm elections was something they usually do. Respondents were also asked whether they thought it would be a good thing or a bad thing if control of Congress switched from the Democrats to the Republicans after November's election, which party they thought had better ideas about the right size and role of the federal government, how they would rate the state of the nation's economy, whether they thought that the nation's economy was getting better or worse, and whether they thought the money the federal government had spent on the economic stimulus had been mostly well spent or mostly wasted. Finally respondents were asked whether they supported or opposed the changes to the health care system that have been enacted by Congress and the Obama Administration, whether they would support or oppose an effort to cancel these changes in the health care system, whether they support or oppose the Tea Party movement, and how much they thought a Tea Party candidate would change the culture in Washington if they were elected. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, household income, education level, political party affiliation, political philosophy, political ideology, religious preference, and whether the respondent is a born-again Christian.
MethodsThe data contain a weight variable (POST2) that should be used in analyzing the data. The weights were derived using demographic information from the Census to adjust for sampling and nonsampling deviations from population values. Until 2008 ABC News used a cell-based weighting system in which respondents were classified into one of 48 or 32 cells (depending on sample size) based on their age, race, sex, and education; weights were assigned so the proportion in each cell matched the Census Bureau's most recent Current Population Survey. To achieve greater consistency and reduce the chance of large weights, ABC News in 2007 tested and evaluated iterative weighting, commonly known as raking or rim weighting, in which the sample is weighted sequentially to Census targets one variable at a time, continuing until the optimum distribution across variables (again, age, race, sex, and education) is achieved. ABC News adopted rim weighting in January 2008. Weights are capped at lows of 0.2 and highs of 6. In this data, the weight variable was not labeled WEIGHT, please use variable POST2 for any weighting purposes.
MethodsICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection: Standardized missing values.; Created online analysis version with question text.; Checked for undocumented or out-of-range codes..
Table of Contents
- DS1: ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, September 2010
2010-09 / 2010-10Time period: 2010-09--2010-10
2010-09-30 / 2010-10-03Collection date: 2010-09-30--2010-10-03
United States
computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI)
The data available for download are not weighted and users will need to weight the data prior to analysis.
The variables PCTBLACK, PCTASIAN, PCTHISP, MSAFLAG, CSA, CBSA, METRODIV, NIELSMKT, BLOCKCNT, and ZIP were converted from character variables to numeric.
To preserve respondent confidentiality, codes for the variables FIPS (FIPS County), ZIP (ZIP code), and QD1A (ZIP Code)have been replaced with blank codes.
System-missing values were recoded to -1.
The CASEID variable was created for use with online analysis.
Value labels for unknown codes were added in variables MSA, CSA, CBSA, and METRODIV.
In this data, the weight variable was not labeled WEIGHT, please use variable POST2 for any weighting purposes.
The data collection was produced by Taylor Nelson Sofres of Horsham, PA. Original reports using these data may be found via the ABCNews Polling Unit Web site and via the Washington Post Opinion Surveys and Polls Web site.
- 32545 (Type: ICPSR Study Number)
Update Metadata: 2015-08-05 | Issue Number: 6 | Registration Date: 2015-06-16
ABC News; The Washington Post (2011): ABC News/Washington Post Monthly Poll, September 2010. Version 1. ABC News/Washington Post Poll Series. Version: v1. ICPSR - Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR32545.v1


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Beyond Real
Max Ernst: A Retrospective
Metropolitan Museum of Art/Yale University Press,301 pp., $65.00; $45.00 (paper)
Ghost Ships: A Surrealist Love Triangle
Surrealism USA
National Academy of Design Museum/Hatje Cantz,192 pp., $40.00
Not only is Max Ernst the subject of an extensive and eye-challenging retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, he is winning retrospective publicity as a romantic principal in a shameless, artistically high-powered ménage à trois in the early 1920s, lyrically and speculatively described by the documentary filmmaker Robert McNab in his Ghost Ships. The known facts are not numerous: Ernst, born in the town of Brühl, Germany, near the Rhine between Bonn and Cologne, into a large, middle-class, Catholic family, whose father was a teacher of deaf and mute children and an amateur painter, studied philosophy and abnormal psychology at the University of Bonn. At the age of twenty he decided to become a painter and joined August Macke's Rhine Expressionist group. In 1919, having served four years in the Kaiser's army and risen to the rank of lieutenant, he helped found, with Johannes Theodor Baargeld, the Cologne Dada movement. Increasingly well-known in art circles, and acquainted with such prominent German-speaking artists as Paul Klee, Hans Arp, George Grosz, John Heartfield, and Otto Dix, he experimented with collage.
In 1921 his collages won him a solo show in Paris, but visa trouble in post-war Germany prevented him from attending. The exhibition, organized by André Breton, attracted enthusiasm among the French Surrealists; later that year the Surrealist poet Paul Éluard and his Russian wife, Gala, visited Cologne with the express purpose of meeting Ernst. A photograph was taken during the meeting, showing Max and Luise Ernst with their small son, Jimmy, the two Éluards, and the painter Baargeld. Already a prophetic note of cozy trespass was struck: Gala posed wearing the German Iron Cross, the military decoration which Ernst had won. Éluard, too, four years younger than the thirty-year-old Ernst, had fought (and been severely gassed) in the war. He said, "Max and I were at Verdun together and used to shoot at each other." According to Robert McNab,
The imaginative and moral sympathy of the two men was immediate. They also felt an instant urge to collaborate, to improvise like jazz musicians, so that Éluard quickly selected eleven collages by Ernst as illustrations for his next book of poems…. He also bought a large canvas, the Elephant of Celebes, that accompanied him to Paris with Gala. These were the first of many collaborations in book form and the first of hundreds of works Éluard purchased from Ernst.
Éluard, whose poetry has weathered better than all but a few creations by the Paris Surrealist group, was unusual among these bohemians in that he had ample money and a job; he worked for his father, a Parisian property developer. More collaborations with Ernst followed, and more trips to Cologne. When Gala and Ernst began to sleep together was not recorded, but a photograph exists, probably from March of 1922, showing Gala standing between the two men, slightly closer to Ernst than to her husband. All are on skis; the photographer may have been Luise Straus-Ernst, who was later…
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The choice of Brian McKnight for headliner at Artscape is not the only poor decision made by the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts ("X-rated songs by Artscape headliner stir controversy," July 19). They also nearly eliminated jazz from the concert line-up, except for trumpeter Dontae Winslow (who at least is a good choice). Over the last few years, jazz has been featured on a dedicated stage at the end of Charles Street. The performances have featured many of Baltimore's stellar jazz musicians and have been well-attended.
So why is jazz a virtual non-presence at this year's Artscape? Baltimore is blessed with a vibrant jazz scene where a number of world-class musicians such as Todd Marcus, Warren Wolf, Seth Kibel, George Spicka, Alan Blackman, Eric Kennedy, Jeff Reed, Larry Willis, Gail Marten, Ethel Ennis, and others too numerous to mention regularly perform. Baltimore was home to numerous past jazz greats such as Cab Calloway, Chick Webb, Eubie Blake, Ruby Glover.
Does Artscape no longer aim to represent a wide range of musical genres for its audience of millions of people not only from Baltimore but from all over the region? Who put on the blinders this year?
Elizabeth Fixsen, Savage


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- This event has passed.
Half-price bottles of wine
May 4 @ 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every week that begins at 12:00 pm on Monday, repeating indefinitely
Each and every Monday, all bottles of wine are only half-price! Don't miss out on this wonderful deal.


text:
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Financial, Wikipedia.
bumblebee:see beebee,
name for flying insects of the superfamily Apoidea, in the same order as the ants and the wasps. Bees are characterized by their enlarged hind feet, typically equipped with pollen baskets of stiff hairs for gathering pollen.
..... Click the link for more information. .
(invertebrate zoology)
The common name for several large, hairy social bees of the genus Bombus in the family Apidae.
bumblebee, humblebee
any large hairy social bee of the genus Bombus and related genera, of temperate regions: family Apidae


text:
CULVER CITY, Calif., April 26 (UPI) -- Hollywood stars Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara and Hank Azaria have returned for the sequel to "The Smurfs," Sony Pictures Animation announced.
The 2011 family flick earned more than $560 million at the worldwide box office.
Production has begun on Columbia Pictures' and Sony Pictures Animation's live-action/computer animated hybrid 3D comedy "The Smurfs 2," which is set in Europe.
While Harris, Vergara, Mays and Azaria will reprise their live-action roles, Katy Perry, Jonathan Winters, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, George Lopez, John Oliver and Anton Yelchin will once again lend their voices to the wee blue title characters.
Irish actor Brendan Gleeson joins the cast as the father of Harris' character, and Christina Ricci and J.B. Smoove will voice the new "Smurf-like naughty characters, Vexy and Hackus, respectively," a synopsis said.
"The Smurfs 2" is scheduled to be released in U.S. theaters July 31, 2013.
"We've brought the entire live-action and voice cast into the sequel. It's a real thrill to 'get the Smurf village back together' for another adventure. The same holds true for the crew. We are so deep in talent we know a fine film will result. It's like visiting with old friends -- just some slightly smaller than others," producer Jordan Kerner said in a statement Thursday.


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Sergio Santos is growing a Mohawk, replacing the loss of Jesse Crain's in the bullpen.
"My [6-year-old] son wanted one, so I got one, too, so he wouldn't feel so alone,'' Santos said.
Santos said the cut isn't meant to give him some sort of tough-guy edge.
"The attitude thing? No, you can't do beards because those are taken,'' he said. "Can't do goatees. So we'll see what the Mohawk does. [Crain's] wasn't growing on top too well, so he had to retire his Mohawk.''
Other White Sox links: James wonders if Juan Pierre could parlay his recent hot streak to an extension and recaps the past week, J.J., also, looks into Juan Pierre's hot streak, and Mike looks into the July 31 trading deadline.


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It's cool to play instruments — and even cooler to know how to play them, to an extent. We're not talking about becoming the the next over-shredding Joe Satriani, but a little proficiency goes a long way when trying to express a musical vision, whether as a hobby or something more serious. (Editor's note: Watch the author shred with Lil Jon above.)
[partner id="evolverfm"]
Music teaching apps consistently rank high in the app stores. Tuners, metronomes, digital songbooks, reference guides and more benefit everybody with a smartphone or tablet, from the dorm room dabbler to the gigging professional.
Electronic musicians have been riding the digital wave for some time, but even the open-minded coffee shop crooner can benefit from technology designed to sharpen skills and bring new life to practice routines.
Metronome Plus: The Finest Metronome in the iTunes App Store ($2)
Designed by musicians with ease and simplicity in mind, Metronome Plus is the cleanest, smoothest-operating metronome app we've seen for iOS. Simple to use and brilliantly packaged, with no extraneous features or small buttons to fumble over, this app is dead accurate when it counts with user-customizable accents, meters, subdivisions and sounds.
Peterson Strobe Tuners' iStrobosoft Puts You in Tune for Sure ($10)
Offering an unparalleled degree of precision in a software tuner, the Peterson iStrobosoft is a mobile equivalent to the long line of respected Peterson hardware tuners. This top-choice tuner can be calibrated to within one-tenth of a cent (one-thousandth of a semitone), and comes with built-in input boost and noise cancellation technology to ensure that you're always tuning to the note that you want to be.
Roni Music's 'Amazing Slow Downer' Facilitates Song Learning ($15)
Amazing Slow Downer offers users the ability to slow tracks to up to one-fourth of their original tempo without altering pitch or clarity, making it the perfect practice tool for transcribing and playing along with your favorite songs. Features including an adjustable looping function (with Save option), easy transposition and pan controls make this app worth the price.
Free iPhone Guitar Teacher Walksoft ChordBank Helps Write Songs for $4
ChordBank is a comprehensive chord index featuring over 2100 chords in over 20 common qualities. The app's strengths are its clean interface, fret-position selector and playback options (did we mention it's free?).
Reverse-Engineer Music With Reverse Chord Finder Pro ($10)
The yin to the Chordbank yang, Reverse Chord Finder Pro bridges the gap between fretboard and lead sheet. This inverse chord index offers the option to input notes on the staff, keyboard or fretboard, allowing users to program chords for up to 12 strings at a time to accommodate a wide variety of fretted instruments. Reverse chord pro also gives three possible chord names for a given fingering and plays back the selection in either block chord or arpeggiated form.
Technimo iReal b Lets You Fake It Until You Make It ($8)
Rebranded for copyright reasons, this is the app formerly known as iReal Book. A 'fake book' app that offers an easy way to create, export, print and share chord sheets to popular songs, as well as play them back with a mock three-piece accompaniment in a number of available styles. The app comes with 50 chop-building exercises with additional chord sheets easily downloadable. iReal b also offers in-app purchase of additional comping styles to bolster the included three. The app is compatible with iRig and other quarter-inch connectors for easy jam-along with other benefits including in-song transposition to any key, global transposition to concert keys Eb, Bb, F, G and number system notation, tempo control and looping functions to aid in practice.
Circle of Fifths: Crucial Music Theory Basics for iPhone ($5)
What list of music-education tools would be complete without the circle of fifths? Circle Theory packages this essential musician's reference tool into an interactive chart that can help musicians of all levels to better understand the fundamentals of Western music theory.
See Also:
- How Michael Jackson's Virtual Flash Mob Was Crowdsourced
- 3 Concert Archives Apps Bring Live Music to Your Smartphone
- 5 Things Apple iOS 5 Will Do For Music Lovers


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Intravenous Chemotherapy or Oral Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Previously Untreated Stage III-IV HIV-Associated Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01775475
Recruitment Status : Active, not recruiting
First Posted : January 25, 2013
Last Update Posted : January 28, 2020
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Condition or disease
|AIDS-related Diffuse Large Cell Lymphoma AIDS-related Diffuse Mixed Cell Lymphoma AIDS-related Diffuse Small Cleaved Cell Lymphoma AIDS-related Immunoblastic Large Cell Lymphoma AIDS-related Lymphoblastic Lymphoma AIDS-related Peripheral/Systemic Lymphoma AIDS-related Small Noncleaved Cell Lymphoma Stage III AIDS-related Lymphoma Stage IV AIDS-related Lymphoma
|Drug: cyclophosphamide Drug: doxorubicin hydrochloride Drug: vincristine sulfate Drug: prednisone Drug: lomustine Drug: etoposide Drug: procarbazine hydrochloride Other: laboratory biomarker analysis
|Phase 2
I. To compare the efficacy of standard cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride, vincristine sulfate, and prednisone (CHOP) and an oral chemotherapy regimen for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related (AR)-non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in sub-Saharan Africa with respect to overall survival (OS).
I. To compare the objectives response rate (ORR) of persons randomized to CHOP and oral chemotherapy.
II. To compare the progression free survival (PFS) of persons randomized to CHOP and oral chemotherapy.
III. To compare the safety and tolerance of persons randomized to CHOP and oral chemotherapy.
I. To describe the rates of completion of therapy of persons randomized to CHOP and oral chemotherapy.
II. To describe adherence to chemotherapy of persons randomized to CHOP and oral chemotherapy.
III. To describe adherence to antiretroviral therapy of persons randomized to CHOP and oral chemotherapy.
IV. To describe the effects of therapy on HIV control, as measured by cluster of differentiation (CD)4 counts and HIV viral load.
V. To investigate correlates of survival.
OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.
ARM I: Patients receive CHOP chemotherapy comprising cyclophosphamide intravenously (IV) on day 1, doxorubicin hydrochloride IV on day 1, vincristine sulfate IV on day 1, and prednisone orally (PO) on days 1-5. Treatment repeats every 3 weeks for up to 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
ARM II: Patients receive lomustine PO once daily (QD) on day 1 (courses 1 and 3 only), etoposide PO QD on days 1-3, cyclophosphamide PO QD on days 22-26, and procarbazine hydrochloride PO QD on days 22-26. Treatment repeats every 6 weeks for up to 3 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months.
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|7 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Parallel Assignment
|None (Open Label)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|Randomized, Phase II Trial of CHOP vs. Oral Chemotherapy With Concomitant Antiretroviral Therapy in Patients With HIV-Associated Lymphoma in Sub-Saharan Africa
|Actual Study Start Date :
|September 15, 2016
|Estimated Primary Completion Date :
|February 2021
|Estimated Study Completion Date :
|February 2021
Active Comparator: Arm I (CHOP)
Patients receive CHOP chemotherapy comprising cyclophosphamide IV on day 1, doxorubicin hydrochloride IV on day 1, vincristine sulfate IV on day 1, and prednisone PO on days 1-5. Treatment repeats every 3 weeks for up to 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
Drug: cyclophosphamide
Given IV
Other Names:
Drug: doxorubicin hydrochloride
Given IV
Other Names:
Drug: vincristine sulfate
Given IV
Other Names:
Drug: prednisone
Given PO
Other Names:
Other: laboratory biomarker analysis
Correlative studies
Experimental: Arm II (oral chemotherapy)
Patients receive lomustine PO QD on day 1 (courses 1 and 3 only), etoposide PO QD on days 1-3, cyclophosphamide PO QD on days 22-26, and procarbazine hydrochloride PO QD on days 22-26. Treatment repeats every 6 weeks for up to 3 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
Drug: lomustine
Given PO
Other Names:
Drug: etoposide
Given PO
Other Names:
Drug: cyclophosphamide
Given PO
Other Names:
Drug: procarbazine hydrochloride
Given PO
Other Names:
Other: laboratory biomarker analysis
Correlative studies
- Overall survival [ Time Frame: Up to 24 months ]The log-rank test will be used to compare the two treatment arms with respect to overall survival. The one-sided 0.20 significance level will be used for this comparison. Proportional hazards models will be used to evaluate the association between covariates (e.g., CD4 count and HIV viral load) and overall survival.
- Overall response rate [ Time Frame: Up to 24 months ]The overall response rate will be estimated for each of the treatment arms using the binomial proportion and its 95% confidence interval. The two arms will be compared with respect to overall response rate using Fisher's exact test.
- Progression-free survival [ Time Frame: Up to 24 months ]The log-rank test will be used to compare the two treatment arms with respect to progression-free survival.
- Frequency and severity of adverse events, assessed using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.0 [ Time Frame: Up to 24 months ]For each treatment arm, the frequency and severity of adverse events will be summarized. For adverse events that occur in more than 5% of either arm, the two treatment arms will be compared with respect to the proportion of patients who experience that adverse event using Fisher's exact test.
- Proportion of patients who complete treatment [ Time Frame: Up to 18 weeks ]The two treatment arms will be compared using Fisher's exact test.
- Proportion of patients who are adherent to antiretroviral therapy [ Time Frame: Up to 24 months ]Fisher's exact test will be used to compare the two treatment arms with respect to the proportion of patients who are adherent to antiretroviral therapy.
- Proportion of patients who are adherent to chemotherapy [ Time Frame: Up to 18 weeks ]Fisher's exact test will be used to compare the two treatment arms with respect to the proportion of patients who are adherent to chemotherapy.
- Effects of therapy on HIV control, measured as the change in CD4 count and HIV load [ Time Frame: From baseline to 18 weeks ]The Wilcoxon rank sum test will be used to compare the two treatment arms with respect to changes in CD4 count and HIV load.
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Ability to understand and the willingness to provide written informed consent to participate
- Adults, 18 years of age or older; date of birth should be determined based on the best possible information or source documentation available
HIV-1 infection, documented by any licensed rapid HIV test or HIV enzyme or chemiluminescence immunoassay (E/CIA) test kit at any time prior to study entry and confirmed by a licensed Western blot or a second antibody test by a method other than the initial rapid HIV and/or E/CIA, or confirmed by HIV-1 antigen or plasma HIV-1 ribonucleic acid (RNA) viral load > 1,000 copies/mL
- NOTE: the term "licensed" refers to a United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved kit or for sites located in countries other than the United States, a kit that has been certified or licensed by an oversight body within that country and validated internally
- WHO (World Health Organization) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines mandate that confirmation of the initial test result must use a test that is different from the one used for the initial assessment; a reactive initial rapid test should be confirmed by either another type of rapid assay or an E/CIA that is based on a different antigen preparation and/or different test principle (e.g., indirect versus competitive), or a Western blot or a plasma HIV-1 RNA viral load
- Biopsy-proven, measurable or assessable systemic NHL that has been confirmed by an AIDS Malignancy Clinical Trial Consortium (AMC)-approved site pathologist; if a hard copy of the pathology report is unavailable at the time of enrollment, a verbal report by the pathologist confirming the diagnosis must be documented in the medical chart
- Pathology slides from tumor tissue obtained by surgical excision or core biopsy must be reviewed by the designated site pathologist, or backup pathologist, prior to study entry; confirmation of the diagnosis must be documented by the AMC-approved pathologist prior to study entry; please reference the AMC-068 Manual of Procedures (MOP) for further instructions on documenting the diagnosis; the site pathologist for NHL must be approved through the AMC's external quality assessment (EQA) process
- Participants must have fifteen blank(unstained) slides or a diagnostic tissue block must be available for central pathology review by the AMC Core Pathology Laboratory
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-3
- Participants must have an estimated life expectancy of > 6 weeks
- White blood cells (WBC) >= 3,000 cells/uL (3.0 x 10^9 L) or
- Absolute granulocytes >= 1500 cells/uL (1.5 x 10^9 L)
- Platelets >= 100,000 cells/uL (75 x 10^9 L)
- Hemoglobin > 8 g/dL (5.0 mmol/L)
- Patients may enroll with lower hematologic values, if bone marrow involvement is documented; in this case, patients should be transfused to hemoglobin > 8 g/dL
- Serum creatinine < 3.0 mg/dL (265.2 umol/L)
- Total bilirubin =< 1.5 institutional upper limit of normal (ULN), unless elevated secondary to lymphomatous involvement of liver or biliary system, or due to other HIV medications (e.g., indinavir, tenofovir, or atazanavir); if secondary to lymphomatous involvement, an initial upper limit of total bilirubin 5 mg/dL (85.5 uM/L) should be utilized - for direct bilirubin > 1.2 mg/dL (20.5 uM/L)
- Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) =< 2.5 institutional ULN (unless elevated secondary to lymphomatous involvement of the liver)
- Participants must have a lumbar puncture with negative cerebral spinal fluid cytology within 6 weeks prior to enrollment; participants must be without evidence for central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma on neurological exam and have no radiographic evidence (if radiographic studies are done) of CNS lymphoma (inclusive of parenchymal, vitreal, or leptomeningeal involvement)
- Participants must not have had any prior chemotherapy or radiation therapy and no more than 10 days of corticosteroids in the preceding 30 days prior to enrollment
- All participants must be prescribed combination antiretroviral therapy with the goal of virological suppression using an acceptable regimen that adheres to national guidelines for treatment of HIV infection; non-suppressed, treatment experienced patients, defined as patients with a viral load > 400 copies/mL who have been on antiretroviral therapy for more than 4 months can be enrolled if an alternative antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimen is available that includes at least two ART drugs that, in the opinion of the site investigator, are expected to have activity based on genotypic testing (if available) and treatment history; patients are not allowed to receive zidovudine (azidothymidine [AZT]) as part of concurrent chemotherapy and ART regimen, since it is myelosuppressive; zidovudine may be discontinued and substituted as clinically indicated prior to or at the time of enrollment.
- Participants of childbearing potential, defined as a sexually mature woman who: 1) has not undergone a hysterectomy or bilateral oophorectomy; or 2) has not been naturally postmenopausal for at least 24 consecutive months (i.e., has had menses at any time in the preceding 24 consecutive months), must have a pregnancy test within 7 days prior to enrollment and agree to use an effective form of contraception (e.g., barrier contraception, highly effective hormonal contraception)
- Participants are allowed to have an active infection(s) for which they are receiving drug treatment provided the clinical status is judged to be stable and survival is estimated to be at least 6 weeks
- Participants must, in the opinion of the investigatory, be capable of complying with the protocol
- Participants must be able to take oral medications
- Participants must have a CD4 count performed within 30 days of enrollment
Exclusion Criteria:
- Inability to provide informed consent
- A medical or psychiatric illness that precludes ability to give informed consent or is likely to interfere with the ability to comply with the protocol stipulations
- Participants with circumstances that will not permit completion of the study or required follow-up; for instance, if travel to and from treatment site is an issue
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
- Inability to swallow oral medications
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01775475
|Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital
|Eldoret, Kenya, 4606-30100
|University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences
|Harare, Zimbabwe
|Principal Investigator:
|Robert Strother
|AIDS Associated Malignancies Clinical Trials Consortium
|Responsible Party:
|AIDS Malignancy Consortium
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
NCI-2012-01695 ( Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program) )
U01CA121947 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract )
|First Posted:
|January 25, 2013 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|January 28, 2020
|Last Verified:
|January 2020
Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin
Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma
Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse
Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Immunoblastic
Plasmablastic Lymphoma
Lymphoma, AIDS-Related
Neoplasms by Histologic Type
Lymphoproliferative Disorders
Lymphatic Diseases
Immunoproliferative Disorders
Immune System Diseases
Leukemia, Lymphoid
Lymphoma, B-Cell
Liposomal doxorubicin
Etoposide phosphate
Immunosuppressive Agents
Immunologic Factors
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Antirheumatic Agents
Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating


text:
Statistical and Thermal Physics (STP) Package Documents
This material has 2 associated documents. Select a document title to view a document's information.
Main Document
Statistical and Thermal Physics (STP) Applications
written by
Harvey Gould and
Jan Tobochnik
The Statistical and Thermal Physics (STP) Application is a self-contained file for the teaching of statistical and thermal physics. The file contains ready-to-run OSP programs and a set of curricular materials. You can choose from many different simulations and calculations ranging from probability distributions to Ising models.
A PDF of the textbook to accompany these simulations is available in the ComPADRE STP Collection https://www.compadre.org/stp/.
This application is an Open Source Physics curricular package. It is distributed as a ready-to-run (compiled) Java archive. Double clicking the osp_stp.jar file will run the application if Java is installed. Other resources are also available and can be found by searching ComPADRE for Open Source Physics, OSP, or STP.
- Download osp_stp.jar - 4019kb Java Archive File
Last Modified September 17, 2019
This file has previous versions.
Supplemental Documents
List of program names in Statistical and Thermal Physics package
Correspondence of program names in Statistical and Thermal Physics by Harvey Gould and Jan
Tobochnik, Princeton University Press (2010) and program descriptions in Java Simulations for
Statistical and Thermal Physics jar.
- Download STP_Program_Names.pdf - 61kb Adobe PDF Document
Last Modified January 17, 2015
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There are lots of huge benefits to having a dedicated IP address and personally we think it is worth the cost even on our own personal websites. The huge benefit is that it effectively gives you your own space with lots of good benefits. Without a dedicated IP address you are on the shared IP meaning that you are on an IP address shared by every other customer sometimes dozens of other sites that are on that IP. We'll list some reasons why you want to get a dedicated IP address.
- You will have your own private space - By default you are placed on that shared IP and you are in the shared space meaning you share some of the same risks and even the same share of performance.
- You are more secure - When you're on your own private IP it is associated with just your domain and no one else in the world. This means that the only connections coming to the IP will be meant for you.
- Better rankings with search engines - Search engines see IP addresses just like they see sites. When google sees that dickbutt.org is on the same IP as yourdomain.com it knows that neither of you are on your own location and is aware of the other issues we list here and penalize you for it. Dedicated IP users don't get this hit.
- Faster loading website - Since you're on your own IP address the server is better able to serve requests for your website since it has its own dedicated interface in the OS. This means faster loading sites compared to those on shared IP when the server is under load.
- Less chance of issues - If for some unforeseen reason the shared IP has some issue caused by some other user and the IP becomes unresponsive everyone on the shared IP will experience the same issue. People on their own dedicated IP will not.
- Protects your reputation - There are several ways it does this but there is one great example. If someone has an insecure site and gets a virus on it that will put a black mark on the IP of their website. If they are on the shared IP and you are on the shared IP then your users will sometimes also see the dreaded warnings from firefox, google, and others saying your site is dangerous!
- Avoid the issues with SNI - SNI is a technology that allows multiple sites to have an SSL certificate without the need for a dedicated IP. Most older browsers don't support SNI and even some modern browsers do not. This means that if you use an SSL on a shared IP a lot of people will see the "This site is insecure and may be dangerous" warning even though nothing is wrong.
- Far less mail is marked as spam - This is probably one of the largest benefits. Having email that doesn't get marked as spam. When you're site is on the shared IP you are judged harsher by all email clients so when you send an email it has a much higher chance of ending up in someones junk-mail instead of their inbox.
- Your own name even when doing a look-up - Normally if you look-up an IP it will tell you the site's that the IP is linked with. If you have a dedicated IP address it will show your domain and not someone else. You need to open a ticket to have us change it to your domain though. Just say "please update the PTR on my IP"


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New Hampshire CDL Practice Test: Class A - Test 6 2020(From the 2020 New Hampshire CDL Handbook)
|Number of tests:
|Number of questions:
|Passing score:
Directions: When applying for this license, applicants must pass a 50-question test. And applicants must score 80% to pass the test. The following questions are based on the details provided in the New Hampshire Commercial Driver Handbook. Endorsements that may be used with a Class A CDL include Hazardous Materials, Passenger, Double and Triples, HazMat and Tanker, Air Brakes and School bus. If you need additional information, please contact your local DMV office. You can find your nearest DMV office at New Hampshire DMV locations.
1. Dead end couplers prevent water and dirt entering into the ____ and the ______.
2. The space under a heavily loaded vehicle is very small. Because of this you might want to avoid what surfaces?
3. The parking brake valve should close when the air pressure falls into what range?
4. You will lose your CDL for life ________.
5. What is the purpose of dummy coupler?
6. Within the first ____ miles of your journey you should always check that your cargo is secure.
7. If the air compressor does not have its own oil supply, how is it lubricated?
8. In tractors and straight trucks spring brakes will come on fully when the air pressure drops to what range?


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face with (someone or something)(redirected from face with it)
face with (someone or something)
1. To apply or attach something to the surface of something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "face" and "with." The house was faced with blue stucco.
2. To show someone the proof of something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "face" and "with." If you face him with his questionable receipts, he'll have to tell you what he's really been doing on Tuesday nights.
3. To have to handle or deal with someone or something. My meditation practice definitely helps me whenever I'm faced with a stressful situation at work.
face someone with something
to present evidence of something to someone. When I faced him with the evidence, he confessed immediately. The police faced Max with the witness's story. The CEO was faced with the problem of bringing the bankrupt firm back to profitability.
face something with something
to install something on the surface of something. We faced the kitchen walls with yellow tile. The wall was faced with tile.
face with
Confront, as in When he was faced with the evidence, he admitted it. [Late 1500s]
face with
1. To cover the surface of something using a substance: The builders faced the front wall with marble. The facade was faced with terra cotta.
2. To force someone to confront or deal with something or someone. Used chiefly in the passive: When I'm faced with a problem, I ask my parents for advice.


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|Oracle® OLAP DML Reference
11g Release 2 (11.2)
Part Number E17122-05
|View PDF
The UNRAVEL function is used with an assignment statement to copy the values of an expression into the cells of a variable when the dimensions of the expression are different from the dimensions of the variable.
An assignment statement created using an assignment statement assigns the values obtained from UNRAVEL by looping over the status of the dimensions of the target variable. The first dimension listed in the variable's definition varies the fastest. UNRAVEL obtains the values of the expression in the same way, looping over the status of the dimensions of the expression with the first dimension varying the fastest. You can alter the order in which UNRAVEL obtains its values by specifying the dimensions over which to loop.
Return Value
The data type returned by UNRAVEL is the data type of the values specified by the expression.
UNRAVEL(expression [dimension1...])
The expression whose values are to be copied.
Specifies one or more dimensions over which to loop; the dimension specified first varies fastest as the data is unraveled.
Specifying dimensions in UNRAVEL overrides the default looping order and the extent to which the expression is unraveled. By default, unraveling extends through all the dimensions of the expression. However, when you specify some but not all the dimensions of the expression, any dimensions you have not specified do not unravel. Instead, the unraveled values include only the first value of each of the omitted dimensions.
Usage Notes
Performance Tip for Unraveling Variables Dimensioned by Composites
By default, when UNRAVEL loops over a composite, it sorts the composite values according to the current order of the values in the composite's base dimensions. The task of sorting requires some processing time, so when variables are large, performance can be affected. When your variable is very large, and you are more concerned about performance than about the order in which UNRAVEL output is produced, you can set the SORTCOMPOSITE option to
Moving Worksheet Data
One common use of UNRAVEL is to move data from a worksheet to a variable, because the worksheet usually does not have the same dimensions as the variable. See Example 8-157, "Copying Data from a Worksheet to a Variable".
Filling Extra Target Cells
When there are still more cells in the target for the assignment statement (created using an assignment statement) to fill after it has used the last value from the expression, UNRAVEL starts over at the first value again.
Setting Status
Since the order in which unraveled values are assigned depends on the current status of the dimensions of both the variable and the expression, ensure that the appropriate LIMIT commands have been given so that the cells match up correctly.
Assigning Data Values
See SET for information on how data values are assigned.
Example 8-157 Copying Data from a Worksheet to a Variable
In an analytic workspace, you have imported some product price data from a spreadsheet into a worksheet. You now want to transfer that data to a variable called
newprice. You can produce a report of a worksheet, called
pricedata, with these statements.
LIMIT wksrow TO 1 TO 6 LIMIT wkscol TO 1 2 3 REPORT pricedata
This is the report.
-----------PRICEDATA------------ -------------WKSCOL------------- WKSROW 1 2 3 -------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1 Jan95 Jan96 2 Tents 191.39 194.00 3 Canoes 279.92 300.00 4 Racquets 83.34 85.00 5 Sportswear 107.90 110.00 6 Footwear 183.18 195.00
As you can see, row 1 contains month labels, while column 1 contains product labels. The variable
newprice is dimensioned by
month and
product, as shown in its definition.
DEFINE newprice VARIABLE DECIMAL <month product> LD Wholesale Unit Selling Price
Even though the worksheet has different dimensions (
wkscol and
wksrow) than
newprice, the data contained in it is well organized for transferring to the variable.
However, you do not want to take data from all the rows and columns in the worksheet, so limit
wkscol and
wksrow to the rows and columns that contain the price data itself.
LIMIT wkscol TO 2 3 LIMIT wksrow TO 2 TO 6
Also, you only want to set values into the variable
newprice for January 1995 and January 1996. So first limit
month to these values, then type an assignment statement using UNRAVEL to move the values from the worksheet to the variable.
LIMIT month TO 'Jan95' 'Jan96' newprice = UNRAVEL(pricedata)
You do not have to specify dimensions in the UNRAVEL function because
wkscol is the fastest varying dimension. Consequently, both months unravel for the first product, then both months for the second product. Since the fastest-varying dimension of the variable is
month, SET assigns values to the variable in the same order.
A report of
newprice looks like this.
------NEWPRICE------- --------MONTH-------- PRODUCT Jan95 Jan96 -------------- ---------- ---------- Tents 191.39 194.00 Canoes 279.92 300.00 Racquets 83.34 85.00 Sportswear 107.90 110.00 Footwear 183.18 195.00


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The Brain Center With Experimental Therapies That Glenn Beck Says 'Reversed' a Degenerative Illness
Nov. 10, 2014 9:20pm Liz Klimas
Glenn Beck revealed on TheBlaze TV Monday more details into the illness he has been battling for years: just how bad it had gotten, his concerns for the future and the experimental treatment that he says set him on the path to recovery. And that treatment involves a very odd-looking chair and group of doctors he calls "medical cowboys."
The majority of Beck's health issues go back about five years ago. There were those that his followers knew about — vocal cord paralysis and eyesight problems — and then those that he kept more secret from his fan base and even much of his staff.
A picture of the chair taken off the company's website. (Source: Carrick Brain Centers)
"We didn't know at the time what was causing me to feel as though out of nowhere my hands and feet and arms and legs would just feel like someone had crushed them, set them on fire or pushed broken glass into my feet," Beck told his audience on The Glenn Beck Program, adding that work was "literally killing me."
You can read more about what Beck revealed Monday night here.
Eventually, Beck had an assessment for a traumatic brain injury that revealed he was functioning in the bottom 10 percent. Still, doctors didn't know what caused it — stress, a rare disorder, something else?
Then he found the Carrick Brain Centers, a brain rehabilitation center headquartered in Texas, which "combines evidence-based diagnostics with leading-edge technologies and treatments to quickly help improve the quality of life of patients suffering from brain injuries due to physical or emotional trauma or degenerative conditions that affect the brain and central nervous system."
"Honestly, it is a place you go if you are desperate. Some of the stuff they do sounds crazy," Beck said, referring to the doctors there as needing to be "medical cowboys." He said insurance companies and some more traditional physicians are skeptical. But, he said, they gave him "hope…for the first time."
Dr. Cagan Randall, lead clinician and co-founder of Carrick Brain Centers, told TheBlaze the designation of "medical cowboy" refers to the novel combination of therapies the center uses to treat TBI (traumatic brain injuries) and also because he literally wears cowboy boots as a proud Texan.
Some of the treatments at the center include low-dose electrical stimulation, balance training and, perhaps the most unusual, its "patented off vertical axis rotational device."
This device is a rotational chair that stimulates the vestibular system of the brain, the system that deals with spacial orientation and balance. Beck described the chair as similar to those on which astronauts train.
"The vestibular system of our brain is one of most important systems that we have because gravity never stops," Randall said, adding the chair is designed to stimulate that system over and over again, tailored to a specific patient's needs.
Check out this video from ABC News that shows the chair in action (jump to 2:36):
[ For video, see: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/11/10/the-brain-center-with-experimental-therapies-that-glenn-beck-says-reversed-a-degenerative-illness/ ]
All of these treatments together are what makes Carrick Brain Centers novel, Randall said.
"We see a very exciting time in our business because we're getting the attention of all the right people," he explained.
While it would seem as if these treatments focus on physical effects of a TBI, Randall said that patients with such injuries also suffer from memory deficits.
"Going through [this] rehabilitation, we see big improvements in memory restoration," Randall said.
He added the speed with which the brain center has been able to assess, treat and have TBI patients moving forward with their lives has attracted interest from Veterans Affairs and other governing bodies.
In fact, Carrick Brain Centers launched a campaign this month to raise awareness and funds to treat veterans suffering from TBIs and post-traumatic stress disorder. Watch the center's campaign video:
[ For video, see: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/11/10/the-brain-center-with-experimental-therapies-that-glenn-beck-says-reversed-a-degenerative-illness/ ]
"After months of treatment and completely changing the way I eat, sleep, work and live with ongoing hormone treatment and intensive physical therapy, I have reversed the process," Beck said of his own health status. Still, he added, "some of the physical scars will be with me for the rest of my life," like those sitting next to him on a plane may notice his hands shaking. "But the brain is back online in a big way."
This story has been updated to correct a typo.


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The fleet
Founded in 1983, AIRCALIN is New Caledonia's international airline, operating flights to the Pacific Region countries and providing a gateway to the world.
The airline's key missions are facilitating travel abroad for New Caledonian passengers, developing visitor traffic to expand the tourism industry and ensuring the freight transport capability essential to New Caledonia's economy.
As a member of IATA and an IOSA certified operator, AIRCALIN meets the most stringent international standards for safety and reliability.
With its fleet of two Airbus A330neo and two A320 aircrafts, AIRCALIN operate 22 international flights to 11 destinations from Noumea: Tokyo, Osaka, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Auckland, Port-Vila, Nadi, Wallis, Futuna and Papeete. The airline also fulfils a public service mission by operating daily flights between the islands of Wallis and Futuna using 16 seater Twin Otter aircraft.
The maintenance is realized according to the European standards (EASA Part M and Part 145).
291 seats including 26 in Hibiscus class
Commercial flight capability: 12h / 12 000 km
> Discover
AIRBUS A320 (F-OJSB et F-OZNC)
146 or 158 seats including 8 in Hibiscus class
Commercial flight capability: 5h30 / 4 500 km
> Discover
16 seats
Commercial flight capability: 5h30 / 4 500 km
> Discover


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Carrie Underwood Makes Billboard Milestone Award Top 3
Carrie Underwood is holding it down for country music. After three weeks of fan-voting, she is the only country star remaining on the 2014 Billboard Milestone Award ballot. Luke Bryan didn't make it to the finals.
The country superstar is joined by U.K. pop artist Ellie Goulding and pop-rock group OneRepublic in the top three. The finalists were announced on Monday (April 21), the winner will be chosen and announced live during the award show on May 18.
The competition was stiff for the final three. They were originally competing against Imagine Dragons and John Legend and -- as mentioned -- Bryan. The important Billboard award criteria is that the artist must be original and have reached some type of chart milestone in the past year. Last year's Milestone Award winner was Justin Bieber.
Voting for the final three began on Monday at the Billboard website. The 2014 Billboard Music Awards will air live from Las Vegas on ABC at 8:00 PM ET.


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I spent last night working on Paradigm Lost...still working on this huge motif that I've been at the past month. I'm thinking this one will be in the works for months at the rate I'm going. I have to admit its a little discouraging to spend a good part of the evening stitching and see such a little bit get accomplished. Well I guess it doesn't help that I had to frog the end section, not once, but twice! I should comment on the amazing recuperative power of Gloriana silk - its awesome. Most threads would have crumbled away after being pulled out bit by bit but not this stuff. Its like the Energizer bunny, its just keeps going and going, no matter how many times I pulled it back out and re-used it.
I've been asking Carrie to pick a wedding sampler for me to stitch for her and JF and she settled on a gorgeous one, and it really is one that suits them so very well. Its Papillon Creations Love with a Capital L:
Beautiful! But .... humongous! I almost fell over when I saw the stitch count ~ 260 x 434! And I'm hoping to have this done and framed for the wedding in September .... of this year! I guess if I could put in some stitching all-nighters, for a month or two LOL.
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Paradigm Lost and Love
I spent last night working on Paradigm Lost...still working on this huge motif that I've been at the past month. I'm thinking this one will be in the works for months at the rate I'm going. I have to admit its a little discouraging to spend a good part of the evening stitching and see such a little bit get accomplished. Well I guess it doesn't help that I had to frog the end section, not once, but twice! I should comment on the amazing recuperative power of Gloriana silk - its awesome. Most threads would have crumbled away after being pulled out bit by bit but not this stuff. Its like the Energizer bunny, its just keeps going and going, no matter how many times I pulled it back out and re-used it.
Posted by Wendy at 8:18 am 25 comments
Labels: Love with a Capital L, Paradigm Lost
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Carol's RR
I've been making good progress on my section on Carol's RR. You can see her house to the right of mine and below mine is Nicole's lovely addition. I'm using Elizabeth's Design Gardener's Cottage. Its a little larger than I would have liked, but I like the lighter colour, I thought it would be a good contrast to the 2 red/darker houses. I'll have some room to add some trees, flowers, etc. too, I'll have to decide which to add.
I finally got my Friendship Quaker chart in yesterday's mail. What is with the slow mail these days? I am still waiting for my partner to receive her Valentine's exchange. It has me worried that it is taking so long. I know it had to go overseas, but really by slow boat?
And for those of you who asked, no the doggies do not keep me company in bed with my potato chips. Now that hubby would definitely not tolerate. Although Kelsey has been known to take his place once he gets up in the morning, but no one is ever the wiser!
Posted by Wendy at 8:08 am 9 comments
Labels: Neighbourhood RR
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Houses of Hawk Run Hollow....and a tag
I'm happy dancing....I finished the dreaded Block 5! So much black.....egads! This was certainly a block that I looked forward to finishing as it is completely filled with stitching. I'm almost ashamed to say that I started it last summer while on holiday, but most of the fall it was ignored. The idea of stitching this one was more daunting than I realized. So hallelujah, its done!
And since I was tagged by Lynn, here it is:
1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post THE RULES on your blog.
3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.
4. Tag 7 people and link to them.
5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged
How do I come up with 7 weird facts about myself....there must be at least 70!
1. I am a very anal stitcher when it comes to my thread. I use it all! Yes all of it, down to the very last cm. It makes it difficult sometimes to get that end threaded through on the back but I've become quite a pro at it. On the other hand, when I only have 1-2 stitches left and not a very long piece, I can't see the point of rethreading. Yes, I guess I am a thread miser.
2. I like to fondle my fabrics ~ that's not too weird is it? Stitching fabrics, quilting fabrics, it makes no difference, but if I don't feel like stitching or quilting or knitting, which is rare, then I quite happily play with my fabrics, sort through them, refold them, and see what I may possibly need in the year 2050.
3. I'm a newshound and I usually always have a news program on during the day...no soaps for me!
4. I have 4 doggies in my house and I would have more if I could...only I think hubby would find a new place to live.
5. I love to work in the morning, the earlier the better, but afternoons kill me.
6. When I'm upset, I like to curl up in bed with a good book and a bag of potato chips. Something else hubby isn't too happy about.
7. I'm currently learning therapeutic touch and hands-on healing.
Yup, that's it for now...hope you're not too weirded out, LOL!
Posted by Wendy at 7:53 am 20 comments
Labels: Houses of Hawk Run Hollow
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Quilting...and a mail surprise
Sewing...that's about all this drab weather is making me want to do these days. So I dug into some 5" charm packs that I bought a while ago and decided to make a lap sized quilt for our cottage. I only had 2 packs of 32 pieces each, so I needed to add a little onto each charm piece or this lap quilt would be baby-sized!
Its amazing really how fast this has gone together, I think having all those charm pieces pre-cut makes a big difference. I have the entire thing put together, I made a 7 x 10 sized quilt, as I dug into my stash and found a few more brushed cottons that fit in very nicely so I could make this a wee bit bigger.
On the stitching front, I have been working on my Fair & Square blocks so can't show those. And to soothe my ruffled feathers since Carrie and JF have left for Las Vegas....without us.... I made a wee order to Needlecraft Corner. I admit it, I couldn't resist all the fantastic new things coming out from the Nashville Show. I ordered one of the new Blackbird Designs books, the Goode Huswife Book of Designs, and Quaker Turtles by With My Needle. I am so looking forwards to getting all these goodies in the mail, hopefully with the Blackbird Design Loose Feathers piece too, since I am on automatic for that.
I almost forgot, I joined in the Quaker Friendship RR that Edgar set up, so the pattern is on its way for that too. I still haven't decided on fabric/floss yet. Where's my mail when I'm so desperate for it???
But I did get a fantastic little package in the mail that gave me such a lift! This was from Bine, who set me a very sweet card, and included some lovely Valentine's fabric, and silk floss, ribbon and sweet little charms. Bine, this was so unexpected and so wonderful of you to send to me! You certainly made my day and I can't thank you enough!!!
Posted by Wendy at 7:04 pm 11 comments
Labels: Quilting, Stitching gifts
Monday, February 11, 2008
A new start and exciting news!
Sampler Lady by Little House Needleworks, using GAST and DMC, on 32 ct Lakeside Linen remnant.
Here is my newest start ~ Sampler Lady. Its hard to see right now but the alphabet is done in her skirt, its just the same colour as the linen LOL. I have to fill in the background still. I'm using the same Lakeside Linen fabric that I used for Home of a Needlworker. There's no name for this colour, it was just a test piece that was done in a 1/2 half size and I was able to buy it for a good price. It looks almost tea-dyed actually, and the colour is perfect for designs like this.
My BIG NEWS ~ my daughter Carrie and Jean-Francois are officially engaged!!! He presented her with an enagagement ring on Thursday. We knew it was coming but it didn't lessen any excitement when the big moment was actually here. They are looking at a September 2009 wedding date.
And Carrie and I already hit our first bridal show yesterday. To top off the fun day, I won a door prize and Carrie won the grand prize, $1000 towards a trip through Cruise Line Centre! We met a a wonderful couple who own a resort about 40 km northeast of us, what was once a ski lodge, and we are going to check out the place and the food on Valentine's Day as they open for special occasions.
Posted by Wendy at 8:29 am 29 comments
Thursday, February 07, 2008
WIP Update
Its that time again, well actually I guess Wednesday WIP's sounds better but I missed out yesterday. We had a huge amount of snow drop on us yesterday - 30 cm (12"?). Although it sure makes everything look so pretty with all the trees covered in snow, it really makes a mess to drive anywhere until the streets can get cleaned better. And I realized how bad traction my SUV gets, when I went into a slide and narrowly missed hitting somebody!
Today is clear and sunny though chilly. I dropped by the library while doing my work run, and found a Philippa Gregory book called The Queen's Fool. Judy (Crazee 4 Books) gave a great book review on this, and since I have already read The Other Boleyn Girl (can't wait to see the movie) and Fallen Skies, I was eager to pick this one up.
So here they are~
Carriage House Samplings Alphabet series ~ J is for Jump is finished!
Houses of Hawk Run Hollow ~ I made some great progress on this one, the house itself is done sans roof!
Paradigm Lost ~ sorry for the blurry pic. Its coming along slow but surely. And tonight is PL night so I hope to make some progress on the motif on the right.
I picked up Sampler Gameboard again and finished up a couple more houses.
That's it for me ~ Hope you all have a great day!
Posted by Wendy at 1:27 pm 20 comments
Labels: CHS Alphabet, Houses of Hawk Run Hollow, Paradigm Lost, Sampler Gameboard
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Valentine's Exchange
I received an amazing package in the mail today ~ my Valentine's Exchange from Edgar. He stitched the most wonderful Valentine's Heart pinkeep, using a design from AMAP Victoria's Quaker and a combination of Soie d'Alger, DMC, Crescent Colours and WDW to stitch this. Isn't it spectacular!!! His attention to detail is awesome, I wish I had taken a close-up of the edging with the lovely lace and cording.
And here is a picture of all the goodies he sent along - some yummy looking Valentine candy, silk ribbon and a skein of Gloriana silk Luminescence, called very appropriately 'Valentines', and John James needles. What a lucky person I am to have received such a great exchange ~ Thank you, Edgar!!
I have already earmarked this pretty silk floss for a couple of Valentine's freebies that I have recently copied off the 'net. I can't wait to try it.
My SBEBB exchange parcel just went out in the weekend's mail and as its flying overseas, I don't expect the recipient to be getting it too quickly, but I'll post a picture of what I made once I know its been received.
Posted by Wendy at 4:24 pm 28 comments
Labels: SBEBB
Sunday, February 03, 2008
February Finish
Thank you so much for all your very sweet comments! I am feeling so much better and I'm sure reading all your lovely comments had a lot to do with my cheerfulness!! The first couple of days are always so rough, especially with the after-effects of all the drugs I was given. I wonder now if stitching had been such a great idea but at the time, I did find it soothing to pick up my stitching and if I lost interest, then I made some crochet blocks to make for the baby afghan. I'm hoping to start slowly back into work tomorrow.
On the downside, hubby and I cancelled our trip to Las Vegas in 2 weeks. I am really feeling bummed about it, I was so looking forwards to going with Carrie and JF as its their first time there and we were looking forwards to showing them around. I just didn't want to take a chance on a recurrence of the problem, since the doctor was only able to do so much with the laparoscopy, and it looks like I'll need further surgery not too far down the road.
I have been slowly reading through everyone's blogs but please forgive me if I haven't been commenting recently.
Home of a Needleworker by Little House Designs, stitched with a mixture of DMC and GAST on 32 ct Lakeside Linen remnant.
I finished Home of a Needleworker and I love it! Its such a pretty piece to work on and so much fun to do. I have LHN's Sampler Lady in my stash too and I think I'll try to start that one next, as I think it would look great framed next to Home of a Needleworker.
Posted by Wendy at 5:29 pm 18 comments
Labels: LHN