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ACTA in the NewsAccreditation
DeSantis Won the Accreditation Fight. What's Next?
The once-sleepy topic of accreditation continues to take shape as perhaps the most important frontline topic in the battle for higher education reform.
For months, an education school accrediting group's use of the phrase "social justice" to describe a desirable quality in candidates to become elementary and secondary teachers has fueled a debate that has been robust and at times contentious. Monday, as critics formally challenged the accreditor's policy before a U.S. Education Department panel, the accrediting group defended its evaluation methods and took steps to defuse the issue.
The words "social justice" appear in a glossary of terms that the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education uses as an example of what programs might consider using when evaluating a teaching candidate's "disposition" and classroom readiness.
Supporters of a traditional curriculum have argued that evaluating students based on their commitment to social justice is an inherently subjective practice with ideological undertones. Late last year, the National Association of Scholars filed a complaint with the Education Department saying the accreditor encourages standards that violate students' First Amendment rights.
Arthur E. Wise, president of NCATE, has argued that the "disposition" component of evaluation helps education schools measure how their students would respond in a classroom setting. On Monday, as Wise sat before the Education Department's National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, which has the power to extend the council's authority or set the agenda for changes, a set of critics raised the issue once again.
The committee said it didn't have the jurisdiction to consider the "social justice" matter, as department staff deemed the topic to be outside of the scope of the education secretary's "Criteria for Recognition." But Wise knew who was behind him, both in physical proximity and in order of speech—a small group of third-party witnesses ready to pick apart NCATE's practices.
So Wise preempted his detractors. "I categorically deny the assertion that NCATE has a mandatory 'social justice' standard," Wise testified. "We don't endorse political and social ideologies. We endorse academic freedom, and we base our standards on knowledge, skills and professional disposition."
And then, Wise threw the witnesses a bone, announcing that NCATE had decided to eliminate references to "social justice" from its current glossary because "the term is susceptible to a variety of definitions."
The Education Department committee, which shares the task of recognizing accreditors with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, also voted unanimously to renew NCATE's recognition for five years and to expand the agency's scope to include accreditation of programs offered via distance education.
Wise said the council would not get in the way of nor discourage its member programs from incorporating social justice in the curriculum.
The speakers who followed admitted some of their thunder had been stolen. "One of the reasons for me being here today has become moot," said Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. "I applaud what NCATE has done today; it's a step in the right direction."
Stephen H. Balch, president of the National Association of Scholars, echoed Lukianoff's sentiments, but said that only time will tell if education programs make any changes in their evaluation policies.
Anne D. Neal, president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, said in an interview that the omission of the "social justice" phrase "will make absolutely no difference" in the practices of either NCATE or its member institutions. "Removing social justice doesn't eliminate the issue of imposing disposition on teacher candidates."
George A. Pruitt was the only advisory committee member to enter into the "social justice" debate. "I'm struggling to find how this is a radical agenda," he said. "I'm saddened by the notion that our children need to be protected from 'social justice.' This is one issue that shouldn't be controversial."
The Education Department committee meets again today in Arlington, Va., to determine the accreditation status of other agencies.
The once-sleepy topic of accreditation continues to take shape as perhaps the most important frontline topic in the battle for higher education reform.
After years of discussions over whether college accreditors should have bright-line metrics to gauge college performance, a federal advisory
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Condo Insurance in Pasadena
Owning a condominium carries its own responsibilities. You, not the homeowner's association, are responsible for what's inside your condo. That's why it is critically important to have a condo policy!
Your condo association will have a master policy that will cover the property, common areas and physical structure of your building. That being said, they do not cover what is inside of your condominium, such as your carpet, your clothes and your furniture!
That's why you need condo insurance in Pasadena.
Condo insurance will typically include coverage such as:
- Personal property
- Replacement value of your primary dwelling and specified permanent attachments, up to a specific value
- Bodily injury if someone is hurt on your property (just like a homeowner's policy)
- Liability for property damage
- Damage protection from dangers, such as fire, plumbing freezes, vandalism, glass breakage, etc.
A traditional condo insurance policy will cover damages to most of your personal belongings, as well as walls, floors and ceiling coverings. Most condominium associations will say that the owner is responsible for everything within the unit, including permanently attached fixtures and improvements such as kitchen cabinets and appliances.
When you're ready to shop for Condo Insurance, also known as an HO6 policy, call FIA Insurance Services, Inc. at (626) 795-7059.

subset: commoncrawl


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Antizol® (fomepizole) Injection is a competitive inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase.
The chemical name of fomepizole is 4-methylpyrazole. It has the molecular formula C4H6N2 and a molecular weight of 82.1. The structural formula is:
It is a clear to yellow liquid at room temperature. Its melting point is 25°C (77°F) and it may present in a solid form at room temperature. Fomepizole is soluble in water and very soluble in ethanol, diethyl ether, and chloroform. Each vial contains 1.5 mL (1 g/mL) of fomepizole.
Antizol® is indicated as an antidote for ethylene glycol (such as antifreeze) or methanol poisoning, or for use in suspected ethylene glycol or methanol ingestion, either alone or in combination with hemodialysis (see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION).
Do not use polycarbonate syringes or polycarbonate-containing needles (including polycarbonate filter needles) when diluting or administering Antizol. Fomepizole can interact with polycarbonate, compromising the integrity of the syringe and/or needle component containing polycarbonate.
Treatment Guidelines
If ethylene glycol or methanol poisoning is left untreated, the natural progression of the poisoning leads to accumulation of toxic metabolites, including glycolic and oxalic acids (ethylene glycol intoxication) and formic acid (methanol intoxication). These metabolites can induce metabolic acidosis, nausea/ vomiting, seizures, stupor, coma, calcium oxaluria, acute tubular necrosis, blindness, and death. The diagnosis of these poisonings may be difficult because ethylene glycol and methanol concentrations diminish in the blood as they are metabolized to their respective metabolites. Hence, both ethylene glycol and methanol concentrations and acid base balance, as determined by serum electrolyte (anion gap) and/or arterial blood gas analysis, should be frequently monitored and used to guide treatment.
Treatment consists of blocking the formation of toxic metabolites using inhibitors of alcohol dehydrogenase, such as Antizol®, and correction of metabolic abnormalities. In patients with high ethylene glycol or methanol concentrations (≥ 50 mg/dL), significant metabolic acidosis, or renal failure, hemodialysis should be considered to remove ethylene glycol or methanol and the respective toxic metabolites of these alcohols.
Treatment With Antizol®
Begin Antizol® treatment immediately upon suspicion of ethylene glycol or methanol ingestion based on patient history and/or anion gap metabolic acidosis, increased osmolar gap, visual disturbances, or oxalate crystals in the urine, OR a documented serum ethylene glycol or methanol concentration greater than 20 mg/dL.
Hemodialysis should be considered in addition to Antizol® in the case of renal failure, significant or worsening metabolic acidosis, or a measured ethylene glycol or methanol concentration of greater than or equal to 50 mg/dL. Patients should be dialyzed to correct metabolic abnormalities and to lower the ethylene glycol concentrations below 50 mg/dL.
Discontinuation Of Antizol® Treatment
Treatment with Antizol® may be discontinued when ethylene glycol or methanol concentrations are undetectable or have been reduced below 20 mg/dL, and the patient is asymptomatic with normal pH.
Dosing Of Antizol®
A loading dose of 15 mg/kg should be administered, followed by doses of 10 mg/kg every 12 hours for 4 doses, then 15 mg/kg every 12 hours thereafter until ethylene glycol or methanol concentrations are undetectable or have been reduced below 20 mg/dL, and the patient is asymptomatic with normal pH. All doses should be administered as a slow intravenous infusion over 30 minutes (see Administration).
Dosage With Renal Dialysis
Antizol® (fomepizole) Injection is dialyzable and the frequency of dosing should be increased to every 4 hours during hemodialysis
Antizol® Dosing in Patients Requiring Hemodialysis
|If <6 hours since last Antizol® dose
|If ≥6 hours since last Antizol® dose
|Do not administer dose
|Administer next scheduled dose
|Dose every 4 hours
|Time between last dose and the end of hemodialysis
|<1 hour
|Do not administer dose at the end of hemodialysis
|1-3 hours
|Administer ½ of next scheduled dose
|>3 hours
|Administer next scheduled dose
|Give next scheduled dose 12 hours from last dose administered
Antizol® solidifies at temperatures less than 25° C (77° F). If the Antizol® solution has become solid in the vial, the solution should be liquefied by running the vial under warm water or by holding in the hand. Solidification does not affect the efficacy, safety, or stability of Antizol®. Using sterile technique, the appropriate dose of Antizol® should be drawn from the vial with a non-polycarbonate containing syringe and injected into at least 100 mL of sterile 0.9% sodium chloride injection or dextrose 5% injection. Mix well. The entire contents of the resulting solution should be infused over 30 minutes. Antizol®, like all parenteral products, should be inspected visually for particulate matter prior to administration.
Antizol® diluted in 0.9% sodium chloride injection or dextrose 5% injection remains stable and sterile for at least 24 hours when stored refrigerated or at room temperature. Antizol® does not contain preservatives. Therefore, maintain sterile conditions, and after dilution do not use beyond 24 hours. Solutions showing haziness, particulate matter, precipitate, discoloration, or leakage should not be used.
Antizol® is supplied as a sterile, preservative-free solution for intravenous use as:
Supplied in packages of four vials or one vial. Each vial contains 1.5 mL (1 g/mL) of fomepizole.
NDC 46129-200-02 (four vials)
NDC 46129-200-01 (one vial)
Store at controlled room temperature, 20° to 25° C (68° to 77° F)
Distributed by: Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Palo Alto, CA 94304. Revision Date: Dec 2020
The most frequent adverse events reported as drug-related or unknown relationship to study drug in the 78 patients and 63 normal volunteers who received Antizol® (fomepizole) Injection were headache (14%), nausea (11%), and dizziness, increased drowsiness, and bad taste/metallic taste (6% each). All other adverse events in this population were reported in approximately 3% or fewer of those receiving Antizol (fomepizole) and were as follows:
Body as a Whole: Abdominal pain, fever, multiorgan system failure, pain during Antizol (fomepizole) injection, inflammation at injection site, lumbalgia/backache, hangover
Cardiovascular: Sinus bradycardia/bradycardia, phlebosclerosis, tachycardia, phlebitis, shock, hypotension
Gastrointestinal: Vomiting, diarrhea, dyspepsia, heartburn, decreased appetite, transient transaminitis
Hemic/Lymphatic: Eosinophilia/hypereosinophilia, lymphangitis, disseminated intravascular coagulation, anemia
Nervous: Lightheadedness, seizure, agitation, feeling drunk, facial flush, vertigo, nystagmus, anxiety, "felt strange", decreased environmental awareness
Respiratory: Hiccups, pharyngitis
Skin/Appendages: Application site reaction, rash
Special Senses: Abnormal smell, speech/visual disturbances, transient blurred vision, roar in ear
Urogenital: Anuria
Oral doses of Antizol (fomepizole) (10-20 mg/kg), via alcohol dehydrogenase inhibition, significantly reduced the rate of elimination of ethanol (by approximately 40%) given to healthy volunteers in moderate doses. Similarly, ethanol decreased the rate of elimination of Antizol (fomepizole) (by approximately 50%) by the same mechanism.
Reciprocal interactions may occur with concomitant use of Antizol (fomepizole) and drugs that increase or inhibit the cytochrome P450 system (e.g., phenytoin, carbamazepine, cimetidine, ketoconazole), though this has not been studied.
No Information provided
Antizol® should not be given undiluted or by bolus injection. Venous irritation and phlebosclerosis were noted in two of six normal volunteers given bolus injections (over 5 minutes) of Antizol® at a concentration of 25 mg/mL.
Do not use polycarbonate syringes or polycarbonate-containing needles (including polycarbonate filter needles) when diluting or administering Antizol. Fomepizole can interact with polycarbonate, compromising the integrity of the syringe and/or needle component containing polycarbonate.
Minor allergic reactions (mild rash, eosinophilia) have been reported in a few patients receiving Antizol® (see ADVERSE REACTIONS). Therefore, patients should be monitored for signs of allergic reactions.
Laboratory Tests
In addition to specific antidote treatment with Antizol®, patients intoxicated with ethylene glycol or methanol must be managed for metabolic acidosis, acute renal failure (ethylene glycol), adult respiratory distress syndrome, visual disturbances (methanol), and hypocalcemia. Fluid therapy and sodium bicarbonate administration are potential supportive therapies. In addition, potassium and calcium supplementation and oxygen administration are usually necessary. Hemodialysis is necessary in the anuric patient, or in patients with severe metabolic acidosis or azotemia (see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION). Treatment success should be assessed by frequent measurements of blood gases, pH, electrolytes, BUN, creatinine, and urinalysis, in addition to other laboratory tests as indicated by individual patient conditions. At frequent intervals throughout the treatment, patients poisoned with ethylene glycol should be monitored for ethylene glycol concentrations in serum and urine, and the presence of urinary oxalate crystals. Similarly, serum methanol concentrations should be monitored in patients poisoned with methanol. Electrocardiography should be performed because acidosis and electrolyte imbalances can affect the cardiovascular system. In the comatose patient, electroencephalography may also be required. In addition, hepatic enzymes and white blood cell counts should be monitored during treatment, as transient increases in serum transaminase concentrations and eosinophilia have been noted with repeated Antizol® dosing.
Nonclinical Toxicology
Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, And Impairment Of Fertility
There have been no longterm studies performed in animals to evaluate carcinogenic potential.
There was a positive Ames test result in the Escherichia coli tester strain WP2uvrA and the Salmonella typhimurium tester strain TA102 in the absence of metabolic activation.
There was no evidence of a clastogenic effect in the in vivo mouse micronucleus assay.
In rats, fomepizole (110 mg/kg) administered orally for 40 to 42 days resulted in decreased testicular mass (approximately 8% reduction). This dose is approximately 0.6 times the human maximum daily exposure based on surface area (mg/m²). This reduction was similar for rats treated with either ethanol or fomepizole alone. When fomepizole was given in combination with ethanol, the decrease in testicular mass was significantly greater (approximately 30% reduction) compared to those rats treated exclusively with fomepizole or ethanol.
Pregnancy Category C: Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with fomepizole. It is also not known whether Antizol® can cause fetal harm when administered to pregnant women or can affect reproduction capacity. Antizol® should be given to pregnant women only if clearly needed.
Nursing Mothers
It is not known whether fomepizole is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when Antizol® is administered to a nursing woman.
Pediatric Use
Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established.
Geriatric Use
Safety and effectiveness in geriatric patients have not been established.
Nausea, dizziness, and vertigo were noted in healthy volunteers receiving 50 and 100 mg/kg doses of Antizol® (at plasma concentrations of 290-520 μmol/L, 23.8-42.6 mg/L). These doses are 3-6 times the recommended dose. This dose-dependent CNS effect was short-lived in most subjects and lasted up to 30 hours in one subject.
Antizol® is dialyzable, and hemodialysis may be useful in treating cases of overdosage.
Antizol® should not be administered to patients with a documented serious hypersensitivity reaction to Antizol® or other pyrazoles.
Mechanism of Action
Antizol (fomepizole) is a competitive inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase. Alcohol dehydrogenase catalyzes the oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde. Alcohol dehydrogenase also catalyzes the initial steps in the metabolism of ethylene glycol and methanol to their toxic metabolites.
Ethylene glycol, the main component of most antifreezes and coolants, is metabolized to glycoaldehyde, which undergoes subsequent sequential oxidations to yield glycolate, glyoxylate, and oxalate. Glycolate and oxalate are the metabolic byproducts primarily responsible for the metabolic acidosis and renal damage seen in ethylene glycol toxicosis. The lethal dose of ethylene glycol in humans is approximately 1.4 mL/kg.
Methanol, the main component of windshield wiper fluid, is slowly metabolized via alcohol dehydrogenase to formaldehyde with subsequent oxidation via formaldehyde dehydrogenase to yield formic acid. Formic acid is primarily responsible for the metabolic acidosis and visual disturbances (e.g., decreased visual acuity and potential blindness) associated with methanol poisoning. A lethal dose of methanol in humans is approximately 1-2 mL/kg.
Fomepizole has been shown in vitro to block alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme activity in dog, monkey, and human liver. The concentration of fomepizole at which alcohol dehydrogenase is inhibited by 50% in vitro is approximately 0.1 µmol/L.
In a study of dogs given a lethal dose of ethylene glycol, three animals each were administered fomepizole, ethanol, or left untreated (control group). The three animals in the untreated group became progressively obtunded, moribund, and died. At necropsy, all three dogs had severe renal tubular damage. Fomepizole or ethanol, given 3 hours after ethylene glycol ingestion, attenuated the metabolic acidosis and prevented the renal tubular damage associated with ethylene glycol intoxication.
Several studies have demonstrated that Antizol (fomepizole) plasma concentrations of approximately 10 µmol/L (0.82 mg/L) in monkeys are sufficient to inhibit methanol metabolism to formate, which is also mediated by alcohol dehydrogenase. Based on these results, concentrations of Antizol (fomepizole) in humans in the range of 100 to 300 µmol/L (8.6-24.6 mg/L) have been targeted to assure adequate plasma concentrations for the effective inhibition of alcohol dehydrogenase.
In healthy volunteers, oral doses of Antizol (fomepizole) (10-20 mg/kg) significantly reduced the rate of elimination of moderate doses of ethanol, which is also metabolized through the action of alcohol dehydrogenase (see PRECAUTIONS: DRUG INTERACTIONS).
The plasma half-life of Antizol (fomepizole) varies with dose, even in patients with normal renal function, and has not been calculated.
Distribution: After intravenous infusion, Antizol (fomepizole) rapidly distributes to total body water. The volume of distribution is between 0.6 L/kg and 1.02 L/kg.
Metabolism: In healthy volunteers, only 1-3.5% of the administered dose of Antizol (fomepizole) (7-20 mg/kg oral and IV) was excreted unchanged in the urine, indicating that metabolism is the major route of elimination. In humans, the primary metabolite of Antizol (fomepizole) is 4-carboxypyrazole (approximately 80-85% of administered dose), which is excreted in the urine. Other metabolites of Antizol (fomepizole) observed in the urine are 4-hydroxymethylpyrazole and the N-glucuronide conjugates of 4-carboxypyrazole and 4-hydroxymethylpyrazole.
Excretion: The elimination of Antizol (fomepizole) is best characterized by Michaelis-Menten kinetics after acute doses, with saturable elimination occurring at therapeutic blood concentrations [100-300 µmol/L, 8.2-24.6 mg/L].
With multiple doses, Antizol (fomepizole) rapidly induces its own metabolism via the cytochrome P450 mixed-function oxidase system, which produces a significant increase in the elimination rate after about 30-40 hours. After enzyme induction, elimination follows first-order kinetics.
Special Populations
Geriatric: Antizol® (fomepizole) Injection has not been studied sufficiently to determine whether the pharmacokinetics differ for a geriatric population.
Pediatric: Antizol (fomepizole) has not been studied sufficiently to determine whether the pharmacokinetics differ for a pediatric population.
Gender: Antizol (fomepizole) has not been studied sufficiently to determine whether the pharmacokinetics differ between the genders.
Renal Insufficiency: The metabolites of Antizol (fomepizole) are excreted renally. Definitive pharmacokinetic studies have not been done to assess pharmacokinetics in patients with renal impairment.
Hepatic Insufficiency: Antizol (fomepizole) is metabolized through the liver, but no definitive pharmacokinetic studies have been done in subjects with hepatic disease. Clinical Studies: The efficacy of Antizol (fomepizole) in the treatment of ethylene glycol and methanol intoxication was studied in two prospective, U.S. clinical trials without concomitant control groups. Fourteen of 16 patients in the ethylene glycol trial and 7 of 11 patients in the methanol trial underwent hemodialysis because of severe intoxication (see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION). All patients received Antizol (fomepizole) shortly after admission.
The results of these two studies provide evidence that Antizol (fomepizole) blocks ethylene glycol and methanol metabolism mediated by alcohol dehydrogenase in the clinical setting. In both studies, plasma concentrations of toxic metabolites of ethylene glycol and methanol failed to rise in the initial phases of treatment. The relationship to Antizol (fomepizole) therapy, however, was confounded by hemodialysis and significant blood ethanol concentrations in many of the patients. Nevertheless, in the post-dialysis period(s), when ethanol concentrations were insignificant and the concentrations of ethylene glycol or methanol were > 20 mg/dL, the administration of Antizol (fomepizole) alone blocked any rise in glycolate or formate concentrations, respectively.
In a separate French trial, 5 patients presented with ethylene glycol concentrations ranging from 46.5 to 345 mg/dL, insignificant ethanol blood concentrations, and normal renal function. These patients were treated with fomepizole alone without hemodialysis, and none developed signs of renal injury.
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Intuit has announced that it is purchasing online personal finance rival Mint for $170 million. That is no small change for the free personal finance service named one of The 100 Best Products of 2008 by PC World.
Intuit has long dominated the world of personal finance software with Quicken in all of its flavors. Microsoft Money was its primary competitor, but Microsoft bailed out of the personal finance software market earlier this year.
Perhaps Microsoft saw the writing on the Web 2.0 wall before Intuit? Microsoft's statement on its site announcing the end of Microsoft Money said "With banks, brokerage firms and Web sites now providing a range of options for managing personal finances, the consumer need for Microsoft Money Plus has changed."
Intuit has been the largest player in retail personal finance software pretty much since the inception of personal finance software. Quicken is virtually a household word. Quicken.com has been another story, though. Intuit has been clumsily trying to figure out how to embrace the Web and adapt its products and services to evolve with the times.
While Intuit stumbled along with Quicken.com, startups like Mint and SmartyPig sprang up online and have grown quickly. Mint claimed to have skyrocketed from 3,000 users to over 800,000 users in a matter of months–a claim that Intuit challenged as false.
Ultimately, though, Intuit could not ignore the success and popularity of its free, Web-based competitors. By purchasing Mint, Intuit acquires a successful Web-based personal finance service to help catapult its online efforts. It doesn't hurt that the purchase also eliminates its biggest competitor at the same time.
There are distinct advantages for Intuit and Quicken users, but the value of this merger to Mint users is less obvious. Quicken does have an established relationship with an extensive network of banks and financial institutions, which could benefit Mint users, though it remains to be seen whether the company will extend those benefits to non-paying customers.
Should Mint users be prepared to start paying for the services they are used to accessing for free? Not yet. Diane Carlini, an Intuit spokesperson, has stated that "there are no plans to change product pricing for either offering."
In the official statement, Intuit states that it will retain both Quicken.com and the Mint offerings "with each serving separate and equally important purposes." I think that may be temporary while the two entities iron out the details and formulate a game plan for moving forward.
Carlini clarified the immediate vision of how the two entities will work together. "Mint.com will become our primary online personal finance management service. Quicken Online will connect Quicken customers across desktop, online and mobile so we can deliver easy, anytime-anywhere access. We believe this will help accelerate our ability to deliver ease and great money outcomes to all our customers."
When the dust settles, I wouldn't be surprised to see one Web presence for both services. I also wouldn't be surprised if that single Web presence is called Quicken.com (since that is the brand that Intuit has established itself on), but with the content and functionality of Mint (since that is the Web 2.0 service that has proven successful and wildly popular for online users).
Ultimately, this is a great deal for Intuit, and it will probably yield benefits for Quicken users with more innovative online services and features. Mint users will have to hold their breath and keep their fingers crossed to see what becomes of the free service they love so much.
Tony Bradley is an information security and unified communications expert with more than a decade of enterprise IT experience. He tweets as @PCSecurityNews and provides tips, advice and reviews on information security and unified communications technologies on his site at tonybradley.com.


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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Insomniacs looking for a good night's sleep may want to hit the treadmill, take a walk or play a game of golf or tennis because a new report released on Monday shows exercise promotes good sleep and the more vigorous the workout the better.
Just 10 minutes of exercise a day could make a difference in the duration and quality of sleep, the survey by the non-profit National Sleep Foundation showed.
"We found that exercise and great sleep go together, hand in hand," Max Hirshkowitz, a sleep researcher and the chair of the poll task force, said in an interview.
"We also found a step-wise increase in how vigorous the quality is, in terms of how much you exercise. So if you say you exercise a lot, we found better sleep quality. For people who don't exercise at all we found more sleep problems."
Earlier research studies have shown the impact of exercise on sleep, but Hirshkowitz, who is a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said the survey is the first to detail the benefits of exercise in a nationally representative poll of this size.
People who described themselves as exercisers reported better sleep than their more sedentary counterparts, although the amount of sleep, an average of just under seven hours on weeknight, was the same.
More than 75 percent of the 1,000 people questioned in the Internet and telephone poll who described themselves as exercisers said they slept well, compared to just over half of people who did no exercise.
Very active people reported fewer sleep problems, dozed off quicker and needed less shut eye a night to function at their best during the day.
Sitting, more than eight hours daily also had a negative impact on sleep, according to the poll.
Nearly half of Americans report experiencing insomnia occasionally, and 22 percent suffer from the condition, which can be caused by stress, anxiety, pain and medication, every or almost every night, according to the foundation.
In addition to poorer sleep, non-exercisers also were less likely to report good or excellent health compared to active people and had more trouble staying awake while driving and eating.
Nearly three times as many sedentary people said they have trouble keeping awake during the day than exercisers. They also took more naps and had more symptoms of sleep apnea, a disorder that causes shallow breaths or pauses in breathing during sleep, than exercisers,
More than 44 percent of non-exercisers were at a moderate risk for sleep apnea, a higher percentage than active people questioned in the poll.
The survey also seemed to debunk the idea that exercising early or late in the day would adversely impact sleep because it showed that being active at any time of the day was better than being sedentary.
"Exercise is beneficial to sleep," Dr. Barbara Phillips, a member of the poll task force, said in a statement. "It's time to revise global recommendations for improving sleep and put exercise - any time - at the top of our list for healthy sleep habits."
(Editing by Bill Trott)


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Bunny: Bunny is stuffed with polyester fiberfill, inside ears and soles are made from a second fabric choice and tail is made from faux fur, or, bunny can be made from a combination of scrap fabrics.
View A Blanket with Ruffle: Double-layer blanket has a ruffle at the outer edge made from a second fabric choice.
View B Bound Blanket: Double layer blanket has back from one fabric, a pieced front made from three different fabrics, and a binding at the outer edge from an additional fabric.
Bunny and blankets are designed for woven fabrics such as fleece, flannel, Minkie, cuddle fleece, cotton, cotton types. Blanket ruffle and binding also in satin and silk like fabrics. Pattern includes ¼" (6 mm) seam allowances.
Designer: Ellie Mae


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Lightning Bolt Earrings!
Super cute!! Super Trendy!!
Choose from ten different colors!!
These popular lightning bolt earrings will go great with anything!!
Makes a perfect gift or treat yourself!!
These earrings are small dainty and super stylish!!
Drop length including huggie hoops are about 1.25 inches.
Hypoallergenic Earrings.
I love them they're so cute rawrrrr
Note: This listing includes one pair of earrings.
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note: If you are signing in Esty as a GUEST only please let me know if you have shopped with me before.
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*I ship within 1-2 business days!! Tracking included!!
*FREE Shipping on orders over $35 (no coupon needed, USPS First Class Mail).
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Just contact me within: 14 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 30 days of delivery
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
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Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
Yes, reach out to me and I will let you know if it's an option or not depending on what you need.
Yes, leave me a note with your custom message and I will include it with your order. Don't forget to include who the gift is from.
Yes, I include tracking on all orders.
Yes, please reach out to me on details and availability. If I do not have something in stock I will do my best to get what you need.
I will include a little bag, it's a 4x6 sheer white drawstring gift bag. If you order a larger item that will not fit in the 4x6 I will adjust to larger gift bags that I have available.
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(2004) Effective Structural Concrete Repair, Volume 3 of 3, Evaluation of Repair Materials for Use in Patching Damaged Concrete; TR-428, March 2004. Transportation, Department of
File Size:1MB
Structural concrete is one of the most commonly used construction materials in the United States. However, due to changes in design specifications, aging, vehicle impact, etc. – there is a need for new procedures for repairing concrete (reinforced or pretressed) superstructures and substructures. Thus, the overall objective of this investigation was to develop innovative cost effective repair methods for various concrete elements. In consultation with the project advisory committee, it was decided to evaluate the following three repair methods: • Carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) for use in repairing damaged prestressed concrete bridges • Fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs) for preventing chloride penetration of bridge columns • Various patch materials The initial results of these evaluations are presented in this three volume final report. Each evaluation is briefly described in the following paragraphs. A more detailed abstract of each evaluation accompanies the volume on that particular investigation.
|Item Type:
|Departmental Report
|Bridge Columns, Structural Concrete, Concrete, DOT, TR428
|Transportation > Research > Concrete
Transportation > Research
Transportation > Design and Construction
|ID Code:
|Deposited By:
|Margaret Barr
|Deposited On:
|24 May 2005
|Last Modified:
|12 Dec 2017 16:18


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NAIROBI — Hundreds of demonstrators angered at the conduct of outgoing Kenyan legislators doused 221 coffins with gasoline and set them on fire Wednesday, causing an inferno outside Parliament's main entrance.
Organizers of the protest said the coffins represented the end of an era of Parliament's 221 legislators and burning the coffins symbolized the start of a new era away from the dishonorable acts that Parliament was known for in the last five years. The legislators' term ended earlier this week. Police looked on as the caskets made of thin wood burned to ashes as protesters shouted and screamed in exhilaration.
"Bye bye parasites," shouted Sheldon Ochieng, 23, a college student studying community development. "MP's do not know their work; they are just stashing money in their pockets. It is time to have new leaders who serve the people."
Kenyans say their legislators are seen as lazy, greedy, and self-centered for often improving their welfare lavishly at the cost of taxpayers. A Kenyan legislator earns about $175,000 a year in a country where the average annual income is $1,700. Last week, Kenyan legislators attempted to award themselves a $110,000 bonus, but the president vetoed the legislation.
The package would also provide an armed guard, a diplomatic passport, and access to the VIP lounge at Kenyan airports and state funerals.
It was the second time President Mwai Kibaki had refused to sign the bill adding the legislators' bonuses into law. In October Parliament members awarded themselves bonuses.
However, civil society activists say Kibaki, who is the 222d legislator, is no different because while he vetoed the hefty raises, he has approved large increments to a send-off package for when he retires following the country's March 4 elections.
The organizers of the protests Wednesday said they did not make a coffin for the president because of the veto, and the decision to give himself more money came after the coffins had been ordered.
"It was unsurprising that President Kibaki, while rejecting the MPs' pay deal, retained his own hefty retirement package," said Boniface Mwangi, an official of a lobby group called Kenya Ni Kwetu, or Kenya is Our Home.


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Chennai, June 16th, 2017: Gleneagles Global Hospitals, a Parkway Pantai enterprise, in association with Vaso-Medictech Pvt Ltd. Today launched the country's first ever 'Advanced Heart Failure Treatment Program' (AHF-TP) which aims identify the prevalence of Heart-Failure among the general population of India.
The Advanced Heart Failure Treatment Program a joint collaboration of Vaso-Meditech and Gleneagles Global Hospitals will look to open 100 'Gleneagles Heart Failure Clinics' across the country where one can visit and seek consultation. The first phase of the program will see two clinics functioning in Chennai, three centres in Bangalore, two centres in Hyderabad, one centre in Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Raipur and Bhubaneshwar each.
To see video of Presentation and Announcement go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXvA_c6jhGc
Gleneagles Global Hospitals & Vaso-Meditech Pvt Ltd Launch India's First 'Advanced Heart Failure Treatment Program'
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text:
AgileDC is the largest Agile community organized event in the Washington DC metro area and is bringing together thought-leaders and practitioners from government, not-for-profits, and private industry alike to grow our local software community.
Community First
Our primary mission is to develop an exceptional community of local knowledge on Agile and the latest software development practices.
Not for Profit
We raise money to cover the expenses of running the conference and supporting philanthropic work.
Unique Community
We bring the disparate elements of our community together: imagine workers from a start-up, an NGO, and a government agency sharing ideas over coffee.
Enabling the Public Sector
As a center for public sector organizations, we are a locus for information sharing in the government and not for profits space beyond the D.C area alone.
Not Bigger, Better
We improve the quality of the conference we provide our community over increasing its size.
Environmentally Conscious
We provide a conference with as minimal an environmental impact as possible.


text:
Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Agendas are available prior to the meetings. Minutes are available following approval.
View Most Recent Agendas and Minutes
Members are appointed by the Township Committee.
Members are required to file the State Mandated Local Government Ethics Law Financial Disclosure Statement in accordance with New Jersey Statutes Annotated (NJSA) 40A:9-22.1 et seq.
The Municipal Land Use Law at NJSA 40:55D-69 et seq. and the Township's Land Use and Development Legislation, known as Chapter 166 of the Code of the Township at Article 4, Sections 166-15 through 166-29.


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Discover your English ancestor in the East Anglia county of Suffolk. The index covers centuries and you may be able to find multiple generations of ancestors for your family tree. Search by either your ancestor's name or his/her parents' names.
These records are an index to the baptism records found in Suffolk. The amount of information found in each transcript can vary depending on the age of the record and how much information was recorded. The transcript may include a combination of the following facts:
Baptism date
Father's name
Mother's name
Relationship – some records show dau as an abbreviation for daughter
Father's occupation
County and Country
Entry number
The Suffolk Baptism Index was created by the Suffolk Family History Society. The index includes 351 parishes and 747,204 records across the East Anglian county. For a full list of all the places included in the index view the Suffolk Baptism Index Place List available in the Useful Links and Resources. Suffolk is bordered on the east by the North Sea. It is a low lying area with historic origins. The Angles (after whom East Anglia and England gets its name) settled in the region during the 5th century. The county is a treasure trove of archaeological discovery, including the Mildenhall treasure of Roman silver tableware, which was found in 1942.
In the Suffolk Baptism Index we discover the famous Suffolk landscape artist, John Constable. The record shows that John Constable was baptised on 11 June 1776 in St Mary Church in East Bergholt. His parents were Anne and Golding Constable.
Constable's birthplace of East Bergholt, along the River Stour, and the region surrounding the village, features heavily in his work. The area, on the border between Suffolk and Essex, has become known as Constable Country. It includes the scenic villages of Capel St Mary, Dedham, Lanham, Flatford, Stratford St Mary and Lawford. Some of his most famous works include, Dedham Vale (1802), The Hay Wain (1821) and The Cornfield (1826). His work is said to have inspired other contemporary artists such as Gericault and Delacroix. Today his paintings can be purchased as prints, posters, calendars and even on mugs.


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We are nearing the end of 2009, and the world of tablet PCs is just as fuzzy as it was at the beginning of this year. Despite continued rumormongering and finger waving about guesses on what Cupertino has planned, Apple's long-anticipated tablet remains unseen and more discussion has been devoted to its reported slips than has been made about its potential specifications. Meanwhile, as you no doubt saw, Michael Arrington of TechCrunch made the abrupt announcement this morning that the CrunchPad project had been put to rest before it was able to debut - the victim of relationships gone awry between client and vendor. While the two examples are significantly different, they both demonstrate how hard it has been for companies big or small to make headway into this space.
Despite seeing only the earliest of prototypes, and not ever seeing the product run myself, I was bullish on the CrunchPad's potential for a few reasons. The first was due to its promised low cost, starting at $299, and later said to be closer to $400. The second was the recognition that computing is moving away from the folders and desktop metaphor, and more to a Web-centric cloud (as discussed with Apple vs. Google), with applications running on Web services instead of CPUs. Third, I wanted the opportunity not to avoid Apple, but to support a new challenger - as I saw a respected peer and occasional acquaintance try to take the leap from creating content to creating hardware.
As I mentioned in a pair of posts in July, I said I was leaning to choose CrunchPad over Apple, and guessed Mike could be as much known for the success of the device as he has been for the success of his blog network, if it were to take off. Now, barring a complete reversal, it looks like not only can't I get my hands on a CrunchPad, but we won't get to see Mike and his team fight the operational and sales challenges common in any hardware firm.
These challenges look to be exacerbated when you add the word "tablet" - either due to the challenging engineering demands on cramming so much utility in a slim technology device, reducing costs, or in finding the right market. Even if I find the concept of a tablet intriguing, I am still wondering where I would put a laptop down, and pick up a tablet, or when I would holster the iPhone and pick the tablet up. It occupies an uncomfortable middle ground which hasn't yet been solved, in mass, by manufacturers keen on penetrating the space. Even Google's Chrome OS, which looks like a clear candidate for such a project, looks to be focused on NetBooks, which are not quite tablets and not quite laptops. Once you divide up the potential market, it's one full of slivers, without much pie.
Unlike others who are calling the CrunchPad vaporware, I am not. I see no good coming from seeing this product never reach the market. Even if it were to have shipped and not found dramatic traction, it would have had a chance, and given customers choice.


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Day 4 - Final day of the 2008 John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon
The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon is the longest and toughest sled dog race in the lower 48 states. The 390 mile race starts in Duluth, MN and follows the North Shore trail along Lake Superior, returning on the same trail to finish back in Duluth. The race draws competitors from around the globe and is a qualifying race for the Iditarod in Alaska. The race started out with temps around +32°F on Sunday and ended with temps around -20°F and windchills around -50°F on Wednesday morning. To hear sounds from the trail while looking at my images click on the following link: Track Seventeen Productions Inc. Soundscapes by Curt Olson. CLICK ON EACH IMAGE TO VIEW A LARGER VERSION.Read More


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Rockaway Beach Legal Malpractice Lawyers
Timothy Monsees
(816) 361-5550
University of Missouri - Kansas City School of LawUniversity Of Missouri: Colum and University of Missouri - ColumbiaMissouri, Texas and KansasSuper Lawyers and Martindale-HubbellMissouri Association of Trial Attorneys, American Association for Justice...Preparing for a Personal Injury Case: What You Need to Know (Quick Prep)
Spencer Farris
(866) 955-5297
Washington University School of Law and Oklahoma State University - StillwaterMissouri and IllinoisIllinois State Bar and Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys
Gary Karl Burger Jr
(314) 648-8348
Washington University School of LawUniversity of Missouri - Columbia7th Circuit, 8th Circuit, Federal Circuit, Missouri and IllinoisWashington University School of LawThe Missouri Bar, Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys...
William Denning
(816) 702-8400
University of Missouri - Kansas City School of LawPittsburg State UniversityMissouri and KansasKansas State Bar and The Missouri Bar
Douglas Carter
(816) 283-3500
Duke University School of LawKansas and Missouri
Michael Downey
(844) 961-6644
Washington University School of LawGeorgetown UniversityIllinois 1999, Missouri 1998, U.S. Court of Appeals Eighth Circuit 1998, U.S. Court of Appeals Seventh Circuit 2004, U.S. District Court Central District of Illinois 2003, U.S. District Court Eastern District of Arkansas 2005, U.S. District Court Eastern District of Missouri 2000, U.S. District Court Southern District of Illinois 2000, U.S. District Court Western District of Missouri 2004, Missouri, Illinois, Illinois, Missouri, Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas
Jeremy A. Gogel
(314) 775-3864
University of Missouri School of LawUniversity of Missouri - Columbia and University of Missouri - ColumbiaMissouri and IllinoisMissouri Bar and Illinois Bar
Murry A. Marks
(314) 993-6300
Washington University in St. LouisWashington University in St. Louis and Northwestern UniversityMissouri, U.S. District Court Eastern District of Missouri, 8th Circuit, U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. District Court Western District of Missouri and U.S. Tax CourtNational Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, The First Amendment Lawyers Association...
Mr. Stephen R Bough
(816) 931-0048
American Association for Justice and The Missouri Bar
John Scott Wallach
(877) 241-1020
Washington University School of LawEmory UniversityMissouri and IllinoisBest Lawyers in America, Missouri-Kansas Super Lawyers, Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Best Lawyers in Saint Louis (St. Louis Magazine)Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys
The LII Lawyer Directory contains lawyers who have claimed their profiles and are actively seeking clients. Find more Rockaway Beach Legal Malpractice Lawyers in the Justia Legal Services and Lawyers Directory which includes profiles of more than one million lawyers licensed to practice in the United States, in addition to profiles of legal aid, pro bono and legal service organizations.
Researching Attorney Discipline


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At Home
You don't need multiple remotes just to watch television, or a wall filled with switches and knobs that takes you 3 tries to find the right light. Take control of your home with just one button press from a sleek Crestron touch screen, designer engraved keypad or your iPad®, iPhone®, iPod Touch®, or Android™ device. Select a movie to watch or music to enjoy from your favorite chair. Adjust your lights, shades, temperature and check on your alarm system without getting out of bed. The comfort and convenience of the ultimate technology lifestyle can be yours. The possibilities are endless, whatever you can imagine Crestron can do.
At Work
Whether you need to control an AV presentation, videoconference internationally or update your digital signage, Crestron has a control system to keep you connected. Monitor your enterprise to increase sustainability by tracking your carbon footprint to see where you use on site energy, and how you can continue to reduce energy costs. Add room sensors and set presets for shades to control daylight harvesting and only use lights as they are needed. Show off your energy savings from a flash-based, stylish interface in your lobby. Book an available conference room that has the technology and space you need, directly from Outlook or on your web browser. There are no limitations to keep your organization on the cutting-edge, increase efficiencies and lower costs.
At School
Enhance curriculum through easy-to-use technology for teachers and professors. From one touch on an intuitive touchpanel select to play a DVD, use a document camera, or present a PowerPoint from the PC. Crestron makes it easy for instructors to use classroom technology, and for IT managers to support hundreds of rooms through the standard IP network. Tech support can remotely manage classrooms, labs, conference rooms and auditoriums globally and remotely. Control lighting and climate by time of day and usage. Check lamp life and schedule maintenance. Let your teachers and professors focus on teaching, not worry about technology. Join the world's leading universities, become a Crestron Connected™ Campus.
At Play
Add the Crestron control app to your mobile devices, iPhone, iPad, laptop or MacBook® and show off to your friends all that you can do from the golf course or even the beach. Flaunt the awesome Crestron sound system you just installed in your yacht. Notice how the museum you went to this weekend has the same touchpanel on the wall that you have in your house. Everywhere you are, whatever you need, with Crestron you're connected.
Read more...


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TechRadar Verdict
- +
Self Portrait mode audio assistance
- +
Clear menu structure
- +
Broad range of functions
- -
Some buttons are a bit small
- -
Wait between shots can be long
- -
Zooming in video mode is noisy
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you're buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
The Samsung ST93 is part of the brand's Style (ST) range of compact cameras, with a 2.7-inch LCD screen, 16.1 megapixel CCD image sensor and Samsung wide-angle 5x zoom lens.
Costing less than the more advanced Samsung EX1 (TL500) from the brand's Performance range, the Samsung ST93's pricepoint puts it alongside rivals such as the Nikon Coolpix S6200, Canon IXUS 230 HS, Canon PowerShot SX150 IS and Samsung's own Samsung MV800.
It offers five different shooting modes - Smart Auto, Program, Panorama, Scene and Dual Image Stabilisation - which gives users a wide range of modes to choose from without being too overwhelming.
The camera also offers 10 scene options including Magic Frame (where you can take your photo surrounded by a selection of graphics), Beauty Shot, Object Highlight, Night, Sunset and Dawn. Alternatively, you can choose Smart Auto and the camera will pick the best mode for your environment.
The Samsung ST93 has the standard five flash options (although some are only available when using certain modes) such as redeye reduction and fill flash.
Unsurprisingly at this price point, the Samsung ST93 doesn't offer a manual mode, but the Program shooting mode has quite a few changeable options including white balance, ISO, EV compensation and image quality settings, enabling the user to take photos in a variety of conditions. There are also several filter options available such as Miniature (replicating the popular tilt-shift mode), Retro, Fish-eye, Half Tone Dot and Vignetting.
Video can be shot in 720p HD (1280 x 720), VGA (640 x 480) or QVGA (320 x240). There's an impressive amount of options for shooting movies, including setting the frame rate as well as the white balance, EV compensation and metering.


text: Hong Kong police have arrested a local man in connection with an Aug. 10 computer attack on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.The Hong Kong Exchange was forced to suspend some trading nearly two weeks ago after an attack prevented companies from publishing financial news on the HKExnews website.The half-day shutdown halted trading for eight companies that had announced results that day, including HSBC, Cathay Pacific, and Dah Sing Bank.Computers were attacked again on the following day, although that attack was thwarted, according to the Hong Kong Exchange.On Saturday, the Hong Kong Police Force said it had arrested a 29-year-old suspect in the Kwun Tong district two days earlier, seizing computers, mobile phones and digital storage devices in the raid. The man faces one count of access to computer with dishonest or criminal intent, the police said in a statement. He is due to appear in court on Wednesday.Robert McMillan covers computer security and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Robert on Twitter at @bobmcmillan. Robert's e-mail address is firstname.lastname@example.com


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Peugeot halts Slovak output on weak demand
France's carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen halted production in Slovakia for the day on Monday and will add another four stoppage days next month in response to weak demand across Europe, the Slovak unit said.
Peugeot, which is cutting some 10,000 jobs and closing a domestic plant in France, is one of the key exporters in the central European country where growth is driven almost solely by the automotive production.
The carmaker, operating an assembly plant in the western Slovak town of Trnava where it makes the Peugeot 207 and Citroen C3 Picasso models, still expects production in Slovakia this year to exceed the 2012 output of almost 215,000 cars.
"Demand for new cars in Europe is continuously falling. Decreasing trends in sales transform into production cuts by several carmakers," PSA Peugeot Citroen Slovakia wrote in an emailed statement.
The Trnava plant has an annual production capacity of 300,000 vehicles.
The euro zone country's automotive industry is centered around assembly plants of Germany's Volkswagen , South Korea's Kia Motors Corp. <000270.KS> and Peugeot.
Any production disruption in the sector could have a significant impact on the economy's performance, expected by the finance ministry to slow its expansion to 2.1 percent in 2013 from 2.5 percent this year on waning demand for its exports.
(Reporting by Martin Santa; Editing by Mike Nesbit)


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I have had a problem lately. An obsession really. Cookies; I try to stop thinking about them but then they just keep coming back to me, calling my name. Maybe it's all of the planning and work on my cookbook getting to me but even so, this is a really unusual thing for me. I don't typically dive into the sweets or really think about them that often because I'm more of a savory guy. Even if I do get the hankering for something sweet I'm usually just fine with something as small and simple as a spoon full of coconut butter.
With that said, I also endorse listening to your body. In this case, my body wanted cookies, therefore I listened. That's as scientific as I need to get about that because you just don't question cookies. Actually this might be very bad advice for some people.
I wanted desperately to title these something like "The Best Ever Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies" but chose not to because it sounds a tad cocky. Despite that, I honestly do believe that that these really are the absolute best gluten, grain free, refined sugar free, and Paleo chocolate chip cookies ever created. Seriously, these are the best, are incredibly easy to make and you have to try them. I've never actually really tried to convince someone to try a recipe of mine simply because I don't want to waste energy on something like that but you have to taste it to believe it these are so ridiculously good. I even fooled my non-paleo eating friends and family with these.
The trait that makes these cookies so irresistibly amazing is their stellar consistency. These cookies to me represent my perfect cookie. They're soft yet slightly crispy on the outside, and decadently chewy and fudgey on the inside. The kind of beautiful chewiness that just slightly sticks to your teeth every other bite and then melts away in your mouth as you chew. Nothing beats the level of bliss that a good cookie can give you. Clearly I get pretty emotional whenever I eat or even think about these cookies.
Plus I'm really proud of them because it took a bit of work to figure out how to get the cookie to a consistency and flavor that I know and love and I'm happy to say I have figured it out. The only thing that I could say that went wrong is I ended up sprinkling them with a little too much flakey sea salt after I was done baking them.
I'm typically not as smooth and savvy with a baking sheet as I am when wielding a cast iron skillet. In order for me to be successful in baking I always have to get super scientific about it. Cue the rapid searching of google. I found out that it's a combination of the maillard reaction and of course the caramelization of the sugar in the cookies that gets them to ultimate level of chewiness. So I went on a whim and used coconut sugar along with almond butter (which tends to be prone to caramelizing as well, given the right circumstances) in hopes that the google overlords tale would ring true, and it did. If only I didn't let that work go to waste the same day by trying to be a good person and giving the cookies out to my friends at school. I should have kept them all for my parents and I. And no that isn't selfish; there is no "us" in cookie but there is in fact an "I". Remember that.
- 1 cup creamy raw almond butter *See Notes*
- ¾ cup coconut sugar preferably sifted *See Notes*
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces dark chocolate coarsely chopped (I recommend 70-85% the actual cookie is fairly sweet so a darker chocolate contrasts best, and you can also use chocolate chips same weight in lieu of this and turn them into chocolate chip cookies if you wish)
- flakey or coarse sea salt for sprinkling *see notes*
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or do these in batches on a single baking sheet. (These spread out quite wide so they have to be done on two different sheets or in batches)
- In a medium sized bowl add the almond butter. In a separate bowl whisk together egg and egg yolk. Stir the coconut sugar into the almond butter until thoroughly incorporated then add the baking soda, salt and vanilla extract and stir until completely mixed then add the whisked egg and egg yolk to the mixture and stir once more until completely incorporated. Fold in the chopped chocolate until well incorporated.
- With a cookie scoop or spoon drop 1½- 2 tablespoon sized mounds of cookie dough on to the parchment lined baking sheet spacing them about 2½ inches apart. This should allow you to only have 6 per cookie sheet and I don't recommend trying to fit more on there because they do spread out quite wide.
- If you're doing these with 2 baking sheets place one baking sheet into the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes then remove them and let cool slightly for 5-7 minutes. With a spatula, transfer them to a cooling rack to let them finish cooling completely. Repeat this step with the other baking sheet or with the same baking sheet until all the the cookie dough is used. As the cookies are cooling sprinkle them with a little bit of flakey sea salt.
Notes for coconut sugar: I have gotten many questions on if there are substitutes for the coconut sugar and my answer is yes but you can only substitute it with another granulated sugar. Things like evaporated cane sugar, sucanat, etc. The coconut sugar does not taste coconutty at all either, it has a very light brown sugar like taste. Do not substitute it with stevia, xylitol, swerve, any liquid sweetener, etc. It must be dry and granulated and actually have *gasp* sugar in it, in order for it to turn out properly.
Notes for almond butter: You're almond butter should be raw. There is a caramelization affect that happens in the oven that only results from raw almond butter. Once it is roasted it slightly loses it's ability to caramelize. *UPDATE* I used no stir almond butter from maranatha and it also works just fine for this recipe.
Okay one more shot, because cookies.


text:
Immunization Collection
General Overview
Also known as vaccination, immunization is the process or procedure by which a subject (person, animal, or plant) is rendered immune, or resistant to a specific disease.
- Chickenpox vaccine
- Diphtheria vaccine
- Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine
- Hepatitis B vaccine
- HiB vaccine
- HPV vaccine
- Human papillomavirus vaccine
- Influenza vaccine
- Lockjaw vaccine
- Measles vaccine
- Meningococcal vaccine
- MMR vaccine
- Mumps vaccine
- Pertussis vaccine
- Pneumococcal vaccine
- Polio vaccine
Special Topics
A vaccine to prevent cervical cancer?
Gardasil™ has been approved for use by females aged 9-26. Studies show that the vaccine offers protection against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause 70% of cervical cancers.
Immunization guidelines for older adults
Older adults are particularly susceptible to some of the infections that can be prevented by vaccination.
Immunization guidelines for children
Childhood vaccines are generally very safe. In the United States, vaccines have resulted in record-low levels of certain childhood diseases.
Visit a travel clinic before going abroad
Travel health clinics provide an essential service to those bound for foreign destinations—whether you need inoculations before your trip, antibiotics to take along with you, or follow-up care after your return. So, if your vacation checklist includes a passport, don't leave home without visiting a travel health clinic.
The American Academy of Pediatrics
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Immunization Action Coalition


text:
Yes, the observant among you will notice he lost his red glasses. He felt he needed something more manly once I put him into a mauve shirt!
(That's a Teflon foot on my machine-especially for sewing plastic stuffs and yes I have just realised how crooked that sewing line on the glasses really was - ! )
(see I unpicked that bit and fixed it)
One of the things I have learnt from doing this little Milton-a-long is how much of my "making" happens before I get anywhere near the sewing machine.
Whilst I still go off on crazy half cooked ideas, I do tend to spend more time preparing for a project than I realised. Apart from the incredible grumpiness I share when something goes wrong, maybe this is part of the time constraint as well. If I am finding the time to make things (and we all know that is often the hardest thing to find) I really do want it to work out.
I also find, that as frustrating as step 2 is, it is often the part I enjoy the most.....I enjoy trying to see if I can make something work and step 2 helps build that crazy library of knowledge that crafters hang on to , the knowledge of what works and what doesn't, which fabric does what - all those things that we learn by trial and error.
Milton, once I got to this step was reasonably straight forward. That is not to say I am totally happy with him or that he can't be improved upon. All that comes in the last and final step.


text:
Karl F. Böhringer, Ph.D.
John M. Fluke Distinguished Chair of Engineering
Professor of Electrical Engineering and Bioengineering
Adjunct Professor of Computer Science & Engineering and Mechanical Engineering
Director, MEMS Laboratory
Department of Electrical Engineering
University of Washington
Box 352500, 253I EE/CSE Building
Seattle, WA 98195-2500, USA
|206 221-5177
|206 543-3842
Administrative Assistant: Jessica Manfredi
In our lab, we work on many aspects of micro and nano electro mechanical systems (MEMS / NEMS). This research tends to be very interdisciplinary, and we have collaborations in biology, chemical engineering, bioengineering, computer science, and other departments. We have built, for example, self-assembling microstructures, biomedical implants, systems for docking of picosatellites, and walking microrobots.
There are two major research themes in our work:
Controlling surfaces and interfacial forces at the micro and nano scale: this includes systems for controlled self-assembly of microcomponents, "programmable" surfaces whose local properties (for example, hydrophobicity) can be changed on demand, and MEMS actuator arrays and microrobots for moving tiny objects.
Joining MEMS and biology: this includes integrating new biomaterials into MEMS processes and devices, biomedical sensor implants, and microfluidic chips for handling and analyzing biological samples.
I offer graduate level classes in MEMS and microfabrication, specifically EE502—Introduction to Microelectromechanical Systems (usually in Autumn, crosslisted as ME/MSE504 and also available in the UW EE
Professional Masters Program) and EE527—Microfabrication Techniques (usually in Spring).
EE 539 - Selfassembly from Nano to Milli Scales, which was introduced in Spring 2006.
At the undergraduate level, my teaching includes EE215—Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering and EE331—Devices and Circuits I. I also like to supervise varying independent study projects such as EE399, EE499, or similar.
Personal Information
I currently direct the University of Washington section of the Center for Interfacial Engineering of Microelectromechanical Systems (CIEMS). I am a senior member of the IEEE and a member of the editorial board of the ASME/IEEE Journal of Electromechanical Systems (JMEMS) and the IEEE Transactions on Automation Science & Engineering (T-ASE). I have served on numerous conference committees, including IEEE MEMS, Transducers, FNANO, IEEE ICRA. In 2011, Prof. Liwei Lin from UC Berkeley and I will chair IEEE MEMS - the International Conference on Microelectromechanical Systems.
My awards include an NSF Postdoctoral Associateship and an NSF CAREER Award from the US National Science Foundation, an IEEE Robotics & Automation Society Academic Early Career Award, and an Invitational Fellowship for Research in Japan from the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) in coordination with the NSF INT East Asia Program. Our Picosatellite Docking Project listed among Discover magazine's "Top 100 Science Stories".
Information for prospective students: If you are interested in working in my lab, please read this first.
Upcoming class: EE502/ME504/MSE504 - Introduction to MEMS, also available in the UW EE Professional Masters Program.
Upcoming conference: Foundations of Nanoscience: Self-assembled Architectures and Devices (FNANO), Snowbird, UT, April 2010. Paper submission deadline January 15, 2010.


text:
He isn't old enough to drive, but a Snohomish entrepreneur already is gaining national attention for his inventions.
Suman Mulumudi, 15, showed off the digital stethoscope he invented on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" last Thursday.
Mulumudi, a freshman at Lakeside School in Seattle, is developing that device and another medical tool he invented last summer. The teen is the CEO of his own company, StratoScientific Inc.
Suman traveled to New York to tape the show's regular segment called "Fallonventions," which showcases the achievements of young inventors. He used his Steth IO, which turns a smartphone into a stethoscope, to listen to Fallon's heart.
"He's a nice guy," Suman said. "He's very much a person. That's something we often overlook when we look at public figures." Suman received $5,000 for his appearance.
The Steth IO is designed to provide audio and visual data that can help doctors hear faint heart murmurs. It builds on capabilities already available in smartphones, employing a simple plastic attachment that feeds into a smartphone's own microphone.
He also invented the LesionSizer. The device is intended to help doctors clear blocked or narrowed arteries with stents by providing accurate measurements of the damaged tissue, or lesions.
"Right now, it is being done by estimating," Suman said. "That can be a huge issue."
The tool is expected to provide more accurate information to help surgeons to do a better job treating blockages with angioplasty. Mulumudi hopes to reduce medical costs with both of his cardiology devices.
"Most of these ideas came as a product of discussions of problems I face at work," said his father, Dr. Mahesh Mulumudi. "He came up with the solution."
Mahesh Mulumudi works as a cardiologist with The Everett Clinic. And Suman's mother, Dr. Srilatha Shoroff, practices internal medicine there.
"In the environment I'm growing up in, I hear a lot about their work," Suman said.
He started asking his parents questions about their methods. During his summer vacation last year, he started thinking about the stethoscope.
"It's a very analog device," Suman said of present technology. "It seemed like a big gap in medicine."
Suman went to work designing a digital version. He built it from off-the-shelf parts, using a 3D printer. Once he had his first prototype completed, he started developing the LesionSizer. By last November, he was creating his own startup company.
Now he's looking for investors, working on patenting the devices and seeking approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He's also studying the potential commercial market for the devices.
Suman estimates the Steth IO is about a year from being manufactured. He doesn't expect to bring the LesionSizer to market for a few years.
He focuses on developing his products in the evening after he finishes school and homework.
"I think hard work pays off," Suman said.
He is growing his company, which involves his father, as president, and an engineer with a background in various technology industries.
In his spare time, Suman enjoys playing the bassoon. He's not sure where he wants to go to college, but he does plan to follow his entrepreneurial interests.
Once he launches his medical devices in the U.S., Suman hopes to bring them to Europe and the developing world.
"They're both showing extreme promise for being able to solve problems," he said. "We hope to better patient outcomes."


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I have no children of my own (unless my cat Cleo counts) but I do have a 3-year-old nephew. It's amazing how differently you look at toys when you have a little one in your life and there were a few items Mattel was showing that not only sported some amazing technology but were downright fun. Boy, have toys come a long way since I was a little one.
Dance Star Mickey (Fisher-Price)
Yeah I know we normally wouldn't cover something like this but a) Josh and I were both very impressed with the interactive features and b) My little nephew LOVES Micky Mouse. So this one is for you Wil...
Big Foot (Fisher-Price)
Big Foot is the followup to Spike The Dinosaur first seen at Toy Fair 2008. Spike actually made it thru 2 Holiday seasons as a runaway hit for Mattel. Big Foot sports just as much awesomeness as Spike did and is $50 cheaper at a $99 price-point...
Stinky The Garbage Truck (Matchbox)
Stinky is the successor to last years Rocky the Robot. Hands down the funniest thing we saw a Toyfair 2010 and sure to be hit with young boys. Who doesn't like farting humor?


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When you exit an app simply by opening another one, the first app is still "running" in the background. Most apps do not update during this "backgrounded" or dormant mode, although they are still using active memory space. For apps that receive periodic updates from wireless services or the internet, this can give the appearance that the app's data is out-of-date or that the app has malfunctioned. The best procedure to avoid these issues is to "Force-Close" an app when you are not actively using it.
The actual process varies with the operating system.
For iPhone 10 and higher:
To see what apps are running in the background on an iPhone 10 or newer device, you can swipe up from the bottom of the screen and you will see the apps appear. You can then swipe up from the bottom of the app to force-close it.
For older iOS devices:
When you tap the "Home" button while viewing an app, the app will go into "background" or "dormant" mode, and not be the primary app visible on the screen.
Selecting the app-icon on the Home Screen of the device will simply re-open the app in the last state it was in, and with the last data downloaded to the app.
To Force-Close the app:
- Double-Tap> the "Home" button to bring up the windowed-apps
- Swipe Left/Right to locate the app you want to Force-Close.
- Tap-and-Hold> on the app, and "sweep" it "Up and Away".
The next time you open the app it will launch as a "fresh start" and update any data.


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From many sources, in e-mail and on Facebook, this ad from the Family Research Council:
"Oral Sex and Doggie Style! Family Research Council: Call 2 Fall Is Call 2 FAIL!" by Lisa Derrick 6/27/13:
Gay-hating Family Research Council, now labeled a hate group rather than carrying the Christian branding of being a loving faith-based group, has yet another epic fail on their sweaty social media hands. Their latest campaign, Call 2 Fall complaining about marriage and the repeal of DOMA using hip cool internet lingo is the most hysterically wrong-thinking ad since, well their last one.
… This image from Family Research Council … clearly suggests fellatio followed by modified doggie style intercourse.
So: a "call to fall on our knees" comes out looking like a call to fellatio.


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Arabs blow up oil pipeline
I just found an hour or so this weekend to make a quick test with just loading the garage 3ds model and exploring it using a fps camI should hopefully get some more time when the chrismas holidays are upon us.The texture quality setting is set to low, but a high setting should fix the textures right up on the garage...The "pink box" is the "collision box" for the car modelI think I can pull it off with irrlicht given enough time (which is my biggest problem atm)... After all, I DID get a bachelors degree in computer games programming back in 2007
that might be an issue. for what standards we do define for the 3d models? the old SR3 standard are quite outdated. i wonder if can ad and change them as we go with out significant reprogramming being needed?
what I mean by object (as defined by zmodeler 1 I think?), is collections of meshes in the 3ds file.. for example I think of the front left wheel dummy as an object within the 3ds file...What I want to achieve for now, is to be able to (with irrlicht) toa) load a single 3ds file andb) then afterwards select for example the front left wheel dummy object c) and then hide it,d) then I want to load another 3ds file that contains a wheel, lets call it testwheel.3ds e) and then use the coordinates of the wheel dummy to place the wheel from testwheel.3ds f) and then use the local axis of testwheel.3ds to "spin" the wheel while moving the carspinning and rotating stuff like wheels, steering wheel, running gear parts etc, could be done simple by rotating them along their own local axisSo either I need to find out how to do this in irrlicht or else I will need to place all parts of a car in seperate 3ds files and then use a setup file instead of dummy objects to assemble the various meshes from the various 3ds files in to a carthe setup file would then need to contains something like this:body, x, y, z positionsteering wheel, x, y, z positionfront left wheel, x, y, z positionfront right wheel, x, y, z positionrear left wheel, x, y, z positionrear right wheel, x, y, z positionfront left headlight, x, y, z positionfront right headlight, x, y, z positionrear left taillight, x, y, z positionrear right taillight, x, y, z positionengineblock, x, y, z positionmanifold, x, y, z positionenginefan, x, y, z positionetc etcIF Irrlicht supports multiple objects within a single 3ds file, then most stuff could be handling using dummys within the cars 3ds file...Anything that can be replaced or moved in some way or have some other function like lights would need dummy objectsThe other option to have a bunch of 3ds files would also work and might make it easier to be able to replace body parts like doors etc... I was thinking that it could be kind of cool if it was possible to for example replace the left and right rear fenders with other types... like one set of fenders could have "wings" and another set could have no wings... stuff like that (like in Gearhead Garage )
I wonder if Hellmark has the source and or more information on the old AUX format.Also i don't mean changing out models, i mean how the game handles them. sort of like. I mean like weather or not we uses bones for wheel and part locations or just objects names etc etc, would such change require vast rewriting of code?


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The Best Beauty Supplements for Your Daily Regimen
This blog does not intend to provide diagnosis...
In this article:
- For thick, luxurious hair, strong nails and glowing skin: Biotin and Evening Primrose Oil
- To soothe breakouts and rosacea: Probiotics
- To reduce wrinkles and plump sagging skin: Collagen
- To tighten pores: Bentonite Clay Mask
- For your dark eye circles and red eyes: Melatonin and Topical Vitamin K
With so many beauty products to choose from, it can be difficult to figure out what is best for you. Every woman has a unique chemistry, and no beauty regimen can be one-size-fits-all. That said, there are some common supplements that most women can include in their daily routine to help boost the glow and brilliance of hair and skin. Here are my favorites:
For thick, luxurious hair, strong nails and glowing skin: Biotin and Evening Primrose Oil
If you are struggling with hair loss or brittle nails, you may be experiencing a biotin deficiency. One of the B vitamins, biotin helps thicken and add shine to your hair and strengthen nails. Biotin has also been shown to relieve red, scaly skin rashes. I recommend that you take 2,500 mcg per day. Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is a fat that helps to promote vibrant, healthy skin, hair, and nails and it's hard to get from the foods in your diet. You can get the GLA your skin needs in evening primrose oil. Take 500 mg twice a day.
To soothe breakouts and rosacea: Probiotics
Probiotics (healthy bacteria) are known to improve and maintain a healthy digestive system, but now it's believed that this supplement can help heal acne and rosacea by balancing out what is called the gut-brain-skin axis, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Both of these skin conditions are linked to inflammation, which probiotics reduce, and studies show that taking a supplement can also help to reduce skin flare-ups. Look for a probiotic that has five to six strains of bacteria and at least 20 billion CFU (colony-forming units) and take one each morning with breakfast.
To reduce wrinkles and plump sagging skin: Collagen
This tasteless powder can be added to smoothies or mixed in your morning tea or coffee. Collagen is a unique combination of amino acids that make up your body's supportive tissues including those in your bones, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, skin, hair and nails. In our mid-twenties we start to lose collagen, which can lead to an increase in wrinkles and loose skin. Take two rounded tablespoons in the morning to smooth and tighten your skin. Bonus: collagen can also help strengthen easily breakable and lackluster hair.
To tighten pores: Bentonite Clay Mask
I like to use a natural clay mask made from bentonite clay to tighten up my pores. Clay draws out water and oil from your skin, which helps to cleanse, detoxify and shrink your pores. You can overdo these clay masks, which can become irritating and dry out your skin, so limit the masks to once or twice a month.
For your dark eye circles and red eyes: Melatonin and Topical Vitamin K
So, this one isn't directly tied to your skin—but truly, lack of sleep is one of the best worst ways to add years to your face. When you don't get the 7-9 hours of sleep you need each night, the blood vessels inside and underneath your eyes dilate and leave you with red eyes and those unmistakable raccoon-like circles under your eyes. Melatonin can help you sleep better, and topical vitamin K is an antioxidant that helps to improves circulation, which reduces the appearance of dark circles under your eyes.
- https://www.aad.org/media/news-releases/could-probiotics-be-the-next-big-thing-in-acne-and-rosacea-treatments


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Jump Creek, Owyhee County
Since my first visit to Jump Creek in Southwestern Idaho courtesy of Trevor Schultz I have gone back innumerable times. I've hiked down to many sections of the canyon above the main waterfall during Spring, Fall and Winter (Summer is reserved for the mountains...). These are the photos that I've compiled over those many hikes.Read More


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Kim's Column, September 2008
Radio Netherlands' rapidly-fading shortwave signal
Of particular importance to us in the the North American Shortwave Association is Radio Netherlands' decision to quit English-language shortwave broadcasts to North America.
This is a big one, following the BBC and Deutsche Welle abandonments of shortwave English to North America, as well as similar moves by Kol Israel, HCJB, Radio Vlaanderen International, RAI, Swiss Radio International, etc. German shortwave expert Kai Ludwig wrote: "This marks the end of shortwave as a relevant broadcast medium in the USA and Canada. The programming still transmitted on shortwave in and into North America should be of interest to very small niche audiences only. In some cases it may even damage the reputation of the medium further."
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I did not attend Wednesday's movie release of "The Help" from DreamWorks Pictures, based on the New York Times best-selling novel by Kathryn Stockett. Why, you ask? Because I read the book.
Last week New York Times op-ed columnist Frank Bruni saw an advance screening of the movie and referred to it as "…a story of female grit and solidarity — of strength through sisterhood." He wrote, "The book's author, Kathryn Stockett, told me that she felt that most civil rights literature had taken a male perspective, leaving 'territory that hadn't been covered much.'" What neither Bruni nor Stockett acknowledge is that the real territory remaining uncovered is civil rights literature written by the Black women who experienced it.
I recently read The Help with an open mind, despite some of the criticism it has received. I assumed the book would be racially problematic, because for me, most things are. The novel opens on the fourth Wednesday in August 1962, at the bridge club meeting in the modest home of 23-year old, social climbing Miss Leefolt. The plot unfolds when her "friend" and the novel's antagonist, Miss Hilly, the President of the Jackson, Mississippi Junior League, announces that she will support legislation for a "Home Help Sanitation Initiative," a bill that requires every white home to have a separate bathroom for the colored help. (10)
We learn early on that Miss Skeeter, the only bridge club lady with a college degree and no husband, opposes the idea. By page 12, she asks Miss Leefolt's maid Aibleen, "Do you ever wish you could…change things?" This lays the groundwork for a 530-page novel telling the story of Black female domestics in Jackson.
The first two chapters were written in the voice of a Black maid named Aibileen, so I hoped that the book would actually be about her. But this is America, and any Southern narrative that actually touches on race must focus on a noble white protagonist to get us through such dangerous territory (in this case, Miss Skeeter; in To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch). As a Black female reader, I ended up feeling like one of "the help," forced to tend to Miss Skeeter's emotional sadness over the loss of her maid (whom she loved more than her own white momma) and her social trials regarding a clearly racist "Jim Crow" bill.
What is most concerning about the text is the empathy that we are supposed to have for Miss Skeeter. This character is not a true white civil rights activist like the historical figure, Viola Liuzzo (April 11, 1925 – March 25, 1965), a mother of five from Michigan murdered by Ku Klux Klan members after the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march in Alabama. Instead, Skeeter is a lonely recent grad of Ole Miss, who returns home after college, devastated that her maid is gone and that she is "stuck" with her parents. She remarks, "I had to accept that Constantine, my one true ally, had left me to fend for myself with these people." (81) Constantine is Miss Skeeter's Black maid, and it's pretty transparent that Stockett is writing about herself. We learn this in the novel's epilogue, "Too Little, Too Late: Kathryn Stockett, in her own words."
"My parents divorced when I was six. Demetrie became even more important then. When my mother went on one of her frequent trips[…] I'd cry and cry on Demetrie's shoulder, missing my mother so bad I'd get a fever from it." (p. 527)
"I'm pretty sure I can say that no one in my family ever asked Demetrie what it felt like to be black in Mississippi, working for our white family. It never occurred to us to ask. It was everyday life. It wasn't something people felt compelled to examine. I have wished, for many years, that I'd been old enough and thoughtful enough to ask Demetrie the same question. She died when I was sixteen. I've spent years imagining what her answer would be. And that is why I wrote this book." (p. 530)
It would have behooved Stockett to ask her burning question of another Black domestic, or at least read some memoirs on the subject, but instead she substitutes her imagination for understanding. And the result is that The Help isn't for Black women at all, and quickly devolves into just another novel by and for white women.
But when the novel attempts to enter the mindset of the Black women, like Aibleen or her best friend Minny, suddenly we enter the realm of the ridiculous. Although Stockett's writing shows her talent, her ignorance of the real lives of the Black women bleeds through. Her Black characters lack the credibility reflected in Coming of Age in Mississippi, a 1968 memoir by Anne Moody, an African American woman growing up in rural Mississippi in the 1960s. Moody recalls doing domestic work for white families from the age of nine. Moody's voice is one of a real Black woman who left her own house and family each morning to cook in another woman's kitchens.
So instead of incorporating a real Black woman's voice in a novel purported to being about Black domestics, the Skeeter/Stockett character is comfortingly centralized, and I can see why white women relate to her. She is depicted as a budding feminist, who is enlightened and brave. But in reality, she uses the stories of the Black domestics in the name of "sisterhood" to launch her own career, and then leaves them behind. In my experience, the Skeeters of the world grow up to be Gloria Steinem.
In a certain sense, The Help exemplifies the disconnect many Black women have felt from Feminist Movement through the second wave. For 20 years, I read accounts of Black women who were alienated from that movement primarily populated by middle-class white women. Black women have asserted their voices since the 1960s as a means of revising feminism and identifying the gap previously denied by the movement and filled by their minds, spirits and bodies. Yet, because I was born in the midst of the second wave and the Black Feminist Movement, I never felt alienated, myself, until the 2008 Presidential election.
It started with the extremely unpleasant showdown between Gloria Steinem and Melissa Harris Lacewell, (now Perry) surrounding Steinem's New York Times op-ed about then-Senator Barack Obama. This was followed by the late Geraldine Ferraro's dismissive comments that Senator Obama was winning the race because he was not White. "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. … He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept."
And even now that we have an elegant Black First Lady, I'm troubled that our popular culture obsession is with the "largely fictional" book, The Help. Sounds like an opportune moment for second wave feminists to engage in some serious deconstructionist critical analysis.
Or maybe not.
Once again, it seems that the sisters who make up the "sisterhood" are left to fend for themselves, while second wave feminists like Salon.com writer Laura Miller give a tepid analysis of the legal controversy surrounding the novel.
In February, Ablene Cooper, an African-American maid and babysitter working in Jackson, Miss., where "The Help" is set, filed suit against Stockett. Cooper accused Stockett of causing her to "experience severe emotional distress, embarrassment, humiliation and outrage" by appropriating "her identity for an unpermitted use and holding her to the public eye in a false light." In her article, "The Dirty Secrets of The Help," Laura Miller writes:
"Cooper's lawsuit does manage to unearth two remarks from the novel in which Aibileen seems (arguably) to disparage her own color, but they are tiny scratches on an otherwise glowing portrait."
Here's one of those "tiny scratches" posted on ABCnews.com.
"That night after supper, me and that cockroach stare each other down across the kitchen floor," Aibileen says in the book. "He big, inch, inch an a half. He black. Blacker than me."
Laura Miller sees no problem with this, and focuses more on the depiction of the white women in the text:
"Although it's difficult to believe that anyone would feel "outrage, revulsion and severe emotional distress" at being identified with the heroic Aibleen, her employer, Miss Leefolt, is another matter. A vain, status-seeking woman married to a struggling, surly accountant and desperately trying to keep up appearances in front of fellow members of the Jackson Junior League, Miss Leefolt is the one who insists on adding a separate "colored" bathroom to her garage. She does this partly to impress Miss Hilly, the League's alpha Mean Girl (and the novel's villain), but she also talks obsessively about the "different kinds of diseases" that "they" carry. Furthermore, Miss Leefolt is a blithely atrocious mother who ignores and mistreats her infant daughter, speaking wistfully of a vacation when "I hardly had to see [her] at all." Like all of the white women in the novel (except the journalist writing the maids' stories), Miss Leefolt is cartoonishly awful — and her maid has almost the same name as Stockett's sister-in-law's maid. Fancy that!"
Of course, Miller insinuates that the real life Aibleen lacks the agency to have initiated the lawsuit, and that Stockett's sister-in-law surely coerced her.
I have never met the real-life Aibleen, but if she went to the grocery store yesterday, she would have seen that The Republic of Tea introduced its new limited-edition The Help Tea – Caramel Cake Black Tea, and despite her educational background, she would have understood that she won't get a cent of the royalties. According to the website, The Help Tea – Caramel Cake Black Tea, is inspired by Aibleen's best friend Minny's famous caramel cake. The tea is being marketed to drink with friends in celebration of a movie where a "remarkable sisterhood emerges."
What no one wants to acknowledge is that the fictionalized Skeeter leaves the Black domestics in the South—similar to the white freedom riders during the Civil Rights Movement. In real life, after appropriating the voice of working class Black women, profiting, and not settling out of court, Kathryn Stockett admits in a Barnes and Noble audio interview that even her own maid was not fond of the novel: "My own maid didn't really care for it too much, she said it hit a little too close to home for her," Sockett reports seven minutes and 35 seconds into the 10 minute interview with Steve Bertrand. So, in the end, The Help and the lawsuit are about white women who don't want true sisterhood. They just want Help.
~ Duchess Harris, PhD, JD is Associate Professor of American Studies at Macalester College, and the author of Black Feminist Politics from Kennedy to Clinton and Racially Writing the Republic. This post originally appeared on FeministWire. You can follow her on Twitter @DuchessHarris.