text:
December 21, 2005
It's a lightsaber. Like the one Obe Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker use in Star Wars. When you extend it and push this little button, it'll light up, just like in the movies.
You can get it at most toy stores for about $7.
But the one you are holding in your hand is much more valuable.
That's because of who gave it to you.
It's from your community – Hood River. From the stores downtown. And up on the Heights. From customers who stopped by and dropped a few dollars in the jar.
From the high school's student leaders. Its basketball team. And hundreds of individuals in every class. Police departments. Churches and clubs. Fire departments. Even Wal-Mart gave.
You'd never be able to write a thank you card to everybody who contributed to that lightsaber.
Their givers are too many and their gifts are not quantifiable.
You are probably noticing by now the other families here at the Expo Center. All the kids your age, running around with unwrapped dolls and toy trucks of their own. Mothers cradling bags of food in their arms.
Five hundred and six families will move through this building between today – Friday – and tomorrow. And in that time, the Christmas Project coordinators and volunteers will handout between $60,000 and $80,000 worth of food and toys.
It's a gargantuan event, loosely organized by dozens of people and consolidated by one charge: Give.
The Fashion Show –
For Cathy Carter, the Christmas Project begins in August. That's the month in which Carter starts recruiting models for the show. She's been a part of the Fashion Show since it began nine years ago, initially as one of the dozen or so models. In the last five or six years, however, she took over the organizational effort of it – a commitment aimed at bringing models, marketing and the masses in between four walls.
When it started back in 1996, three or four downtown shops and a dozen or so models participated. They raised about $500.
This year, 12 merchants donated enough to the Christmas Project to be a part of the show.
One hundred locals – shop owners and shop workers – modeled clothes and a little skin – for the cause.
Even the Hood River Hotel donated 12 rooms – one for each merchant.
The Fashion Show raised $4,600 for Christmas Project.
"Everybody said this was the best show yet," Carter said. "Every year it's gotten more and more popular and selling out in less and less days. People are now asking how they can get involved, how can they contribute instead of us asking them."
Canned food drive –
Troy Tactay starts pushing the canned food drive to his first period calculus students during the first week of the school year – more than a month before the students will actually collect the cans of soup, stew and vegetables that will end up in the pantry of the FISH Food Bank and in carefully arranged boxes on the Expo Center's cement floor.
Every first period class begins with a few-minute rally, reminding his students of their intended goal and pointers coaching them to it.
Take advantage of the Civil War weekend, he suggested once. A lot of people around the valley will be home to watch it on television.
"If you combine a good cause with something people like," he says. "You will do a lot better than just a good cause."
Last year, Tactay's first period class brought in 11,000 cans. That amount quadrupled the offerings of the second place finisher, set a school record and assured every student of a much-craved luau.
It also established a new standard.
That year, Hood River Valley High School collected 26,000 cans in 20 days.
"It used to be that 4,000 to 5,000 cans was a good number," says Bob Kadell, the student leadership teacher who's serving as the overall director of the drive. "In 1990, it started shooting up. In 2003, we barely had 20,000 cans."
This year, Tactay's first period calculus class was determined to raise the standard even higher.
But they had six less days to achieve it.
Associated Student Body president Jenna Fisher, Vice President Matt Byrne, Alex Titus, Dani Peters and Aerial MacMillan figured they had 14 days with which to work.
They spent six and a half hours on three Saturdays walking from door to door, introducing themselves and what they were doing and asking, over and over and over again.
"We collected in Hood River and then we went to Odell," Fisher says. "We spent all day out there. We probably got 500 cans."
Students in other classes were working too. And by yesterday, when student Melissa Princehouse was tallying the effort with a calculator and notebook in the school's cafeteria their work showed.
In the last three days of the drive, the school had gleaned 16,000 cans from the community.
Tactay's totals beat 2004's by a few hundred: 12,050.
The school brought in 26,574 – 500 more than last year.
"It averages out to about 24 cans per student," Kadell says. "Some bring in a few hundred. Some bring in zero. But it all averages out."
As Kadell is saying this, he's driving a truck-load of organized and sorted cans to the FISH Food Bank on the Heights. He's following 17 trucks – most of them belonging to students or their parents.
"That's part of what makes us a Super School," Kadell smiles.
All morning, scores of students have been packing and sorting the food by type: pasta all in one box, soups, stews, vegetables each in their own boxes.
And, like an army of well-organized ants, those 30 or 40 students had in 20 minutes loaded each one of those 26,000 cans into a truck.
They took 3,800 of them to the Expo Center to add to the food that Rosauers and other food drives have already contributed.
A genuine need –
They're taking these 23,000-plus cans to the FISH Food Bank on the Heights, where they'll stock the pantry, the perimeter of the basement and a walk-in closet with the cans of their labor.
The task will take them less than an hour.
But the products of their toil will help keep Hood River County's poorest families fed for another year.
"The bulk of the food comes in between Thanksgiving and Christmas," says Marianne Durkan, president of FISH Food Board. "We're just starting to run out of food from last year."
After the students leave, FISH volunteers will transform these boxes into those containing vegetables, carbohydrates and protein – enough nutrients to last a family for three to five days.
"That's why they are considered emergency food boxes," said Janeal Booren, director of the Mid-Columbia Community Action, the non-profit, which oversees food banks in Hood River and Wasco counties.
FISH can produce 300 of these boxes a month. And every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, a line of anxious people, is trailing outside FISH's door, a half-hour before Durkam opens it.
FISH has enough to serve about 1,000 families a year.
"We have 35 to 40 families show up every day we open," Durkan says."
According to Booren, 2,375 (14 percent) Hood River County residents survive below the federal poverty line.
Demand for free food is so high in Hood River County – and elsewhere – that FISH allows familes to pick up a box only every 30 days.
A grave distinction –
Oregon was, until 2003, the nation's most food insecure state.
Now, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, it's the eighth most hungry state: 12.9 percent of Oregon households have experienced food insecurity – defined by having difficulty providing all meals for all members of the family. And 3.5 percent of households have experience true hunger – defined by missing a meal due to lack of food.
Oregon improved from the hungriest state to the eighth hungriest state by pushing food stamps into the budgets of the poor and by expanding its emergency food box distribution.
But the state's hunger problem is still exacerbated by high costs for housing and an overwhelming seasonal work force.
Perhaps no county better epitomizes that conundrum than Hood River County, where most residents find employment in the orchards and at Mt. Hood Meadows.
Last November, for example, when Meadows hadn't even opened yet, Hood River County's unemployment rate was 7.3 percent.
This year, largely due to Meadows' early opening, that rate has dropped to 5.5 percent.
"The Hood River unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in October," said Dallas Fridley, the state's employment economist. "By historical standards, the jobless rates posted in the county in September and October were the county's best showing in more than a decade. The rate was 4.2 in September 1995."
But, says Fridley, the monthly costs of rent are rising faster.
And one of the few ways social workers are minimizing the hunger impacts of high rent is through food drives.
They account for 14 percent of the Oregon Food Bank's total food. And too often for some meals, 100 percent of what a poor family might eat that evening for supper.
Despite the plummeting unemployment rates and because of the rising costs of rent, most of the Oregon Food Bank's 18 regional food centers are struggling to stave the hunger.
"The food drives in Wasco County are down," Mid-Columbia Community Action director Booren said. "Our shelves here are bare: at St. Vincent DePaul and at the Salvation Army. The only one that's doing well is FISH. It has great local support. FISH stands out. I went to their pantry recently. They're just packed with food from floor to ceiling. It was wall to wall bags of food."
A lot of that – all of the food downstairs – is what the students brought in on Thursday morning.
The other food, the bags Booren is talking about, is from Rosauer's annual Hunger Bag drive. For the last five years, Rosauers has packed bags full of food, which hunger experts say is essential for a nutritious diet.
A grocery shopper can buy one for $5 or $10. And Rosauers stretches those $5 and $10 as far as possible.
"You don't make money on it," said assistant manager Doug Bohn, who is in charge of the program. "It's not there to make money. It's there to supply the food bank."
Rosauers sells about 150 Hunger Bags a week.
When that drive ends in November, Bohn awaits the phone call of Bruce Holmson.
Holmson is a 56-year-old forester, who's worked for the Gifford-Pinchot National Forest for 10 years. At this point in his career, he gets six weeks of vacation time.
And uses one of those weeks to focus on this: the Christmas Project.
He's the leader of the volunteer team that organized all this food and all these toys for your family and 519 other ones; for you and for 2,000 others.
After all has been requested for and completed, Holmson figures his team has invested 500 hours into the Christmas Project since the first organizational meeting in September.
"It brings the true meaning of the holidays to me," Holmson said. "It helps me get my mind where it should be. But the important thing is this: every year there's a need. That what makes this worthwhile. Especially at needy times during the holidays."
Way back when, it wasn't so different –
But the Christmas Project begins long before September of 2005.
It begins, actually, on Dec. 17, 1920 with an article in Hood River's newspaper, the Hood River Glacier.
Europeans, at that time, were enduring severe economic hardship wrought from post-World War I inflation.
The story in that winter, urged Hood River residents to donate what they could to Europe's starving and malnourished children.
A week later, a front page article in the Glacier, exposed Hood River County's own state of poverty and destitution.
"Family living on Montello;" the article read. "Seven children, oldest ten years; occupy a shack made of roofing paper and wood, 8 x 10 x 6; one bed on which all sleep; children barefooted in snow and rain, insufficiently clad; mother just recovering from illness; father working sometimes …"
Commercial Club President J.H. Fredricy, who had revealed Hood River County's own poor, initiated a fund with $10 and asked for others to contribute.
"… others at once offered to provide funds for the poor and destitute."
By Christmas of 1923, the Elks and specifically John Baker had taken over the project – although it had no real name yet, save for the informal "Christmas effort" and the "annual free Christmas show and tree."
Every kid got candy and nuts.
Two years later, Baker was still building the project – 700 children showed up that year from White Salmon, Bingen, Underwood and Mosier. And one of Baker's primary missions for that year was to find enough transportation for all the children and to convince the Hood River – White Salmon Bridge to, on this Christmas occasion, allow them to cross the bridge without paying a toll.
"There's a feeling that the directors of the company will be kindly enough to make this special concession for the kiddies at Christmas time," the article read.
Forty-some years later, the Elks effort combined with the Toys-for-Tots program to provide a Christmas dinner and toys for children and their families.
The Elks carried the project until 1996, when its members decided they could no longer fund such an expansive and expensive project.
They asked the Hood River Lions if they could give it a try.
The Lions took them up on it. And in 1999, they decided to make the Christmas Project's toy drive one of their seven primary efforts. They devoted $5,000 in their budget to purchasing toys.
To purchasing the lightsaber you are still holding in your hands.
I could go on about the food baskets, which 70 volunteers will deliver to 100 senior citizens up in Parkdale and over in Cascade Locks on Saturday.
About the two afternoons community and student volunteers devoted to sorting through each of the toys to make sure you get a lightsaber instead of a doll. And that your little sister got a doll instead of a toy truck.
But there's too much to tell you about. Too much giving to explain with a few thousand words.
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ADRIAN — A judge said Friday he is convinced a teenager he believed was too dangerous to ever let out of prison is a different man at age 30.
Ian Elmer Anderson was given a second chance at life when Lenawee County Circuit Judge Timothy P. Pickard reduced his 45-year minimum prison term to the 12 years he has already served.
"I don't know how long it will be before you are paroled, but I believe it will be shortly," Pickard told Anderson.
A little more than 12 years ago, Pickard sentenced the hostile 18-year-old to 45 to 90 years in prison for an armed robbery conviction. He was labeled a dangerous psychopath by a psychologist who evaluated him.
"If I send you to prison and you come out of prison I'm afraid somebody's going to die," Pickard told him then.
The same psychologist has a much different opinion now, Pickard said.
He said he has also received a great deal of correspondence from Michigan Department of Corrections officials who describe him as successfully reformed.
An officer who has supervised Anderson for seven years wrote about watching him "go through a rather remarkable change," Pickard said. "He called it a 100 percent change in character."
Other corrections officials described help he has given other inmates in learning to read and write, he said.
Corrections officials and the psychologist agree Anderson can safely return to society, Pickard said.
"They believe he will be a positive and productive member of society," he said.
Defense attorney James Daly said the backing of Corrections Department officials is rare.
"Never in all the years I've been practicing law here have I ever seen the Department of Corrections send a letter of support for anyone," Daly said.
Assistant Lenawee County Prosecutor Scott Baker said the victim in the 2000 robbery at an Adrian gasoline station was present in the courtroom but had no comment on the resentencing.
Anderson apologized to her after reading a brief written statement about his efforts to earn repentance and striving to educate and improve himself over the past 12 years.
"For anyone who was affected by my actions, I apologize," Anderson said.
Pickard said he had a private conversation with Anderson in his chambers. He said he believes Anderson is sincere and accepted his vow to stay away from alcohol and drugs when he is paroled.
"I believe you are a bright person and a valuable person," Pickard said before Anderson was led out of the courtroom to return to the Macomb Correctional Facility. Pickard told him to expect a parole hearing within 30 to 60 days.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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text:
Info for Health Professionals
This service is designed for those patients on whom it is
difficult to obtain venous blood, especially for intra venous drug
Contact the laboratory for supply of postal packs containing all
necessary items for using this service.
Paediatric/infant packs are available on request
Collection container (including preservatives):
Envelope with dessicant
Specimen type: Dried blood spot card
1) Disposable gloves should be worn for the whole procedure to
protect you and the sample from degradation.
2) Ensure the patient's hands are clean. If the hands are cold
ask the patient to rub them together. It is important the puncture
site is warm.
3) Identify and clean the puncture site:
4) Break the seal by twisting.
5) Hold the lancet with two fingers and place at the puncture
6) Gently apply pressure until the lancet is activated. A click
sound will be heard when this has happened.
7) Safely discard the lancet in a sharps container.
8) Spot blood onto each of the 5 circles on the card. To ensure
enough blood flow:
Note: Fill each circle with blood. Failure to
do so may reduce the sensitivity of the screening tests.
9) Leave the card to dry for a minimum of 30 minutes.
10) Place card along with one bag of desiccant in the plastic
carrier attached to the request form.
11) Ensure the required details have been entered on both the
request form and the dried blood spot card. Place the request card
in the envelope provided and send back to the laboratory.
Specimen transport: No special needs
Minimum volume of sample: 7mm diameter blood
Special precautions: Ensure blood spot has
dried and submit with dessicant pouch enclosed
Measurement units: Not applicable
Biological reference units: Not applicable
Turn round time for provisional result (working
days): 5 days
Turn round time to final result (working days):
7 days
Clinical decision points: Not applicable
Factors known to significantly affect the
results: Spots too small, not all spots filled with
(Last reviewed October 24th 2017)


text:
Intel® RealSense™ technology is fundamentally re-shaping the future of technology by equipping devices with the ability to see, understand, interact with, and learn from their environment.1 There are three products with depth perception technology that enable you to create new and innovative ways to connect with the world.
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Intel® RealSense™ technology supports a wide range of operating systems and programming languages. The Intel® RealSense™ SDK enables you to extract depth data from the camera and use the interpretation of this data in the platform of your choice. Developer tools will be available in Windows* OS, Linux*, Mac* OS, and more. The kit will also offer sample codes, debug tools, and evaluation tools to accelerate your project.
The Intel® RealSense™ Depth Module D400 Series provides a turnkey solution for rapid product development and integration for VR, Robotics, and any market where depth matters. Choose the module that has the best combination of power consumption, field of view, and shutter type, to optimize depth vision integration into your product. This tailored depth module adds "eyes" to your product as an enhanced solution.
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Intel® technologies' features and benefits depend on system configuration and may require enabled hardware, software or service activation. Performance varies depending on system configuration. No computer system can be absolutely secure. Check with your system manufacturer or retailer or learn more at https://www.intel.co.za.


text:
I know absolutely nothing of Samba. What I do know is that I have three boxes at home and I run windows on two of them so I installed samba on my debian box acting as a router for my home network.
I thought that I'd fiddle around with it some time when I have time and see If I could get it to work.
Yesterday it just so happened that I did a netstat -aN on the debian box and I had a bunch of lines with IP's I didn't recognize. None of them were internal IP's and they were all marked as closed. Judging by the port numbers which I convienintly have forgotten they weren't to my webserver also running on the box so I thought I'd remove samba which I did and all the IP's dissapeard.
Did samba open my box up in some way or is there another reason why there seemed to have been several external computers connected to my box?
Any help appreciated,


text:
Central Mass. Striders president Kim Wamback doesn't believe the Boston Marathon will ever be the same after the deadly explosions near the finish line of Monday's race, but the tragedy won't prevent her from running in it.
In fact, it's made her more determined than ever to run.
Wamback, 38, of Worcester swore off running Boston again after it took her nearly six hours — more than two hours longer than her best time — last year to finish on an unusually hot day. But after the explosions killed three and injured more than 170, she's changed her mind.
"I just don't think you can live in fear," Wamback said. Wamback also expects the elite runners to return next season.
"It's one of the greatest marathons in the world," she said. "People from all over the world come and I don't think that's going to stop. Will the finish line be different? I would say yes. I definitely think there will be heightened security. It won't be the same running down Boylston Street having all those thousands of people cheering you on, but I don't think it's going to stop people from running the race."
Wamback was in the Central Mass. Striders tent located around the 17.5-mile mark in the 26.5-mile race Monday, but her brother-in-law Matthew Wamback of Worcester ran in the race and her other in-laws were near the finish line to cheer him on. All escaped injury.
Boston Marathon organizers vowed Tuesday to continue the race next year, calling the world's oldest and most prestigious annual marathon "a deeply held tradition (and) an integral part of the fabric and history of our community."
"We are committed to continuing that tradition with the running of the 118th Boston Marathon in 2014," Boston Athletic Association head Tom Grilk said.
But Amy Sciannameo, 39, of Shrewsbury is in no hurry to return after running her second Boston Marathon Monday.
"That finish line is forever changed," Sciannameo said. "Right now if you ask me if I'll ever do another marathon, my answer is no. Today, my answer is no. You're in a big city with all these people, it's chaos. Nobody is more organized than the Boston Athletic Association, but it was chaos."
Sciannameo estimated that she unknowingly ran for 20 to 30 minutes after the second bomb exploded and passed police officers along the way, but finally stopped about a quarter-mile from the finish line only because everyone else did. After she learned about the explosions, she began to walk in the opposite direction.
"It was so eerie," she said, "because all of this noise had stopped. All you could hear was sirens and helicopters."
Near Fenway Park, Sciannameo and four other runners piled into a car with two spectators, sitting on each other's laps, and drove to Brookline and then back home.
Sciannameo said she was still in shock Tuesday. She couldn't watch the news.
She hadn't eaten since 9 a.m. Monday and didn't sleep all Monday night.
"It's a once in a lifetime thing for people," she said, "and people are just devastated. There are a lot of people who will never enter another big race like this again."
Jose Rivera, 39, of Webster, ran in his first Boston Marathon Monday. He believes the Boston Marathon will continue, but with more security. Nevertheless, Rivera wants to run in it again.
"You have to prove that this doesn't stop us," he said.
Hicham Maalouf ran the Boston Marathon for the first time Monday and unequivocally declared his intention to return.
"Absolutely I want to run Boston again," the 37-year-old Worcester resident said Tuesday.
"It was something before the explosion that was so good to me and I want to show the world we are strong and there are so many good souls. That you just inspire us to bring out the best in one another."
Rich Garven of the Telegram & Gazette staff contributed to this report.


text:
I watched with amazement this week as the terrible story of the marathon bombing unfolded in Boston.
I was not so much amazed at what was happening � I was horrified by that � as I was at the way the story was being covered.
As I often do, I had turned the 3 p.m. news report on Fox News, and no sooner than the broadcast began than did the story begin to unfold. And almost instantly it seemed, there came a flow of video out of the disaster scene. Some of it, of course, was from media personnel there to cover the marathon. But much of it was from bystanders who were shooting video or still photos on their cell phones.
As the story continued to unfold, more and more of the amateur photos and video appeared on the screen, and we were given views of the scene that would have been possible in no other way.
Amateur media played a major role in the coverage of this story, and it also may be a major factor in learning who was behind the terrorist act and how it was carried out. One of the first views of what may have been the bag containing one of the bombs came from amateur film, and now investigators are asking for anyone with film of the scene to get in touch with them.
When the 9/11 story broke in 2001, cell phones were in widespread use, but we did not have the major flood of amateur photos from that scene in New York City. There has been use of amateur video and photos in growing numbers over the years since then, especially on local newscasts of accidents and weather activities. But Boston was the first major national story in which this new media became such a seriously contributing factor in coverage.
It was like the John F. Kennedy assassination in 1963. That was the day that television coverage came of age. Until that day, television was still something for entertainment, not news. But that day, the TV networks showed that on-the-scene live coverage of a breaking news story was going to be the way of the future.
Today we see the world�s biggest news events the minute they happen in faraway places, whereas in the past we often had to wait days to get reports of major events.
One story that always comes to mind when I think about the changes in news coverage is the flight of the first airplane here in North Carolina in 1903. We know, of course, that the Wright Brothers made their flight at Kitty Hawk that year, an event that would change the world as had nothing in the past, except perhaps the invention of the wheel.
There were no newsmen there that day, no TV cameras, no radio coverage. There was someone with a camera, but he was not there to provide news coverage.
The only report of the event that day was a telegraph sent by the Wright brothers to their sister Catherine in Ohio. �Flight successful. Be home for Christmas. Wilbur and Orville.�
That message was sent by Alpheus Drinkwater, a Dare County resident who was in the communications service with the Coast Guard. His home was the headquarters for Western Union in the area. He also sent messages out that were picked up by the Norfolk, Va. newspaper, but few others. In fact, it was several days before people in New York and Washington knew of the flight.
Drinkwater spent 45 years with the Coast Guard and was a stringer for the Associated Press for 60 years after that historic event. He also came to Burlington in 1943 when Fairchild Aircraft flew the first plane built in the factory here for the Air Corps in World War II.
It is hard to comprehend the way that news coverage has evolved since Drinkwater�s telegraph coverage of the Wright flight. But we have come to the point today where reporting is instant and we can pick and choose among the many reports that are offered to us.
It is great that we can do this. We are better informed on issues that affect our lives and we are better equipped to react in a positive way to those things. In the Boston case, the public may indeed play a major role in the conclusion of the case.
The Boston Marathon bombings will be remembered as one of the most heinous of attacks on this nation. And it may also be remembered as the event in which amateur cell phone photos and video became a major part of our way of covering the news. Anyone with a smart phone can contribute to news coverage.
Don Bolden is editor emeritus of the Times-News. His column appears every Sunday. He can be contacted at email@example.com.


text:
The Lyme disease blood test looks for
Alternative Names
Lyme disease serology; ELISA for Lyme disease; Western blot for Lyme disease
How the Test is Performed
A blood sample is needed.
A laboratory specialist looks for Lyme disease antibodies in the blood sample using the ELISA test. If the ELISA test is positive, it must be confirmed with the Western blot test.
How to Prepare for the Test
You do not need special steps to prepare for this test.
How the Test will Feel
When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain. Others feel only a prick or stinging. Afterward, there may be some throbbing or a slight bruise. This soon goes away.
Why the Test is Performed
The test is done to help confirm the diagnosis of Lyme disease.
Normal Results
A negative test result is normal. This means none or few antibodies to Lyme disease were seen in your blood sample. If the ELISA test is negative, usually no other testing is needed.
Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.
What Abnormal Results Mean
A positive ELISA result is abnormal. This means antibodies were seen in your blood sample. But, this does not confirm a diagnosis of Lyme disease. A positive ELISA result must be followed up with a Western blot test. Only a positive Western blot test can confirm the diagnosis of Lyme disease.
For many people, the ELISA test remains positive, even after they have been treated for Lyme disease and no longer have symptoms.
A positive ELISA test may also occur with certain diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Veins and arteries vary in size, so it may be harder to take a blood sample from one person than another.
Other slight risks from having blood drawn may include:
- Excessive bleeding
- Fainting or feeling light-headed
- Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
- Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
LaSala PR, Smith MB. Spirochete infections. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR, eds. Henrys Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Saunders; 2011:chap 59.
Steere AC. Borrelia burgdorferi (lyme disease, lyme borreliosis). In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennetts Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2009:chap 242.
Review Date:
Reviewed By:
Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.


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He also became disenchanted that the party renewal Mr. Dion had pledged to promote wasn't happening.
I'm not even sure I buy the above as true, so this post isn't about stirring the pot. However, I've always believed, and this is one of the reasons I supported him and joined the party, that Kennedy "gets it" when he speaks of party renewal. That stance has irked some people, entrenched interests never react particularly well to talk of insurgencies, or criticisms. But, in the final analysis, it speaks to the notions of entitlement, it understands that the Liberals tend to be lacking, relative to other parties, when it comes to grassroots support.
Which leads us to fundraising. The new fundraising rules are actually a blessing in disguise for the Liberals, if you adopt the long view. These rules are clearly hurting the Liberals in the immediate, but ultimately they will provide the path to renewal that needs to occur. The new system demands grassroots support, it relies on average Canadians, donating small amounts, to make a party fiscally viable. That reality translates to a need to reach out to the rank and file, build the party from the ground up. Within that, it then necessitates a better dialogue, or engagement, between the party appartus and its supporters.
We already see the seeds of a new dynamic, when you consider the Victory Fund, which involves direct interaction with participants and their leadership. Still in the embryo stage, it is easy to see how the need to attract donors will only be successful if people feel plugged in to the process. Under the old rules, the Liberals could rely on heavyweights to compete, and this reliance is partially responsible for the party appearing top heavy. That relationship has evaporated, which means in the end, there will be a transfer of power to the "person on the street" if the Liberals are to thrive.
When the dust settles, Kennedy's want may come about, not voluntarily, but because of circumstance, because party prosperity may depend on it. In a few years, I have a feeling we may look back on the new fundraising rules as the best thing that could have happened to the Liberal Party.


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We The Party (In Theaters April 6th) [Truth Back End Movie Trailer]
XLrator Media presents director Mario Van Peebles' wild new comedy WE THE PARTY. Join an all-star cast of some of music's hottest artists -- Snoop Dogg, YG, The New Boyz and Rej3ctz -- for the biggest party of 2012! Follow five friends looking for love, sex, money and the perfect prom date. Who the Party? WE THE PARTY! Opening April 6 in theaters near you.
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text:
If you like puzzles that require logic, test your powers of reasoning, or just drive you insane then this is the place for you.
It is intended that this site will contain a number of contests, together with a very friendly forum where you can obtain help, provide help, and meet other gluttons for punishment.
Our flagship contest is "Labyrinth", a devilish maze of puzzles... many have entered, few have escaped!
Now our second contest gives you the chance to go back in... but this time it's darker and deeper!!!
Can you find your way out?
The only way to know for sure is to register and give it a go!
September 2007


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I'm not dead yet! Though I've been putting off posting here . Some of you may have noticed my presence online again. Yes, I've returned. I was surprised to find that we have 3 active players and 1 semi-active player still within the kin - I wasn't expecting any, tbh.
I recall discussions about reforming within another more active kin, and I still consider it a possibility. However, as long as there are people who wish to remain under the flag of SSX both in both spirit as well as name, then I will remain as well. I'm not about to disband the kin and kick everyone out.
Feel free to give me a shout when on, as well as any of the other peeps still lurking about. I finally bought Moria, but I haven't bothered checking out much the expansion has to offer yet. Plenty of time for that.
So... Hi everyone!


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As investors push equities and other risk assets to multi-year highs, one question being raised by analysts is whether upbeat markets are becoming too complacent.
Lim Say Boon, chief investment officer at DBS Private Bank in Singapore, says while markets are probably not pricing in long-term structural problems such as huge debt levels in many major economies, the sharp and swift move into stocks this year do not reflect complacency.
Instead, the rally in risk assets shows investors are finally taking a step back from high levels of fear and anxiety that ruled last year. In the past three months, shares in the U.S. and Asia have rallied more than 6 percent, while stocks in Europe have gained 4 percent, as fears about U.S. fiscal worries subside and economic data paint a brighter outlook for global growth.
It's a sharp contrast to the middle of last year, when a surge in Spanish government bonds yields and worries about a break-up of the euro zone triggered a sharp fall in the euro and equity markets globally.


text: I am a new mom. I just had my baby girl on October 29th. I was trying to breastfeed and she did really well the first few days while I was in the hospital, but once I had to start supplementing a little formula at each feeding she will not latch on anymore. She liked my right side over the left side from the get go, but now she wont really take on either side. I mean she will for just a minute and then she starts fighting with it. I gave up for 2 days, but I want her to be breastfed so bad; I pumped today and only got 3oz from both sides combined. How can I get her back on me or at least get my milk production up for pumping?


text:
The Haskell Platform is a comprehensive, robust development for programming
in Haskell, which not only makes it trivial to get up and running with a full
Haskell development environment, but also provides a comprehensive, standard
base for commercial and open source Haskell development that maximises
interoperability and stability of your code.
This requires ghc, and hscolour is an optional requirement.
This is intended to be installed on a system that does not already have any
haskell-related components (other than ghc & hscolour, of course) installed,
so for best results (and chance of success), you should remove any of those
before you try to build haskell-platform.
Maintained by: Christoph Willing
Keywords: haskell platform
ChangeLog: haskell-platform
Download SlackBuild:
haskell-platform.tar.gz.asc (FAQ)
(the SlackBuild does not include the source)
|Individual Files:
| haskell-platform.SlackBuild
| haskell-platform.info
| not_update_pkg_db.diff
| slack-desc
© 2006-2018 SlackBuilds.org Project. All rights reserved.
Slackware® is a registered trademark of Patrick Volkerding
Linux® is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds
Web Design by WebSight Designs | Managed Hosting by OnyxLight Communications


text:
Birdman & Lil Wayne Make It Rain And Celebrate Baby's Birthday Bash At King Of Diamonds Strip Club!
Cameos from DJ Khaled, Mack Maine & Floyd
Captured by Phototea Imagery @PhotoTea
Edited by J @WorldStarVids
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text:
Linked by weildish on Tue 9th Dec 2008 16:49 UTC
In an almost indiscernible and confusing article filled with various scientific terms that most cringe to hear, it was described how in October of 2008 scientists successfully stored and retrieved data on the nucleus of an atom-- and all for two short lived seconds. With this new type of storage, a traditional bit can now be both zero and one at the same time, but in order to understand just how this is possible, translate the article linked above to plain English. Data integrity returns after two seconds at 90% and storage is obviously impermanent, so there are many kinks to work out before atomic storage actually serves a purpose, but give these scientists a couple of decades, and it's theoretical that we'll one day have nuclear drives the size of USB drives today (or MicroSD cards, or why not even specs of dust?) that can hold hundreds of terabytes-- even pentabytes-- of information.
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RE: Indiscernable, no. Confusing, not really.
by Soulbender on Wed 10th Dec 2008 17:27 UTC in reply to "Indiscernable, no. Confusing, not really."


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CNN's Human to Hero series celebrates inspiration and achievement in sport. Click here for videos and features.
(CNN) -- Mathias Boe is smiling, like a lot of people do when he explains that badminton is his full-time job.
Perhaps that mirth would evaporate if those people regularly had to face down a shuttlecock hurtling towards them at a speed of 185 miles per hour.
Or if they came face-to-face with his most treasured possession -- an Olympic silver medal, won with doubles partner Carsten Mogensen at the 2012 Games in London.
"Badminton is very popular in Denmark but it's seen as a hobby sport," Boe told CNN's Human to Hero series.
"After the Olympics we are quite famous here and (people) still often ask us, 'Do you do this for a living?'
"Even though it's popular, and everyone has played it once in their lifetime, they still see it as a hobby."
Read: Premier League dream for Bigirimana after 'miracle journey'
A closer inspection of the sport at the highest level should wipe away any lingering smirks.
It can occasionally be hard to keep track of the relentless back and forth such is the breakneck speed at which the world's best operate.
Boe has been attuned to this intense wave of frequency since the age of eight, when badminton drew him in.
"Badminton is definitely faster than tennis," Boe explained.
"You have strokes over 300 kph (185 mph) so it's an extremely fast sport -- only tennis table is faster. You need to have your reflexes ready when you play because it goes very, very fast.
"The skills that are most important are speed -- even though the court looks small on television it is quite big -- and you need to be quick around the court, and you have to have a very good technique.
"As you can see we don't have the biggest arms but we really have a big smash, a lot of us. I'd say power and stamina are two very important things."
As is, of course, his relationship with his badminton buddy.
Boe and Mogensen were first paired together in 2004 by a coach at the national training center and started a steady climb towards the world number one ranking, which they clinched in 2011.
The duo have won a tranche of titles, including the prestigious All England Championships crown in 2011 -- one Mogensen describes as the equivalent of winning Wimbledon -- but none bigger than their Olympic silver.
Read: 'The Duke' of cliff diving: Orlando Duque
Their success is a testament to their on-court chemistry, and their battle to maintain that level of hunger as they head towards the twilight of their careers.
"One of our things is that we're strong mentally," Boe explains. "There are a lot of things going on between you and your opponent.
"It's important to look your opponent in the eyes when it gets close in the games and also to believe in yourself that you can be good enough to win tournaments.
"There are a lot of very challenging parts of the game; for me and Carsten it's when we don't have our best day, we need to struggle with ourselves.
"That's extremely difficult because we can be our own biggest opponent ourselves if one of us doesn't feel comfortable, or motivated. So for us now in our senior years we struggle with that, particularly after some of our bigger achievements.
"It created a bit of emptiness afterward and made some of the tournaments a little bit unimportant. That's what we're fighting with."
That motivation still burns bright enough to win titles though, as demonstrated by their recent victory at the London Grand Prix held at the Olympic Park.
They are still formidable opponents for anyone on the 13-event global Super Series run by the sport's governing body, the Badminton World Federation.
But given they dovetail so neatly on court, it is perhaps a surprise to hear their off-court characters are almost complete opposites.
Read: Graffiti artist to BMX bandit
"Me and Mathias, we are very different from each other, so I think that's a good mix to play at a high level," Mogensen explains.
"We have to talk a lot, find out what we are doing, what we need to practice, talk about feelings.
"I'm very relaxed. Mathias, he wants everything in boxes, to know today, tomorrow, how we travel, and I'm very relaxed so if we don't practice that today, we'll do it tomorrow."
Despite these differences, the pair are united by the feelings provoked within them prior to a big match -- a crackling tension that helps both Boe and Mogensen hit top gear on court.
"The feeling you have just before a match, I think you can compare it with going into an exam, you are a little bit tense, and a bit nervous," Boe explained.
"But that's also important, it's the feeling you have when you're about to do something that really matters to you.
"You are a little nervous, and you're struggling a little bit breathing, and not that comfortable, but that's important, because it means it matters what you're about to do."
Then, when the winning point is sealed, Mogensen explains what a weight of pressure is lifted off their shoulders.
"It's a huge feeling, when you win the last rally you go crazy, you think of all the tough hours during practice, these small moments are so crazy, you go crazy and celebrate and being very happy," he said.
"It's very difficult to describe, you need to go it on your own to understand how big it is for us to win a tournament or reach an Olympic final."


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December 1, 2012
Sharon Bulova presented Al Dwoskin with a plaque of appreciation from the CIF.
Stories this photo appears in:
'We've Created a Community Here'
Centreville Labor Resource Center celebrates one-year anniversary.
When the Centreville Labor Resource Center (CLRC) opened a year ago, it was with high hopes that it would become a safe and successful place for local day laborers to meet with employers to obtain jobs. It started slowly, at first. But as people became more familiar with the center and the caliber of its workers, word spread and more employers came there — instead of to the streets — to hire them.
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.


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Montague Leads Redwood RV Sales Team
August 5, 2010 by RVBusiness · 4 Comments
Tom Montague joins Redwood RV, Thor Industries' new venture into the high-end fifth wheel market, as national sales manager, according to Don Emahiser, president.
"Tom has the right mix of RV sales experience, product and market knowledge to help Redwood improve the game for RV dealers," Emahiser said in a news release. "We know what the challenges are and Tom brings an unmatched level of enthusiasm and experience to the table — it's a win/win — and that's exciting for Redwood RV."
Montague will will oversee sales and marketing. Montague brings over 18 years of sales experience with companies like IBM and Xerox. He was part of the sales team at Keystone RV, another Thor subsidiary, for the past six years selling top brands like Montana and Cougar. "He believes starting from a fresh, clean slate will be advantageous in building a team and a new way of doing business," Emahiser said.
"In today's marketplace, dealers are facing new challenges — Redwood is going to do things differently," says Montague. "My No. 1 focus will be to deliver a product that dealers are excited about selling. With Thor's support and Emahiser's experience, we are going to make the neccessary refinements in the selling and service relationship that dealers have been asking for," he added.
A native of Columbus, Ind., Montague graduated with a bachelor's degree in marketing and advertising from California Lutheran University. He resides in Elkhart, Ind., with his wife, Tera, and their two daughters.
Craig Weeks also joins Redwood RV as vice president of finance/CFO. He held similar titles during his 17 years at Damon Motor Coach, another Thor Industries subsidiary. "I'm excited to be part of Thor's new venture into the high-end fifth wheel market," said Weeks. "I look forward to helping integrate the vast resources of Thor with Redwood's financial platform to better serve dealer, vendor and employee relationships."


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Friday, April 19, 2013 - Wank Party 2013 #3, Part 1
In Wank Party 2013 #3 part 1 we have four very hot guys. Walter Uwe, Adam Rupert, David Chudera and Daniel Kutka. We first see Walter and David having a lunch break at work. As they eat they chat, waiting for another shift of workers to come in. Adam and Daniel duly arrive. Going to their lockers they strip off and, instead of getting into fresh clothes they start to play with each other. They kiss and then Daniel starts to suck on Adam's hard cock. Walter and David are amazed as they watch. As they watch Adam sucks Daniel and then stands and let's his buddy suck him again. David and Walter are feeling themselves as they look on, and then David moves around the table to close in on Walter. Walter removes his tee-shirt as David sits on him and begins to kiss his chest. Walter wanks on David's cock as Daniel continues sucking Adam. David removes his tee-shirt as well and then has a suck on Walter's rock hard cock, they kiss as well. Walter then sucks on David's cock and turns him onto his knees to check out his ass. He wanks on David's dick and then kisses him as Daniel and Adam's big hard cocks bob against each other. Adam then goes down and sucks on Daniel again as Walter stands for David to work on his big, hard cock. Then the guys all come together across the table. Daniel sucks on Walter and David feasts on Adam's hard cock. As they all move again Walter is standing for Adam to work on his dick and David goes down on Daniel. David's ass is prominently displayed as he sucks Daniel. Then he turns over continuing to suck as Adam lays on the table, next to him sucking Walter. Walter then goes down on Adam again, before David takes over on that monster cock, with Daniel sucking him as well. Everyone has been sucking up a storm ready for much more action in part 2.
... more about Wank Party 2013 #3, Part 1 further in this newsletter
Our Coming Soon Set Preview
Filip Cervenka and Zdenek Podbaba are two really sexy 19 year olds. As they sit on the sofa Fililp is rubbing Zdenek's feet. Then they guys start to kiss as well. Filip removes Zdenek's shirt and begins to kiss his chest. Then Filip's top comes off and Zdenek returns the favour. With their hands exploring each other Zdenek's jeans are opened and Filip goes down on his cock and he begins to suck it. That cock gets rock hard under Filips oral attentions. Then Zdenek strips Filip's jeans off and works on his cock as well, getting it rock hard as he sucks it, while wanking himself. Zdenek is ready for some hot ass as well and Filip obliges, getting onto his knees. That throbbing dick slides deep into Filip's ass and starts to fuck it. Zdenek knows what he is doing and really works that hot hole. Then he lays down and Filip sits his hot ass down on that cock and rides it real good. He works his ass all over that cock until Zdenek takes over, thrusting his dick so deep into Filip's eager hole. As the fucking and riding continues Filip wanks himself until his shoots his hot cum. Then he positions himself over Zdenek's cock ready to catch some cum in his mouth. Zdenek dumps his load and Filip eagerly sucks on that sticky cock as a wonderful finale to a very good adventure.
You can watch my Vlog for this Newsletter by clicking above or by going over to the Blog : http://www.wheuro.com/?p=11157
Still nice weather but with showers in Prague. The last two days have been fantastic, kind of hot with lots of sunshine. The parks have been loaded with picnickers, a treasure trove for Aida. She has perfected her act. Now she is trying to look like an escaper from a Kim jong-un North Korean Gulag. It's most embarrassing. Smart, beggar dog.
Today, we publish the first part of our latest Wank Party. I've also posted my third Sneak Peek on the Blog. Over the weekend, I'll post the fourth installment.
On Friday we publish Part One of our Third Wank Party (love the sexy name). So, today, I'm presenting my Second Sneak Peek. I'll get busy and publish a third Sneak Peek by Friday.
Today we lead off with part one of our latest Wank Party with a stellar cast. That is followed by Kamil Krasny in a lovely erotic video, and Radek Kozel's session stills. We also have a backstage video of a scene with Ondra Krahul and Dalibor Janek.
We have a great set of castees today, Petr Okoun, Jozef Rasara and Ivan Sever That is three fine looking guys. My choice for today is Josef Rasara.
MESSAGE ABOUT LINKS TO THE OLD WH WEBSITE - WILLIAMHIGGINS.com ARCHIVES:
Please be aware that the link www.williamhiggins.com takes you to this brand new website now. If you bookmarked our old website in the past and you want to keep the bookmark as a shortest way to access the old WH website you need to change the link in the bookmark to:
You do not need to remember this link, you can conveniently get to the old WH Website - WilliamHiggins.com Archives anytime you need through the "WH 2001-2010" in the top menu of the new WilliamHiggins.com website.
Today's Weather in Prague
We have launched our all new Kink only site with no solos. It's not for the feint hearted. Do take a look (if you dare):
At present, Members of CzechGuysNextDoor will be able to access the new site with their user information. If you have problems, write firstname.lastname@example.com
Latest Sets At Our NEW STR8HELL.com Website
Open Set "David vs.Tomas - WRESTLING"
Open Set "Robert Maja - SPANKING"
Members of CzechGuysnextDoor.com - to log in the member's section of the new STR8HELL website use your present username and password, if you forgot your password or encounter a log in problem please feel free to contact us at: email@example.com
Non-members - you are welcome to browse our complete content - each regular set contains free video preview and free photos, if you decide not to become a member of our website you can also buy sets separately (we huge, well organized and easy to search library of models - there is always few models you may like) you can pay only for what you really want see ;-). You are always welcome to come back.
All members of www.CzechGuysNextDoor.com get a free access to STR8HELL.com till the end of November 2011!
Please use your present CzechGuysNextDoor username and password to log into the members area.
We have terminated updates to CzechGuysNextDoor.com website. CzechGuysNextDoor.com website will stay online, but now only as an archive of all CzechGuysNextdoor.com sets. Anyone who wants to access CzechGuysNextDoor.com Archives needs to have a STR8HELL.com membership. STR8HELL.com will continue with most of the czechguysnextdoor.com projects. Anyone who joins STR8HELL.com will gain access to two websites STR8HELL.com and CzechGuyNextDoor.com Archives which contain 2500+ sets. STR8HELL.com has exactly same features and controls as NEW WilliamHiggins.com website.
Direct access to CzechGuysNextDoor.com website is now through the link: archive.czechguysnextdoor.com or through "Archive Sets 2004-2011" links on the new STR8HELL website.
Thank you for your loyalty to CzechGuysNextDoor.com website,
William Higgins
BurnDVD.tv Website Latest Updates
Starting today you can download our videos in Full HD quality 1920x1080px!
Please remember that most of the videos available on BurnDVD are easily able to be downloaded with a single link, but some of the very large files, such as the newsletter DVDs have to be split into three separate links, as detailed below.
The videos with very large file sizes are now split into more than one part, using a program called HJSplit. If you wish to buy one of these larger videos to Burn to DVD, you will receive a link for file and then it is a simple process to join the downloaded files together to make the .iso file for Burning to DVD.
You can see all the available videos at www.burndvd.tv
Before downloading any videos to burn to DVD I advise you to read the BURNDVD Manual, which explains how you can burn the file to DVD. The file is an ISO file which contains all the required DVD files. The process for burning to DVD is fully explained.
The BurnDVD manual is easy to follow, with a step by step guide. Burning a DVD is easy to do, though it is helpful if you have previously burned DVDs or CDs.
The manual can be viewed here: BURNDVD Manual
Anyone who has any problems understanding the manual, or burning their download to DVD, or indeed any questions about this service please email firstname.lastname@example.com . Geoff will be happy to assist you.
You can view all the available downloads at www.burndvd.tv, by clicking the on the categories. A direct link to the latest files available will be published in each newsletter.
Our Latest Sets at www.BurnDVD.tv
Today we have Wank Party 2013 #3 part one, Wrestling Tomas Kukal vs. David Kadera, Kamil Krasny - Erotic Video and Ondra Krahul & Dalibor Janek – Backstage Video.
The direct link to "Wank Party 2013 #3 Part 1"
The direct link to "Wrestling Tomas vs. David"
The direct link to "Kamil Krasny - Erotic Video"
The direct link to "Ondra and Dalibor – Backstage"
Special Offer for William Higgins Newsletter Readers
William Higgins Newsletter readers are able to obtain a discount on the price of BURNDVD downloads by using the coupons that we will be publishing in each Members Newsletter. The coupon published in each newsletter will be valid for a period of 7 days.
Copy today's coupon code here: b8r9vrt
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PLEASE PROCEED TO THE NEXT PAGE FOR THE LATEST WilliamHiggins.com UPDATES


text:
Use mouse scroll wheel over image or pinch-to-zoom on touch devices. You can also click and drag around on image.
Vossen Forged VPS-301
Parked toVossen Forged Wheels
Vossen Forged VPS-301 finished in #BrickellBronze @vossen Vossen Forged Wheel? Pricing & Availability: @WheelsPerformance?
KeywordsSign up to add your own keywords
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Garage Adv.1 Wheels
Garage AL13 Wheels
Garage Anrky Wheels


text:
I'm a FTM with a 11mo old daughter whom I've exclusively breastfed since she was born, and I plan to continue to EBF until she is a year old. My husband and I love that she's getting the best possible food for her, and have really enjoyed our first year of breastfeeding. We plan to BF for the next few years to come, until DD no longer wants to or needs to.
I'm not sure if it's her natural curiosity or a desire to start solids, but sometimes she does seem interested in us when we eat and reaches towards our food. I know she's certainly old enough to start solids, and I don't want to deny her solids if she's becoming interested in them. And I know she will have to start eventually. My midwife told me that around 12 months is when babies want to be part of meals, etc. But I really like how simple and easy BF is, as well as the fact that BM is so incredibly healthful-- I want to prolong the goodness of EBF as long as I can.
Is there an age/time when BM alone is insufficient nourishment? When do I absolutely have to start feeding her solid foods?


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YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan � For President Barack Obama, expanding U.S. influence in Asia is more than just countering China or opening up new markets to American businesses. It�s also about building his legacy.
Fresh off re-election, Obama will make a significant investment in that effort during a quick run through Southeast Asia that begins Sunday. In addition to stops in Thailand and Cambodia, the president will make an historic visit to Myanmar, where his administration has led efforts to ease the once pariah nation out of international isolation.
The trip marks Obama�s fourth visit to Asia in as many years. His aides say Obama, who kicks off his schedule in Bangkok, will be a regular visitor to the region over the next four years.
�Continuing to fill in our pivot to Asia will be a critical part of the president�s second term and ultimately his foreign policy legacy,� said Ben Rhodes, Obama�s deputy national security adviser.
The president�s motivations in Asia are both personal and strategic.
Obama, who was born in Hawaii and lived in Indonesia as a child, has called himself America�s first �Pacific president.� The region gives him an opportunity to open up new markets for U.S. companies, promote democracy and ease fears of China�s rise by boosting U.S. military presence in Asia.


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|North Southington, CT
|High School:
Collegiate Personal Bests:
200 Meter Dash: 30.73
400 Meter Dash: 1:04.30
800 Meter Run: 2:34.35
1,000 Meter Run: 3:28.25
One Mile Run: 6:16.72
5,000 Meter Run: 21:40.61
2012 Indoor: Competed at the Northeast Conference Championships on Feb. 11, racing in the one mile run and crossing the finish line in 6:16.72...Crossed the finish line in 2:46.43 in the 800m at the Yale Collegiate Invitational on Jan. 14...Ran a 3:37.28 in the 1,000m at the Joe Donahue Boston Indoor Games on Jan. 27.
2011 Outdoor: Competed in the 5,000m event at the Northeast Conference Championship clocking in at 21:40.61.
2011 Indoor: Ran a season best 2:34.35 in the 800m event and 3:28.25 in the 1,000m event.
2010 Outdoor: Earned a new career best in the 400m dash, crossing the finish line in 1:04.30 at the NEC Championships on May 1.
2010 Indoor: Ran a 30.73 in the 200m dash at the Jay Crisella Track and Field Invitational on Dec. 5 placing 69th overall...Finished the 400m dash in 1:09.02 at the Boston Indoor Games on Jan. 29.


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Qty :
Price : $3.49
Product Code : FOMPCW-YEL
Wave your hands in the air to show your support with our Yellow Paw Cheerstick Foam Wavers. These Yellow Foam Wavers feature a paw print design at the top and will be printed with your custom wording, design and color choice down the handle. Sell Paw Cheerstick Foam Wavers at the big game to raise money for your school or team!
Printed on one side
Made of flexible polyurethane foam
Measures 15" long x 6" wide (at the top)
Please allow ample time for delivery. Our ship date for this product is noted in your shopping cart. Many items are shipped separately, so please allow extra time for these items to arrive. Shipping charges are based on the value of the merchandise and not the number of shipments. For additional shipping information, please contact our Customer Service Department at (email@example.com or 1-800-314-8794).


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Hiring and Managing Farm Labor
Joe Parcell
Department of Agricultural Economics
Melvin Brees
Farm Management Specialist, Central Region
Farm labor management involves hiring and keeping quality farm labor. This means farmers must compete with nonfarm employers for skilled workers. This guide provides farm and agribusiness owners with an overview of the following aspects of farm labor management:
- Finding the right employee
- Compensation and incentives
- Training the employee
- Working conditions
- Employer-employee relations
- External benefits beyond relieving work duties on the farm.
It also provides an introduction to labor laws and documentation for employing workers. This guide provides farm/agribusiness owners with an overview of the farm labor management process.
No two workers are alike — they differ in capabilities, work habits, attitudes, personality, ambitions and willingness to accept responsibility. Each farm business unit is different in organization, management and labor needs. Attracting quality workers may require updating the wage package and could result in increased costs. The goal of farm labor management is to use labor effectively so that increased costs can be justified.
Sourcing labor
Locating and obtaining suitable labor has always been a difficult task for agricultural producers. Low unemployment rates and a decrease in the rural population have compounded the producer's difficulty in obtaining suitable employees. Traditionally, farm managers have found labor through word of mouth, classified ads in the local newspaper, or inquiries from individuals seeking employment. As the rural environment changes, the sourcing of agricultural employees has also changed. The traditional methods of sourcing labor are still viable, but other methods may be required. Two possible sources for labor in the future are seasonal labor and the older generation.
Seasonal labor includes college students or local educators who have periods during the year when they are available for employment. The older generation includes baby-boomers who may have been raised on, or have an interest in, the farm. They may be looking to rural areas for residence after retiring, and this can provide farmers an opportunity to recruit them as farm employees. A retired person may not need a competitive salary because of the potential impact on Social Security benefits. An older person may not want full-time employment or may not want to work during certain times of the year. Additionally, an older employee may not be able to undertake all physical tasks, and some physical tasks may require more time to complete.
To make farm employment more attractive, the farmer must be flexible and work to accommodate the employee. Neither seasonal labor nor retired workers may meet the needs for labor-intensive enterprises such as dairy but may help ease the workload if employees can be assigned simple tasks. Additionally, a change in management practices may be needed to better organize tasks and set priorities. For instance, if you employ seasonal labor, you may need to set aside large tasks for those times when seasonal laborers are available.
It is important to recognize that not every prospective employee has adequate knowledge of farming. There is no problem in hiring employees who tell you they know little about production agriculture; you can teach them. The problem arises when you hire a person who claims, but does not have, the necessary experience. Therefore, choosing the right employee is as important as finding an employee.
Choosing the right employee
Hiring a new employee for the farm is a risky adventure. Stories are often told of employees who claimed to have knowledge of agriculture but did not. Examples include the individual who claimed experience in harvesting grain but caused major operational difficulties on the combine the first time out. Another individual claimed to know about hogs, but one month into the employment agreement was responsible for an overwhelming death loss. These events occurred because employees misrepresented their experience to obtain employment. Could this have been avoided? Yes.
Take time to evaluate the credentials of prospective employees. The cost of hiring an unqualified person may far exceed the time requirements of finding out if the person is right for the job. As is common in industry, ask for references that you may contact. Ask questions pertaining to specific farm-related situations and see how the person responds. For instance, ask prospective employees what they would do if a sow was having trouble during labor, or ask what they would do if the combine plugged. A simple test, if you truly question the abilities of the prospective employee, ask to have your diesel-powered tractor refueled and give a choice between diesel fuel and gasoline. Many stories are told of a new employee who filled up the diesel-powered tractor with gasoline — a true sign of inexperience and lack of judgment in knowing when to ask for advice.
Legal requirements for hiring labor
Adding an employee brings a number of additional responsibilities, liabilities and legal requirements. Some regulations apply to all employers, while others exempt small employers or various types of employment. The number of different government agencies that enforce laws and regulations makes it difficult to ensure that all have been complied with. Table 1 is a checklist of requirements for agricultural employers. The first section lists tax reporting and legal requirements that must be met by all agricultural employers. The second section lists requirements that may or may not apply to all agricultural employers. You should review both sections and contact the appropriate agencies to ensure compliance with all legal and reporting requirements.
All employers are required to get both a federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) and a state Tax Identification Number. Employers must then withhold state and federal income taxes along with Social Security and Medicare taxes from employee wages. Employees must complete Internal Revenue Service Form W-4 and W-4/MO so that withholding amounts can be determined. Form W-4/MO also meets the Federal New Hire Reporting requirements in Missouri. Annual employer state and federal tax returns are also required (IRS Form 943 and MO 941).
Other tax laws may or may not apply. Farmers are subject to Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA) only if they pay $20,000 or more in wages during a calendar quarter or employ 10 or more farm workers. Employers may also be required to advance IRS Earned Income Credit (EIC) if qualified employees want it.
The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) requires that INS Form I-9 be completed and kept for all employees.
A common misconception is that farm employers are not subject to regulation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). All agricultural employers are responsible, but only those with 10 or more employees are subject to OSHA inspections. OSHA regulations apply to many aspects of farm work, including work with anhydrous ammonia, logging, slow-moving vehicles and safety shields on equipment.
Worker compensation is not required of agricultural employers, but you should consider it from a liability standpoint, especially if you have five or more employees.
Other laws applying to employers include the minimum wage law and child labor laws. Minimum wage applies to employers with more than "500 man-days" of agricultural labor in any calendar quarter. The Federal Labor Standards Act defines "man-day" as "any day during which an employee performs agricultural labor for not less than 1 hour." Child labor laws apply to employees under age 16 and restrict the types of jobs they can do.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed Worker Protection Standards (WPS) that require employers to protect employees from pesticide exposure. The standards apply to all employees who mix, load, apply or otherwise might be exposed to pesticides.
In addition to the above laws and regulations, other responsibilities exist. Civil rights legislation provides for equal opportunity and civil rights responsibilities. Employers also face legal liability for employees and liability for some employee actions. Any fringe benefits provided for employees who are family members may also have to be offered to all employees.
Salary, fringe benefits, incentives
Money is a big consideration in labor management, although other factors may be equally important. As a farm manager, you should reappraise both the size and the composition of the "wage package" you offer employees. Do you find yourself thinking, what can I provide employees that industry employers cannot? This question can be broken down further by asking yourself these questions:
- Is the wage I pay competitive with wages paid by industry and other agricultural employers?
- What would it cost me to train and hire someone to replace a worker?
- How should I pay employees — by the hour, the week, or the month? What about overtime?
- What does a competitive fringe benefits package look like?
- What should my incentive plan be?
Cash wages
Industries have been successful in attracting many good farm workers by offering full-time employment, bonus schedules, overtime, and, most important, an attractive fringe benefits package. Unwritten and unspecified hours are likely to promote employee dissatisfaction. However, farm owners who pay an hourly rate with a stated number of hours per week and overtime pay have some added management responsibilities. An hourly wage system will demand careful management and planning of jobs to eliminate busy work and "rainy day" jobs in favor of work that returns more than the cost of wages.
Cash wages/flexibility trade-off
Fringe benefits
Farm employers traditionally have provided fringe benefits in housing, utilities, meat and other items from the farm. On the other hand, the industrial package will likely include sick leave, paid vacation, medical insurance, life insurance and a retirement plan. Although benefits to the farm worker may be comparable to industry in total value, the worker may not fully understand the similarities.
Providing a worker a side of beef has less value to the worker now than in years past. It may be that a cash bonus payment similar to the cost of providing a side of beef would provide the worker greater purchasing flexibility. Though health insurance can be costly, you may be better suited to acquire insurance than the employee. Additionally, the advantage of insurance is a necessary selling tool for a full-time employer.
Incentive plans
Some farm owners are using incentive plans as a part of the total wage package. These plans are usually one of three types:
- A physical production plan with payment based on number of bushels, pounds or livestock produced
- A gross income plan based on a percentage of total sales or income
- An end-of-year bonus.
Each of the three types of incentive plans has advantages and disadvantages. Carefully analyze each plan before deciding on one. Use these principles in considering any plan:
- The plan should reward the employee for working in your interest.
- It should be paid for by something within the worker's control.
- The amount should be based on performance, easily computed, and promptly paid.
- The plan should not hamper you in managing your farm.
- It should not be a substitute for other pay methods or labor management practices.
- It should be in writing and signed by both parties.
Training the employee
It is important to train the employee who is working with expensive machinery or animals. Training should cover operating procedures and safety. Each person approaches tasks differently and each farm and farmer has a certain way of doing things. It is important that both employer and employee understand each other. It is also important to learn that there is more than one way to accomplish most tasks. For example, some crop producers always begin to plant from a certain side of the field — because that is the way it has always been done. When training an employee, if it really matters which side to begin working the ground on, say so. Training can help clarify the differences between the right way, the wrong way, and your way.
Working conditions
Farm employment offers some people the opportunity to live close to their work, and typically the employee is not confined to indoor activities. The high degree of mechanization on modern farms has reduced the level of physical work. Of course, farm employment can not offer the equivalent of an air-conditioned factory, carpeted stores and background music in offices. Dust from crops, odor from livestock, and some hard work are typical. However, work on the farm is not monotonous; it changes from day to day.
Following are some of the ways you can improve farm working conditions:
- Keep work schedules within reasonable hours per day and days per week.
- Provide good buildings, tools, machinery and equipment.
- Be concerned about the safety of employees by eliminating hazards.
Employer-employee relations
Employer-employee relations are the human side of labor management, and the principles involved are psychological. People consider more than wages, hours and fringe benefits of a job. So, good employer-employee relations are important. As in any job, loyalty to the business is a two-way street. The employer must believe in and support employees in their decisions and be willing to accept that employees will err. In turn, employees are more likely to devote themselves to jobs in a "happy" working environment than in an unhappy environment, even with higher wages and fringe benefits.
Employees desire good "mental wages" — such as recognition and respect from their employer. On the other hand, the employer wants employees to show initiative and pride in their jobs and to contribute to a profitable business. Each employer-employee relationship is different, and any set of principles can't be applied universally. However, knowledge of some basic characteristics of behavior can help the employer promote wholesome attitudes, motivation, pride, respect and loyalty:
- Employees desire and appreciate respectful and dignified treatment. The farm worker must feel his job is important in the eyes of the employer. The popular image of hired farm workers is less than desirable. Farm owners need to do everything they can to raise the dignity and status of their employees.
- Employees like to feel they belong. Not unlike other people, farm employees want to be a part of a successful team. Owners must let employees know that they are essential to a team effort. Using the word "we" and exploring the ideas of employees are small ways of conveying the message they are indeed a part of the business.
- Most employees want the opportunity to advance. Opportunities must be provided for learning and for growth in job status. The employee may be interested in special training or education in developing skills. Owners should encourage participation in extension meetings, short courses and other educational meetings. Suitable rewards can be provided to stimulate self-improvement of the employee.
- Employees respond to good supervision. Planning the job, explaining what the job entails and how it is to be done, and seeing that the job is carried out are part of the employer's supervisory responsibilities. The owner needs to "communicare" in such a way that employees know exactly what is expected of them. Carefully planned routines, clear explanations, and pleasant, but businesslike supervision can pay off in increased productivity from employees.
- Employees like recognition. A word of praise or recognition for the job well done is often neglected by employers. When workers do a good job, tell them so. And if the opportunity presents itself, praise their work in the presence of others. Owners can often receive more employee loyalty and motivation by simple expressions of gratitude than by monetary rewards.
Table 1
Checklist of requirements for agricultural employers.
|Law or regulation
|Where to obtain forms
|Requirements and use
|Required for all agricultural employers
|Employer Identification Number (EIN)
|IRS Form SS-4
Obtain EIN by phone
|Required for all employees.
Reporting and paying withheld taxes and employer matching for Social Security and Medicare.
|State Tax Identification Number
|Missouri Tax Registration Application, Form 2643
Missouri Department of Revenue
P.O. Box 840
Jefferson City, Mo. 65195
|Required for all employers withholding and reporting Employee State Income Tax.
|Employment Eligibility Verification
|INS Form I-9
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
|Required for all employees.
Completed and kept on file for 3 years after employee leaves.
|Employee Withholding Information
|IRS form W-4
MO W-4/MO Department of Revenue
|Required to be completed by all employees. Used to determine withholding amounts.
MO W-4 meets Federal New Hire Reporting Requirements.
|Division of Employment Security
|Contact Employment Security or Job Service locally.
|Form 2699
Determines if unemployment tax required.
|Annual Tax Return
|Missouri Form MO 941 - Employer's Report of Income Taxes Withheld; 800-877-6881
IRS Form 943 - Employer's Annual Tax Return for Agricultural Employees; 800-TAX FORM
|Must match total of W-2's.
|Law or regulation
|Who is subject
|Other requirements
May or may not apply to all agricultural employees
|Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA)
|Employers who paid cash wages of $20,000 in any calendar quarter, OR
Employed 10 or more farm workers
|Deposit taxes at an authorized financial institution.
Report on IRS Form 940
|Worker's Compensation
|Not required for agricultural employers but worth considering if 5 or more employees.
Provided by private insurance companies.
|Missouri Division of Worker's Compensation
P.O. Box 58
Jefferson City, Mo. 65102
|Minimum Wage Law
|Employers who hire more than "500 man-days" of agricultural labor in any calendar quarter. (Man-day = at least 1 hour in any day). Family members exempt — Sole proprietorship only.
|Meet federal minimum wage or the 90-day training wage for newly hired 16- to 19-year-old workers.
|Child Labor Laws
|Workers on other than parent's farm:
Under age 16 — not during school hours.
Under age 14 — only with parent's written consent.
Under age 12 — may only work on parent's farm.
|Restrictions for hazardous activities: Under age 14 — not permitted; under age 16 — must be trained by an agency giving certification. Hazardous activities include operating farm machinery, work with chemicals, work with breeding animals.
|Occupational Safety and Health Act
|All agricultural employers are responsible; 10 or more employees can be inspected.
|Standards cover many aspects of agricultural work. Some safety training required.
|Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
|All employees who mix, load, apply or may otherwise be exposed to pesticides.
|Worker Protection Standards to protect and inform employees.
|Earned Income Credit (EIC)
|Required for employees wanting advance EIC.
|IRS Form W-5. Tax payments reduced by amount of EIC.


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THAT was certainly a bigger blog break than I intended. It has now been almost three weeks since I posted last. Shame on me! Although I must confess it was mostly unintentional. In those three weeks I have had to update, finalize and/or teach over 10 different lectures and work out the scheduling and details for several more coming up later in the year! That, with all the other commitments that I have, has left me with very little time to post the continuing reviews of my favorite family history blogs.
I hope to continue those reviews shortly, as well as to discuss the various goings-on in the area of genealogy lately. And boy has it been busy. Conferences, TV shows, podcasts, etc. And certainly don't forget the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. There is so much to talk about. Don't give up on me, I WILL strive to be more diligent, I promise.
As I sit here to tonight writing a short message, I am excited for tomorrow's Boise Area Family History Conference. It is always such fun to visit and stay with family that live in Boise, meet with the wonderful people that attend the conference, and teach those who are excited to learn about genealogy.
I am teaching four fairly different topics that are always a lot of fun. I look forward to hearing from those that attend about the things that they liked and even those that they didn't like about each class. I also look forward to hearing about their experiences with researching their families. One of the most wonderful things about speaking at conference is learning from those you teach. Someone always brings something new or interesting to think about with each particular subject. Also, I almost always run into someone who I discover is related somehow. That's part of the reason I call this blog and family tree site "Branches of OUR Tree", because it really is OUR tree, not just mine.
I also hope to have a little time to hear from a few of the other teachers at the conference and continue to further my own knowledge and expertise. Wish me luck!


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Yesterday I mentioned my friend who experienced the sad passing of her old laptop. Fortunately we had made copies of her genealogy database and all accompanying photos and scanned images of attached source documents on flash drives when I visited last May. But what if she had added lots of data in the interim? She would have lost all that work without a reliable system for keeping complete copies of her data elsewhere.
With all the earthquake and tsunami struggles we've seen the world over, having a copy of our data at a place other than our homes is all the more urgent. It isn't practical to manually make CDs and send them to distant relatives, when there are reasonable alternatives, using the internet.
Unlike backup services where data must be "restored", Dropbox is a folder with sub folders that exists on the web in a private area, exactly duplicating (syncing) with every file placed in the Dropbox folder on my computer. I've previously written about how Dropbox actually works.
I especially like that all my data file (genealogy and otherwise) are there at Dropbox.com, readily accessible from ANY computer. When I got my new desktop computer last year in Virginia, I merely downloaded the Dropbox program, and then sat back and watched as the files quickly filed in from my original computer back in Utah.
My only mistake is that I FORGOT to place my June and July Organization Checklists in my Dropbox, and so I cannot access them until I get back to that computer in Virginia. <sigh> OK, so usually, I am pretty good with this technology stuff.
Invite your friends to Dropbox!
For every friend who joins and installs Dropbox, the Dropbox folks give you 500 MB and your friend 250MB of bonus space (up to a limit of 16 GB)! This means if you use Ol' Myrt Dropbox sign-up link, I'll receive 500MB of addition space, and you'll receive 250 MG of free space on top of your free
Always have your stuff when you need it with @Dropbox.
Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
Your friend in genealogy.


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With your generous support, we will continue our work to form a system of state agriculture councils, consisting of dedicated farmers who believe in compassionate, responsible farming. Council members will work with The Humane Society of the United States as we assist traditional family farmers who want to make the switch to more humane practices.
By highlighting farms that exemplify the best practices, and helping connect these farms to the market, the councils will promote policies that foster better animal welfare and environmental stewardship. Working hand in hand with agriculture communities is an integral part of building a more humane economybut we can't do this work without your help.
Please use the secure form below to make a one-time donation to our Rural Development and Outreach program and we'll send you updates and action alerts so you can take quick, simple actions for animals each week.