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Pericarditis is a condition in which the sac-like covering around the heart (pericardium) becomes inflamed.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
The cause of pericarditis is often unknown or unproven, but is often the result of an infection such as:
- Viral infections that cause a chest cold or pneumonia, such as the echovirus or coxsackie virus (which are common in children), as well as influenza
- Infections with bacteria (much less common)
- Some fungal infections (even more rare)
In addition, pericarditis may be seen with diseases such as:
- Cancer (including leukemia)
Disorders in which the immune system attacks healthy body tissue by mistake HIV infectionand AIDS Underactive thyroid gland Kidney failure Rheumatic fever Tuberculosis(TB)
Other causes include:
- Heart attack
- Heart surgeryor trauma to the chest, esophagus, or heart
- Certain medications, such as procainamide, hydralazine, phenytoin, isoniazid, and some drugs used to treatcancer or suppress the immune system
- Swelling or inflammation of the heart muscle
- Radiation therapy to the chest
Often the cause of pericarditis is unknown. Pericarditis most often affects men ages 20 - 50.
Chest pain is almost always present. The pain:
- May be felt in the neck, shoulder, back, or abdomen
- Often increases with deep breathing and lying flat, and may increase with coughing and swallowing
- Can be a sharp, stabbing pain
- Is often relieved by sitting up and leaning or bending forward
You may have fever, chills, or sweating if the condition is caused by an infection.
Other symptoms include:
Ankle, feet, and leg swelling(occasionally) Anxiety Breathing difficulty when lying down
- Dry
cough Fatigue
Signs and tests
When listening to the heart with a stethoscope, the health care provider can hear a sound called a pericardial rub. The
If the disorder is severe, there may be:
- Crackles in the lungs
- Decreased breath sounds
- Other signs of fluid in the space around the lungs (
pleural effusion)
The following imaging tests may be done to check the heart and the tissue layer around it (pericardium):
Chest MRI scan Chest x-ray Echocardiogram
- Electrocardiogram
Heart MRIor heart CTscan
- Radionuclide scanning
To look for heart muscle damage, the health care provider may order a troponin I test. Other laboratory tests may include:
Antinuclear antibody(ANA) Blood culture CBC C-reactive protein
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (
- HIV test
- Rheumatoid factor
Tuberculin skin test
The cause of pericarditis must be identified, if possible.
High doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen are often given. These medicines will decrease your pain and reduce the swelling or inflammation in the sac around your heart.
A medicine called colchicine may be added, especially if pericarditis does not go away after 1 to 2 weeks or it comes back weeks or months later.
If the cause of pericarditis is an infection:
- Antibiotics will be used for bacterial infections
- Antifungal medications will be used for fungal pericarditis
Other medicines that may be used are:
- Corticosteroids such as prednisone (in some patients)
- "Water pills" (diuretics) to remove excess fluid
If the buildup of fluid makes the heart function poorly, treatment may include:
- Draining the fluid from the sac. This procedure, called pericardiocentesis, may be done using an echocardiography-guided needle.
- Cutting a small hole (window) in the pericardium (subxiphoid pericardiotomy) to allow the infected fluid to drain into the abdominal cavity
If the pericarditis is
Expectations (prognosis)
Pericarditis can range from mild cases that get better on their own to life-threatening cases. The condition can be complicated by fluid buildup around the heart and poor heart function.
The outcome is good if the disorder is treated right away. Most people recover in 2 weeks to 3 months. However, pericarditis may come back. This is called recurrent, or chronic if symptoms or episodes continue.
Scarring and thickening of the sac-like covering and the heart muscle may occur in severe cases. This is called
Calling your health care provider
Call your health care provider if you have symptoms of pericarditis. This disorder is usually not life threatening, but it can be if not treated.
Many cases are not preventable.
LeWinter MM, Tischler MD. Pericardial diseases. In: Bonow RO, Mann DL, Zipes DP, Libby P, eds. Braunwalds Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 75.
Review Date:
Reviewed By:
Michael A. Chen, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M. Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc.


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On , the Seattle community will unite in the fight against women's cancers at Walk for Hope. Join us for a 5K walk at for an unforgettable day of celebration and fun.
City of Hope is leading the fight against cancers unique to women through research, treatment and education. Your commitment to Walk for Hope will support City of Hope's efforts to push the boundaries of science to advance research and treatments on behalf of women everywhere.
We are counting on you to step up and help us raise more than $1 million in the against fight women's cancers. Join us and register today!
We've reached 46% of our $120,000 goal!
Here I was, at 29 years old, being told I had cancer. I have a hard time even articulating the fear and anguish that I experienced within the first few weeks of learning of my diagnosis.Read More

subset: commoncrawl


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Difference between revisions of "Apostle Timothy"
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[[Category:Biblical Saints]]
[[Category:Biblical Saints]]
Revision as of 12:21, January 28, 2005
The holy, glorious and all-laudable Apostle Timothy (died AD 80) was a first century bishop. His feast is celebrated on January 22. His name, from Greek Τιμοθεος, means "honoring God."
Timothy was Paul's companion in many of his journeyings. His mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, are mentioned as eminent for their piety (II Timothy 1:5). We know nothing of his father but that he was a Greek (Acts 16:1). He is first brought into notice at the time of Paul's second visit to Lystra (16:2), where he probably resided, and where it seems he was converted during Paul's first visit to that place (I Timothy 1:2; II Timothy 3:11). The apostle having formed a high opinion of his "own son in the faith," arranged that he should become his companion (Acts 16:3), and took and circumcised him, so that he might conciliate the Jews. He was designated to the office of an evangelist (1 Tim. 4:14), and went with Paul in his journey through Phrygia, Galatia, and Mysia; also to Troas and Philippi and Berea (Acts 17:14). Thence he followed Paul to Athens, and was sent by him with Silas on a mission to Thessalonica (17:15; I Thessalonians 3:2). We next find him at Corinth (I Thessalonians 1:1; II Thessalonians 1:1) with Paul. He passes now out of sight for a few years, and is again noticed as being with Paul at Ephesus (Acts 19:22), whence he is sent on a mission into [acedonia. He accompanied Paul afterwards into Asia (20:4), where he was with him for some time. When the apostle was a prisoner at Rome, Timothy joined him (Philemon 1:1), where it appears he also suffered imprisonment (Hebrews 13:23). During the apostle's second imprisonment he wrote to Timothy, asking him to rejoin him as soon as possible, and to bring with him certain things which he had left at Troas, his cloak and parchments (II Timothy 4:13).
According to tradition, Paul ordained Timothy Bishop of Ephesus in AD 65, where he served for 15 years. In 80, Timothy tried to halt a pagan procession of idols, ceremonies and songs. In response to his preaching of the Gospel, the angry pagans beat him, dragged him through the streets and stoned him to death. In the 4th century, his relics were transferred to the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople. The Church also numbers Timothy among the 70 apostles sent out by Jesus Christ to preach the Gospel.
Epistles to Timothy
Two books of the New Testament bear his name: I Timothy and II Timothy. These are addressed to Saint Timothy and traditionally attributed to the Apostle Paul.
External Links
- Icon of Saint Timothy by the hand of Nicholas Papas
- Greek Archdiocese page for St. Timothy with troparion, kontakion, and reading
- OCA page for St. Timothy with troparion and kontakion
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Christine's "Kitsch Conservatory" Room
Like this entry? Favorite it below!
- Name:
- Christine
- Location:
- Tacoma, WA
- Division:
- Light
- Inspiration for my palette:
- Gardens. For the past two months I've been taking pictures of pretty gardens in my neighborhood and posting them on my tumblr blog. I live only a few blocks away from a conservatory that overlooks a gorgeous park. I almost always stop by on my walks around town. The condensation covering the glass panes on frosty days is so inviting, and I want my tiny apartment to feel similarly cozy. I'm lucky enough to have nearly an entire wall of windows which provides enough light for all of my green friends.
- Colors used in my room:
- I've added every shade of green imaginable along with lemongrass yellow and a few different wood tones to the white and cream background of my space.
- Tips for using color successfully:
- I love changing accent colors as the seasons transition. For example, I have light airy linen curtains in the late spring and summer, warmer hued cotton curtains in the fall, and dark, lush velvet curtains in the winter and early spring. I think it's best to identify how you would like to feel in your home, find a place that makes you feel that way, and let yourself be inspired or recreate it.
- Palette:
- Kitsch Conservatory


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3 Ways To Solve Your iOS Programming ProblemsMon 13 October 2014 by Jeroen Vloothuis
There are times when programming can be fun. And there are also times that make you want to pull your hair out and smash your head against the keyboard. Times when you are sure your code should be working but it isn't.
Here are 3 ways to help you get unstuck and help you keep your sanity.
1. NSLog or println
An easy way to get started is by using NSLog (for Objective-C) or println (for Swift) to look at your variables. Try to think beforehand about what the expected values should be. By placing println or NSLog calls at the right places you verify if they match your expected results.
// Given a variable like: var myStringVariable = myFancyFunction()
println("Value: \(myStringVariable)")
// Given a variable like: NSString *myStringVariable = [self myFancyMethod];
NSLog(@"Value: %@", myStringVariable)
2. XCode Debugger
The debugger is a more powerfull, and often faster, way to look at variable values. You can use it by clicking / tapping on the gutter area next to your source code. A blue sign / arrow will appear.
When you run your program XCode will break on this arrow. Then you can use the bottom area of XCode to inspect values using.
For more info watch the WWWDC video about LLDB (the debugger).
3. Isolated Project
Sometimes the problem can be hard to isolate. In that case it's often a good idea to setup a new project. Then add just the code you absolutely need to give an example of the thing you are trying to accomplish. Try to substitute any other thing for hard coded test data or dummy views.
Often times just the act of setting up the system again in it's minimal form helps you see the problem. And if the problem still occurs you have a lot simpler environment to inspect and test with. You can even use this simpler setting when asking for help online.
Xcode 5 vs Xcode6 for beginners
A question on the Ray Wenderlich forums peeked my interest. It was wether a beginner should use Xcode 6 or stick to Xcode 5. The main raison for wanting to stay with XC5 would be that it match screen-for-screen and feature-for-feature with tutorials / books.
My advice would be to use ...read more


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The Marion Superior Court Probation Department is a unified, urban probation system which employs 240 employees. The Department, which consolidated adult and juvenile services in 2005, operates in a de-centralized, community-based model with locations throughout Marion County. The majority of juvenile probation officers work a school-based probation model from local high schools. Probation services are offered to both pre-trial and post-trial populations.
Judicial supervision is provided by the Honorable Kurt Eisgruber and the Marion Superior Court Executive Committee.
In 2005, the department committed to an operational emphasis on Evidence-Based Practices with a defined focus on practices that have been proven to impact change with the clients we serve.
The Marion Superior Court Alcohol and Drug Services (MSCADS) is administered through the Adult Division and meets all requirements of certification through the Indiana Judicial Center.
Since 2006, the Juvenile Division has been engaged in the Annie E. Casey Foundation sponsored Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) to lessen reliance on juvenile incarceration in lieu of developing alternative community-based programs which provide better treatment results while not compromising community safety.
Probation Exit SurveysJuvenile Services – YouthJuvenile Services – ParentAdult Services
Community Service WorkCommunity Service Work Opportunities (Interactive Map-IE9, Chrome, or Firefox) Community Service Opportunities (Google Doc)
Alcohol and Drug Services
ADS Exit SurveyService Referral Guide
Mission Statement, Guiding Principles, and Vision Statements
Mission StatementGuiding PrinciplesJuvenile Vision Statement Vision Statement
Links for Staff
OutlookQUESTRemote Workspace


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I am looking for a Wii Rock Band guitar that works.
Moderator: The Merrimack Volunteer Moderators
mguman wrote:I'll probably try Craigslist. Gamestop doesn't have any online or in store pickup within 100 miles. Its Rock Band, not Guitar Hero - they are different. Thanks for your help.
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text:
The Difference Between Plagiarism And Copyright Infringement
from the not-a-purely-academic-question dept
First, plagiarism is a violation of academic norms but not illegal; copyright violation second is illegal, but in truth pretty ubiquitous in academia. (Where did you get that PDF?)The post goes on to present some hypothetical cases that illustrate the concrete differences between plagiarism and copyright infringement, again as far as the academic world is concerned. There's also this handy summary of the central issue:
Second, plagiarism is an offence against the author, while copyright violation is an offence against the copyright holder. In traditional academic publishing, they are usually not the same person, due to the ubiquity of copyright transfer agreements (CTAs).
Third, plagiarism applies when ideas are copied, whereas copyright violation occurs only when a specific fixed expression (e.g. sequence of words) is copied.
Fourth, avoiding plagiarism is about properly apportioning intellectual credit, whereas copyright is about maintaining revenue streams.
Plagiarism is about the failure to properly attribute the authorship of copied material (whether copies of ideas or of text or images). Copyright violation is about failure to pay for the use of the material.Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter or identi.ca, and on Google+


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Are you ready to rock this weekend?
One of the largest outdoor musical festivals along the US-Mexico border, AutMus Fest, takes place Saturday, Oct. 6 at Texas A&M International University.
Now in its 8th year, AutMus Fest has drawn over 10,000 attendees with proceeds supporting student scholarships at TAMIU.
Doors open at 4:30 p.m. with performances beginning at 5 p.m. and continuing through late in the evening. Bands for AutMus Fest 2012 are Automatic Weekend, Vankuver, Master Blaster Sound System, Dean Seltzer, The Romantics and P.O.D. Band profiles are available at autmusfest.com/bands
Adding to the fun will be special performances from 5-8 p.m. by the Laredo Wrestling Alliance and great food, arts and crafts.
Children under 12 accompanied by an adult get in free. Pre-sale tickets are $15 and are available at TDK, Allstate Insurance, Starbucks at TAMIU, TAMIU Bookstore, Select Danny's Restaurants, and online at www.autmusfest.com/tickets/. Tickets are higher at the gate.
Entry is general admission and limited seating is available on a first come-first served basis. Personal chairs and blankets are welcome. For an Event FAQ providing event information, please visit autmustfest.com/info/faqs.html
Parking on campus will be free. Only service animals are allowed on campus.
Event sponsors are TAMIU, City of Laredo, HEB, Jack in the Box, Miller Lite, Budweiser, Allstate, Time Warner Cable, KGNS, CW, and Telemundo, IBC Bank, R Communications, La Posada, and Zertuche Construction.
Out of town visitors can review event lodging opportunities at autmusfest.com/info/visitors.html
For updates and all things AutMus, follow AutMus Fest on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter.
Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests
and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information
Services at firstname.lastname@example.com
Texas A&M International University
5201 University Boulevard
Laredo, TX 78041
© 2018


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FAQ - About Our Coffee
Can't find the answer you're looking for?
Call us at 1-888-CARIBOU (888-227-4268) weekdays from 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. CT, or send us an email.
What makes Caribou Coffee special?
At Caribou Coffee, we're committed to crafting the finest coffee in the world: from selecting the best green coffee beans, to creating blends, roasting, keeping beans fresh, and brewing. At every point in the process, we accept only the highest-quality beans and employ the highest standards, no matter what the cost. We pride ourselves on offering only the highest-quality, best-tasting coffee available.
FAQ - About Our Coffee Questions
- What makes Caribou Coffee special?
- Do you sell any socially responsible coffees?
- How is caffeine removed? Does it affect taste?
- What is espresso?
- I like strong coffee. Which varieties are the strongest?
- Should I keep my coffee in the refrigerator or freezer to keep it fresh?
- Is it okay to microwave coffee to keep it warm?
- What kind of filters should I use?
- How much caffeine is there in a cup of coffee or a shot of espresso?
- Is decaffeinated coffee 100% caffeine free?


text:
Laura Golly
Professor & Program Director, Graphic Design
Phone: 617-994-4267
Email: email@example.com
Office: Sawyer Building, 10th floor - room 1026
M.F.A., Massachusetts College of Art and Design
B.F.A., Rhode Island School of Design
Courses Taught at the School of Art & Design
Basic Typography, Computer Typography, Publication Design, Graphic Design Internship, Graphic Design III, Graphic Design IV
Teaching Philosophy
The old-fashioned 'in-a-box' kind of design doesn't work anymore. If you're going to be a practicing graphic designer in this day and age, you have to be multidisciplinary, willing to work in a team and across platforms. I seek to prepare graphic designers to meet the communications challenges of today and tomorrow through practical projects that challenge students to design conceptually strong solutions that communicate eloquently and solve client problems.
Recent Professional Highlights
- 2010: Identity Design - MyDataDance.com
- 2010: Pro Bono Work for Friends of Camp Mather
- 2008: Discovery & Identity Design - Dutton LLC
- 2006: Identity Design - HomeSpace
- Ongoing: Supporter & Participant in Somerville Open Studios
Professional Affiliations
Member, The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA)
Member, Society of Typographic Afficionados (SOTA)


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Need your order in time for Christmas? Check out our Holiday Shipping Deadlines.
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Click and drag to re-position the image, if desired.
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The image is near the edges of the product but doesn't cover the entire product. Some of the background color may appear around the outside edges of the image.
Background Color
Our ceramic coffee mugs are available in two sizes: 11 oz. and 15 oz. Each mug is dishwasher and microwave safe.
11 oz.
Ships Within
1 - 2 business days
There are no comments for Somerset Burholder Covered Bridge. Click here to post the first comment.
Average Rating (4.89 Stars):
Wayne Tomczak
December 16th, 2018
Maria Luisa Petersen
December 16th, 2018
The Historic Burkholder Covered Bridge Crosses Buffalo Creek In Rural Somerset County, Pennsylvania, Is A Burr Truss Bridge And Was Built In 1870.
There comes a time in life when we wonder where we are going, what we are doing and if there isn't something more to life. That time hit in my 30's. Working at an online marketing agency and putting in 14 hour days 6 days a week at times was starting to wear on me. I'd wake up, rush into the office to stare at a computer screen, come home to stare at it some more, go through some robotic exercises on the machines at the local gym and try to fit some sleep in there somewhere. It was a �comfortable� life, as in all the bills were paid, there was a ski trip or two out west each year and there were some cool toys to play with but never time to actually play with them. Even if there was time to sleep, it was often elusive because there...
Our return policy is very simple:
If you're not happy with a purchase that you made on FineArtAmerica.com, for any reason, you can return it to us within 30 days of the order date. As soon as it arrives, we'll issue a full refund for the entire purchase price. Please note - Fine Art America does not reimburse the outgoing or return shipping charges unless the return is due to a defect in quality.
Fine Art America sells thousands of pieces of artwork each month - all with a 100% money-back guarantee. We take great pride in the fact that hundreds of thousands of artists have chosen Fine Art America to fulfill their orders, and we look forward to helping you select your next piece!
All coffee mugs ship from our production facility within 1 - 2 business days of your order.


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I'd gone to the same gynecologist for years, so when I became pregnant with my first child, I stuck with him. I wished I had done some comparison shopping instead when I noticed that at every checkup he seemed annoyed by even simple questions. When I went into labor -- surprise -- he was on an unannounced vacation and my baby was delivered by the obstetrician on call at the hospital. There were no problems at all (my daughter is almost 3 and thriving), but the experience would have been a lot more positive if I'd had a doctor with whom I could communicate.
"Finding an obstetrician or midwife whom you trust and who shares your philosophy on pregnancy and childbirth makes a big difference in how smoothly everything goes," says Deanne Williams, executive director of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, in Washington, DC. If you're lucky, your current care provider will fit the bill. But if not, you'll want to choose another (and don't be afraid to change practices if you're not happy, even if you're midway through your pregnancy or have previously delivered with that practitioner). The tricky part is knowing what you really want.
Particularly if this is your first pregnancy, you may not be sure about what's most important to you until you start asking questions. To help you zero in on your priorities about pregnancy and labor (and see if your practitioner can accommodate them), we've outlined seven questions to ask your obstetrician or midwife during the first couple of checkups, or during an interview-only appointment if you're still in the planning stages.
1. Where do you deliver?
Ask for written information about the hospital or birthing center your doctor or midwife is affiliated with, and visit it now to determine if it has the features that are most important to you, says James Marquardt, M.D., an obstetrician-gynecologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital, in Boston. You may be looking for a facility that's close to your house or for one with an impressive neonatal intensive-care unit. Perhaps you're more concerned that it has doulas (labor coaches) on staff or allows you to keep your baby in your room after delivery. Mary Weatherhead, of Cleveland Heights, OH, was pleased that she had her baby at a hospital that was breastfeeding-friendly. "I knew that some of my friends hadn't gotten much support from the staff at the hospital where they'd delivered. The obstetrician I chose worked at a facility that had lactation consultants on staff," she says.
2. What tests do you advise? What if they show that something might be wrong with the baby?
Ask your provider to explain each option, including what it tests for, how accurate it is, at which stage of the pregnancy it's performed, and what the risks are. Ideally, he'll give you all the details you need to make an informed decision, and not pressure you into having -- or not having -- a particular test. If you're over 35, for instance, he'll probably bring up amniocentesis, which involves extracting fetal cells from the amniotic fluid and examining them for signs of genetic abnormalities, such as Down syndrome or spina bifida. If you've decided not to have the test, however, it makes a big psychological difference to have a practitioner who'll support your choice.
In the unlikely event that a test shows something might be wrong, you'll want a doctor or midwife who'll support your decision about whether to continue the pregnancy. When Ellen Vaugh's (not her real name) amniocentesis indicated that her baby had Down syndrome, she knew she wanted to keep it. "But when I told my obstetrician, he practically recoiled in horror. I could tell he thought I was making a huge mistake, which made an already traumatic situation all the more unsettling. I stayed with him through my pregnancy, but I wish I hadn't because I didn't feel as comfortable with him after that," she says. To avoid unnecessary tension, ask up front about your options, then listen carefully to the response. If you're brushed off with a line like, "Let's not worry about that now," the doctor may not be a good fit for you.
3. At what point do you recommend a C-Section?
In some situations -- your baby is in distress or in a breech position, for instance -- surgery is unavoidable. But doctors vary as to how long they typically allow a woman to push in the delivery room before they perform a cesarean: Some will let you try for up to four or five hours, while others have a limit of an hour or two, so ask your provider to explain his policy. You can also inquire about his cesarean rate (the national average is roughly 32 percent), but remember that doctors who handle a large number of high-risk pregnancies will, understandably, have higher numbers than those who don't.
If you're strongly committed to a vaginal birth, ask your provider about what he does to avoid surgery. Possibilities include everything from administering oxytocin, a medication that speeds up labor, to allowing you to squat while pushing. If you've had a cesarean section and would like to try a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), ask the doctor if you're a good candidate (women who've had a vertical incision aren't, for example), and his policy about VBACs. Many doctors strongly encourage a VBAC, preferring to stay away from surgery unless necessary; others are fine with letting a patient elect to have a repeat cesarean.
4. Who'll deliver my baby if you're away on vacation or delivering someone else's infant?
No one's available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In many group practices, you'll routinely get whichever doctor's on call when you go into labor. If that's the case, most practices arrange for you to meet with each physician at least once during your pregnancy (if not, ask if you can do so). Take advantage of that opportunity to discuss their delivery-room philosophy. If you dislike one of them, find out if you can request an alternate if she happens to be on call.
Other practitioners try to attend all deliveries unless they're out of town, so inquire about the doctor's contingency plan in the event she's on vacation when you're due. If she has a trip scheduled then, ask to meet her backup.
5. What's your stance on drugs during labor?
You can't know in advance how you're going to feel during childbirth, but you probably have some idea of whether you may want pain relief. "If you really prefer to stay away from medication, for instance, ask what the practitioner does to encourage drug-free labor," says Cynthia Cover, director of midwife services at the Cleveland Clinic. Look for someone who recommends techniques like massage or showers, or even less mainstream options, such as acupuncture.
If you're leaning toward -- or are unsure about -- drugs, ask an open-ended question: "What's your feeling about medication?" Someone who answers, "We'll figure that out closer to delivery," or "It's up to you," probably won't do much to help you decide. Another red flag: a judgmental comment like, "I don't know why anyone would want to feel labor pain if they don't have to," or "I gave birth twice without drugs, and it's the best way to go." Ideally, your provider will give you as much detail as possible -- what types of relief are available, when each is administered, and the pros and cons -- to help you make up your own mind.
6. How much weight should I gain?
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends gaining 25 to 35 pounds (35 to 45 for twins) if your weight is considered normal at the beginning of the pregnancy. Some providers strongly encourage expectant women to stay within those guidelines; others think it's fine to gain 40 -- or even 50 -- pounds. If you don't want to be nagged about adding extra baggage (or conversely, prefer someone who will keep you in line if you start gaining too much), ask what range your doctor suggests. "If he says something like, 'Absolutely no more than 35 pounds,' you have your answer," says Williams.
You should also bring up any specific concerns -- if you are overweight or a vegetarian, for instance, or if you have a history of eating disorders. "A woman with particular needs should look for a provider who's willing to work with her," says Williams. That can mean anything from making concrete suggestions about portions or substitutions in your diet to referring you to a nutritionist. If your doctor responds to your questions with vague or incomplete answers, such as, "Just try not to eat too much junk," you probably won't get the extra guidance you may really want.
7. How much control can I have over childbirth?
Keep in mind that for the majority of the time you're in labor, you'll be in the hands of nurses and at the mercy of hospital rules. But since you probably have some idea of how you want your delivery to proceed, try to find a practitioner who's in sync with your philosophy and willing to override hospital policy when possible -- letting you walk during labor if you want, rather than hooking you up to a fetal monitor, or forgoing an IV if you don't need fluids or pain medication. Jennifer Drawbridge, of Guilford, CT, chose a nurse-midwife who supported her decision not to have an IV. "When the hospital staff tried to force one on me," she says, "my midwife was able to dissuade them."
Another issue to consider: the provider's stance on episiotomies (when a cut is made to provide a larger opening for the baby's head). ACOG does not recommend the procedure be performed routinely—only in certain cases, such as when the baby is in distress (and needs a quick delivery) or when it may help prevent severe tearing in the mother. Still, some doctors still perform them regularly, since they feel that they cause less damage and are easier to repair than a tear; others try to steer clear of them whenever possible, thinking that they cause more bleeding and postnatal pain than tearing will.
When asking about any decisions concerning your pregnancy and delivery, keep an open mind. And remember that the final call about some issues is best made in the delivery room with the baby's -- and your -- well-being in mind.


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*disclamer* just to start this of i am not some pro l33t player or anything like that and this just my opinion and it is subject to change.
tier 1-
GHEIST their bonus is just so damn stong and well their cards are much better than their counterpart the Roots imo, i dont think they are the best and they have their weakness "like SoB" and their mono decks arent as stong with the recent perma banns
Montana that attack reduction is just insane, they have so many good cards like Mona, Griezzo and Spiaghi probably the best clan, makes a nice mono or half deck
Skeelz so solid good in a half deck, mono and splash does pretty much every thing. nuff said
Piranas before i get started i have to say they are my main "well used to be" their bonus is really good, clans that need it like Rescue and GHEIST are just slaughtered most of their cards have huge power, pill manipulation is real strong Scrubb can just overpill and get away with it. Only down side half deck isnt so strong imo and their perma banns really make a difference.
Vortex their clan bonus is so forgiving and allows you to make huge plays and not geting punished for it, however the main problem is their bonus doent win fights. btw they are on the edge of being top of tier 2 but im nice like that.
ok so thats the end of tier 1 i just wanna say that thats not in any order and that if your favourite clan isnt there tier 2 is still very viable they just have down sides that tier 1 dont.
subclavianHoA Imperator Thursday 13/12/2012, 10:13
My guess is that there isn't anything mono-montana can do that mono-Jungo can't do better, and for a cheaper price. Askai is a less SOA-prone avola, Buba's 10 power is probably more desirable than either edd cr or desmond, and the montana 3*s which used to be the mainstay of that clan, is now looking almost outdated (4 damage is barely enough for 14-life elo). Jungo also has the flexibility of a good SOA, good stop: cards, and enough attack manip to rival montana if a player feels the need.
Anyone else get the feeling that support-heavy clans are resembling each other more and more? Maybe I'm just unlucky in my choice of opponents, but the play styles of mono-sentinel, jungo and montana wielding opponents seem almost exactly the same to me, with the only exception being montanas 1-pilling instead of 0-pilling the first two rounds.
ghelas Titan E X C A L I B U R Thursday 13/12/2012, 16:42
Huh, that's an excellent point... Jungo can definitely fill the roles that Montana and Rescue used to fill, and they can be half-decked quite easily.
JO3SHMO Imperator Wise Men Distracted Friday 14/12/2012, 12:32
I'll quote myself from this thread three days ago:
"Mono Montana isn't bad by any stretch, and I would still rate them higher than a lot of other clans. In my opinion, they are one 2/3* utility card (SOA or SOB) away from a resurgence. eg. 6/2 SOA on a 2*. "
And now we have Angelo.
slav.georgiev.3 Senior Friday 14/12/2012, 14:03
It's not just mono Jungo that bests Montana these days. Mono Skeelz offer bigger attack manipulation coupled with better raw stats. Pill for pill, Dr Falkenstein, Sandro, Sasha and Tomas, and even Chiara after the fourth pill will beat almost any Montana card of the same stars and quality. Same goes for a lot of the staple Sentinel card. Jungo, as mentioned, is even better. Uppers, Junkz, Rescue and Sakrohm are on par with Montana. Adding SoA and SoB clans that destroy Montana, and Pussycats that can often go away with 1/4 round win against Montana (I personally have done that several times), it's understandable why Montana isn't that popular at the moment.
What JO3SHMO says I agree with, Montana are by no means bad, and if you know how to play them they are as good as choice as any. But unless they are your favorite clan and you WANT to play them no matter what, you always have a long line of better or equally strong setups.
KitsuneKatsumi Imperator XiongDang Friday 14/12/2012, 21:00
So T Gaank... has come out of nowhere... have Vortex now truly arrived in ELO?
At 14*: X-0DUS Dagg T Gaank Cyb Lhia
at 13*: X-0DUS T Gaank Deea Cyb Lhia
Looks ridiculous on paper.
Let's consider matchups:
SOB (Piranas) One of Vortex's more challenging matchups, Piranas only played reducer of any kind is Tula. 8 power is always solid here though and the 5 damage outclasses the typical Pirana character. Completely murders Nightmare.
SOA (GHEIST, Roots) 8/5 body helps here
All Stars Obviously a huge All Stars killer. Marina, Robb? lolzwhat
Junkz Only if they are running DRs like Peeler, Fizzle, Veenyle
Jungo hits Pegh, Radek, Ongh, Niva
Bangers hits Vermyn N and Blaaster
Uppers hits Lady, Herman and Nellie
So final prediction: This is a great character but what is unknown is how much overlap/ redundancy his ability will have with X-0DUS's conditional SOA. The biggest matchup advantages go to X-0DUS against Piranas and Jungo.
ghelas Titan E X C A L I B U R Saturday 15/12/2012, 00:44
There are no reasons not to run C Wing, Cyb Lhia (or Ward Hg if you're one of those weird people that likes to threaten KO in ELO), X-0DUS, and T Gaank. There isn't really any overlap -- T Gaank is not conditional; drawing T Gaank and X-0 means you will have a much easier time hitting through DR. Dagg is still a great choice as well. It comes down to figuring out what you need in your deck, but a 4 4 2 2 setup for a Vortex half is looking very nice.
KitsuneKatsumi Imperator XiongDang Saturday 15/12/2012, 01:23
Well... there are plenty of reasons to not run C Wing. But the 15* 1/2 is also very exciting:
X-0DUS T Gaank Dagg Deea
That is a Vortex 1/2 that does not expose any bit of weakness to Piranas/ SOB.
KitsuneKatsumi Imperator XiongDang Saturday 15/12/2012, 02:04
A Protection: Power/ Damage on the body of an Olympian God in a very relevant clan, yet another 2* SOA, and demand to reevaluate Jungo have shaken up my tier rankings:
New Tier rankings (Christmas 2012):
Tier 1
Tier 2
All Stars
Tier 3
Tier 4
Ulu Watu
Tier 5
Fang Pi Clang
Tier 6
La Junta
Tier 7
Regarding Jungo: Please read my comments more carefully. Yes, Jean is a topend 2*. But Pegh and Mindy are fillers, not topend. As we have seen from this week's release, the proliferation of Protection: Damage and SOA over the last year have made DR an increasing liability, and Pegh's bonus does not add up to a great character: 7 power 3 gap is a lousy character in ELO. The same is true for Mindy: Any SOA or SOB crushes her. And you know what? Most of the time no one cares if they lose to 3 gap. The standard is 4. Those two do nothing for you if your strategy is to win by winning 2 rounds.You need your two wins to get to 9 gap at least and Pegh and Mindy do not help with that. Jessie would be lousy if she were 7/1. Hawkins Noel IS lousy. There is an immediate difference between 7/1 and 7/2. Jungo has terrible matchups against ALL 7 of the clans I rank ahead of them, who have SOA up the wazoo and/ or can win 3 rounds against Jungo with ease. So yes, the problem is in the 2* for Jungo.
0_4DPaladin Veteran Saturday 15/12/2012, 02:55
Uppers in tier 2? I havent seen a single Uppers in ELO in the last 4 weeks lol.
XC_MANFRED_33 Titan E X C A L I B U R Saturday 15/12/2012, 19:18
I haven't played elo for 4 months and I could tell you your little tier ranking is unreliable and incorrect lol


text:
Ellen DeGeneres Cancels Vacation After Bermuda Bans Gay Marriage
Ellen DeGeneres is urging her fans to avoid traveling to Bermuda after the country's governor signed a measure into law in February, replacing same-sex marriage with domestic partnerships.
Gov. John Rankin's decision sparked outrage with critics calling the move an unprecedented rollback of civil rights in the British island territory.
Taking to Twitter this week, DeGeneres informed her 77.1 million followers that Bermuda banned marriage equality, adding she's "canceling my trip."
She also included a link to a Crowd Justice fund to save marriage equality in the country. The fund is looking for £50,000. With 22 more days to go, the fund has earned £24,621.
A lawsuit has been filed to reverse the ban.
"The act is intended to strike a fair balance between two currently irreconcilable groups in Bermuda, by restating that marriage must be between a male and a female while at the same time recognizing and protecting the rights of same-sex couples," Minister of Home Affairs Walton Brown said.
Click here to donate to the fund.


text:
Time is flying. Are we having fun?
Oh, time is flying by at a rapid rate.
It seems just a year or two ago that Keely, her friend-boy PJ, Isaac, and I spent the New Year's Eve of 2000 together, enjoying a nice free meal at one of Hopkinsville's better restaurants.
I had won a drawing at work for a meal and show at Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Unfortunately, we had a prior commitment on the date of the tickets, but my employer gave me a very generous amount of credit at O'Charlie's in Hopkinsville, instead.
Dennis had to work on New Year's Day and wanted to go to bed early, so I took the kids out to celebrate the New Millenium without him.
I think we all had steaks that night -- at least, I remember that I had a steak and it was very good. After we ate, we went to an open house at the museum and listened to the tolling of the old firehouse bell in honor of the turn of the century.
Since that night when we passed into the next century and millenium together, my three companions have grown up. Keely graduated from college in December. PJ will soon begin student teaching. Isaac has completed middle school and high school and now is a freshman in college.
During those seven years, there have been many events and changes in my life and within my family.
In my community and my church, babies have been born. Little children have become high schoolers. People have married, changed jobs, moved away, and retired. New constructions have begun; some have been completed and others have stalled. Landmarks have passed into memory, and leaders have come and gone.
And just think of all the national and world events since January 1, 2001. Some of them have affected our lives greatly.
Suddenly, I feel ... older.
I wasn't done with last year yet, but here we are. The holidays have gone by in a fast blur, and another new year has begun.
The only way I can freeze time is to convert moments to words and put them on paper -- or in our post-modern world, into the computer. I must write every chance I get next year, because time is going by much too quickly. That is my only resolution for 2008.
Well, I do have one other goal. I'm going to try to finish Keely's high school graduation quilt.


text:
Magento Script 'Airhotels' - Saving error when listing a new property
Budget €8-30 EUR
I have installed a Magento script 'Airhotels' by Apptha for listing and booking unusual accommodation under http:[url removed, login to view]
As a registered user I tried to 'list an experience' (new property) - see attached file [url removed, login to view] - but after Data input (see file [url removed, login to view]) and push on the button to the next step (saving basics), I get Magento error "There has been an error processing your request..." (see attachement [url removed, login to view]). Error details you can check at attached file error.jpg. Please fix the error, so that property owner can list their accommodations without a problem. And please telle me the reason for the error to avoid further faults. Thank your for your bids!
Awarded to:
I have more than 3 years of experience in magento and had worked with an highly experience team in magento. Below is the list of some custom modules. Some I have developed and some integrated and then customize as per More
7 freelancers are bidding on average €38 for this job
Dear Sir. We claim to get it done perfectly for you EXACTLY in the way you want it - Kindly give we a chance and we will prove myself - Ready to prove our words, let's get it done right away and I mean RIGHT AWAY !! Lo More
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hello client. i have 8 years experience in magento. i have done more then 50 projects based on magento.


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Leave One Piece out of this!, Bleach is ok i still watch. Only for Ichigo and Rukia
Bleach is not as good as it used to be. I don't like it anymore, but because I spent many years reading this, I want to know how bad it's getting and where it's still going. I don't keep up with the chapters week after week, though. Even though I said this, I may not read this in 2 years' time. I'm quite tired of it already.
let them die in a field of white flowers soaked with blood
Bleach ok, Naruto isn't that much better.
Anyone that say's that Bleach doesn't have a plot, obviously doesn't know the definition of the word. The plot of Bleach is that Aizen used he Hougyoku to create the Arrancars in order to create the Ouken and supplant the King of the Soul Society. As for the fight scenes, yes some of them are similar, however Ichigo isn't the only one that has fight scenes, and if you want to talk about a show with needlessly repetitive fight scenes look no further than Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, for most of the series his only attacks was the shadow clone jutsu and rasengan, it is only recently in the series (Pain Invasion Arc) that he learns anything different. Ichiigo on the other hand learns his Bankai in the third Season, Learns how to use his Hollowfication by the tenth season, learns the Final Getsuga Tensho in the 14th season, and is now learning his Fullbring/Soul Reaper powers again. There is plenty of variety in the fights.
whoeva said bleach is garbage is a butt!!!!! If ur complaining about the fillers then look at naruto and their large filler season thats going on right now!!!
oh. wow. i. just. gave.myself.cancer.okay.bye
I totally agree.... like i notice a pattern in most combat animes where the enemy thinks "this is going to be a piece of cake" and then the main gets all sappy and thinks of their friends and family and how this will effect them and how bad his friends are going to feel and his family and he gets most of his power from those thoughts unless its pure talent...and like when he comes up with a super move defeats the enemy and bla bla bla then they meet each other again and the enemy has got a new move and the main trys the last move but now the enemy is indestructable and cannot be effected by that move anymore so he gets beat up a lot and then he thinks about his friends and family and then he "powers up" with another super move then defeats the enemy.....then all his friends worry....and his family worry.... and then its like that all over again.... to be honest i have got used to that cycle in shounen animes and i think the producers just run out of ideas.... well.... ok.... <.<
A good run is better than a bad stand.


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OXM - Call of Duty: Black Ops wasn't the most innovative shooter on the block, Treyarch's Mark Lamia has conceded, but Black Ops 2? It's going to innovate your socks off. Not wearing socks? Say goodbye to your feet.
Come november 2014 they will say " we know blops 2 didnt innovate, but blops 3 will." lol
well ill be the first to say this, believe it or not from a COD stand point. Treyarch has really been the ones to innovate the franchise. Sure cod 3 wasnt anything worth noting . However it was the first game that allowed the player to sprint prior to that you had to switch pistols.
Fast forward to 2008 world at war.
Zombies. Allowed for players to differentiate along the competitive gaming routes and engage and help one another while also competiting to survive rounds.
IW did do the same thing the next year in a differ way with Spec Ops ( which is kinda crappy too)
Follow that up With Black Ops
Zombies again with the experience upgraded
as well as wager matches
also combat training to test your skill before alot of you get gang banged online.
What exactly is "innovative" about black ops 2? I'd pretty much bet Treyarch claimed the original black ops was innovative too around about this time.


text:
I've been riding since 1962 (!) and just now am thinking of joining the "never ride W/O earplug" crowd........I just bought a beautiful 1999 R1100R with the BMW "factory" windscreen .. the wind noise inside my Shoei Multitec is unbelieveable / so I guess earplugs are the best solution ??
what's the general opinion / what really works...please....thanks !!
from the swamp..


text:
Seven Deaths Confirmed in Arkansas
Authorities have now confirmed seven deaths in Arkansas after a severe storm
< Sink Hole Home Demolished
Mar 04, 2013 07:16
Category: General News
Category: General News
Syria Warned By United States and Saudi Arabia
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — The United States and Saudi Arabia issued a joint warning today to Syria and Iran. Presenting a united front, the two countries warned Syrian President Bashar Assad that they will boost support to rebels fighting to oust him unless he steps down. They also tell Iran that time is running out for a diplomatic resolution to concerns about its nuclear program.


text:
Can you prove that you're a SQL Server master? I think that before anyone can prove it, there would need to be a standard definition of what it means to be a master. And there would probably be as many definitions as there are people claiming to be masters.
I've seen numerous proposals over the years for some sort of advanced SQL Server certification. Microsoft employees have discussed it, several companies that I've worked with that provide SQL Server training and consulting have explored the possibility of offering a "SQL Server Expert" certification, and the Professional Association of SQL Server (PASS) has also considered offering a SQL Server certification. From talking to various groups about their ideas for a SQL Server certification, I'm well aware of the different definitions of true mastery.
In many venues, certification is considered to be of questionable value. This is partly because of the proliferation of certification exam cram websites and partly because of the fact that even without these websites, you can pass many of the tests just by thoroughly studying, without ever having had hands on experience with SQL Server.
Microsoft is currently developing a new SQL Server Masters Certification Program. You can read about it on the blog of the manager of the project, Per Farny, at
http://blogs.msdn.com/trika/archive/2008/06/26/more-on-the-certified-master-programs-from-me-per-the-program-owner.aspx. This program requires you to take a three-week training that's not cheap, and Per agrees that the price could be prohibitive. In addition to the instructor-led training, the aspirant will have three chances to pass a computer-based exam, and he or she will also take a situational lab-based exam.
My guess is that Microsoft is assuming that because the program is so difficult, not to mention expensive, the people who do the training and take the exams aren't going to be enticed into sharing any of the exam questions with the exam cram websites. So part of the value of the Masters certification will be in knowing that the person who acquired it most likely passed the tests on their own, without relying on memorizing answers from an exam cram website. A certification will also establish that the holder took his or her SQL Server expertise seriously enough to invest the time and money to acquire it.
However, one of my first thoughts when I found out about the requirements for this certification was that there are probably many people out there who possess the required expertise (if not a lot more expertise and experience) to pass these tests, but have neither the money nor the time to invest in the three-week training. After reading through the comments on Per's blog post, I realized I wasn't the only person to have thought of that. Part of someone's comment was "Expect only high profile Consultants and CIO's to be the MCM member makeup with little or no working class administrators in the group, even if their skills are MCM level." Per's response to that comment was "That's exactly it, you got it right (I'd leave off CIO's, though). This is the idea, the design of the programs. Not to exclude anyone on purpose, but to cater to a very specific audience that we haven't catered to in the past. It is the appropriate certification for those individuals. It is not appropriate for 'working class administrators' because it doesn't focus on that job role, and therefore doesn't make sense for that audience to invest in this. MCITP still is, and will continue to be, the most appropriate certification for that audience."
With this limitation on the audience for Microsoft's SQL Server Masters Certification Program, I think there still might be a need for another organization to develop an advanced SQL Server certification program. I would hope that the group that takes this task on would make sure the exam is very thorough and almost impossible to cram for. I would also be in favor of the certification process including an in-person interview and hands-on component. Although this would make the certification more expensive than any of Microsoft's certifications, I think that people willing to take this extra step should also be willing to invest a bit of time and money, if only to make it clear that they value their expertise.


text:
Visit, Explore, and Discover...
California Guest Services is an authorized concessioner of The National Park Service
Lassen Volcanic National Park is a place of wonderment, inspiration and recreation. Here, the earth's internal forces bubble, spit, boil and hiss to the surface in fascinating displays. The striking beauty of this volcanic activity is exciting to watch, and the curious visitor can see all four types of volcanoes (cinder cone, shield, composite and lava dome) in the national park.
Situated at the crossroads of three great biological areas (the Cascades, Sierra Nevada and Great Basin), Lassen Volcanic National Park is a unique environment that is teeming with many species of plants and animals — from marmots to Ponderosa pines, squirrels to iris, bats to violets, and more.
Spend a day or a vacation hiking, fishing, touring, photographing, kayaking, horseback riding, or exploring miles of trails in the park's scenic backcountry. To visit Lassen Volcanic National Park is to witness the earth's forces of creation and destruction.
Reservation Information
There are two ways to reserve a cabin:
- Click here to make your reservation online.
- Call 1-877-444-6777 to speak with an online operator.
Manzanita Lake Camper Store and Cabins will open for the season in May.
Reservations can be online made at recreation.gov for arrival dates up to 6 months in advance.
The phone number for the Manzanita Lake Camper Store and Cabins is (530) 335-7557. Hours are 9-6pm until Father's Day Weekend and then 8-8pm through Labor Day weekend.
Sunset Magazine Features Manzanita Lake Cabins!
Manzanita Lake Camping Cabins featured in Sunset Magazine's 37 Best Cabin Getaways. Read all about it here!


text:
Robert L. Citron, the Orange County treasurer whose bad bets on exotic Wall Street investments resulted in what at the time was the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, died Wednesday. He was 87.
Citron died at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange of complications from a heart attack, said his wife, Terry Citron.
Until the 1994 financial collapse, Citron was a low-key bureaucrat who won praise from Orange County supervisors for earning much higher yields from the county's complex array of investments than many other government agencies. His investment pools attracted funds from governments around the country as well as from schools, cities and public agencies.
The county declared bankruptcy Dec. 6, 1994, buffeted by losses that, when the final count was tallied, amounted to $1.64 billion. The county was forced to postpone repayments on bonds it had sold, ruining its credit rating, but eventually repaid its creditors in full. The bankruptcy sent shock waves through Wall Street and the municipal bond markets. It also made national headlines, with some asking how such a prosperous county could become insolvent.
A grand jury investigation would later find that the treasurer who over the years won so much praise for his investment skills relied upon a mail order astrologer and a psychic for interest rate predictions as the county's treasury began to falter.
Citron pleaded guilty to six felony counts, including filing false statements to participants in the Orange County Treasury Investment Pool. His lawyer, David Wiechert, submitted medical testimony indicating that Citron was in the early stages of dementia.
Citron was sentenced to work in the county jail, sorting inmates' requests for personal items by day before returning to his home in Santa Ana. He never spent a night behind bars but worked for months in the jail's commissary. He remained on probation until 2002.
In a 1997 interview with The Times, Citron insisted that he was duped into making rashly imprudent investments by Merrill Lynch. He became a key witness in Orange County's $2-billion lawsuit against the investment giant. The suit said that Citron was a "pigeon" for greedy brokers at the investment house.
Merrill Lynch maintained that the bankruptcy was Citron's fault. It later settled the case with the county, paying $400 million.
A third-generation Californian, Citron was born in Los Angeles on April 14, 1925, according to public records, and grew up in Burbank. Because he had asthma as a child, his family moved out to the town of Hemet in the foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains. His father, Jesse, was a doctor who earned a measure of fame for being liquor-loving W.C. Fields' doctor and weaning him off Scotch.
Citron rose through the ranks of the county's treasury department to become county treasurer-tax collector, a post he held for 24 years. He was one of the few Democrats to hold countywide elected office in a region dominated by Republicans. He lived in Santa Ana, just a few miles from work, and was famous for his long hours. In a 1994 interview, his wife told The Times that the weekends were hardest for her husband because he could not go to work.
"He can barely stand the weekend at home," she said. "He can't wait to get back. I think he'd go crazy without that job."
The bankruptcy tarnished Citron's name as well as the county's. County government slashed hundreds of jobs and cut budgets. Orange County's repayment plan siphoned money from four county departments every year, affecting projects big and small.
Citron's assistant, Matthew Raabe, was convicted of fraud and misappropriation and served 41 days in jail before the verdict was overturned. Taxpayers spent $1 million on his defense. The county's financial director, Ronald S. Rubino, was tried on fraud and misappropriation charges, but a jury deadlocked in favor of acquittal. He pleaded no contest to one record-keeping violation under a deal that allowed his record to be erased after a year. County Supervisors Roger R. Stanton and William G. Steiner were indicted by a grand jury on grounds of failing to safeguard public funds. The indictment was later dismissed by an appeals court ruling that said failing to do their jobs wasn't a crime.
Citron is survived by his wife of 57 years.
Times staff writers Shelby Grad and Robert J. Lopez contributed to this report.


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The Communications and Customer Service (CCS) team serves OSERS and its constituents from strategic, communications and technical standpoints in the following major functional areas:
- Public Liaison
CCS is tasked with researching and developing effective communications strategies to best serve and communicate with OSERS' diverse constituencies. In its public liaison role, CCS serves as the designated public relations arm of the OSERS assistant secretary and his immediate staff. CCS communicates the assistant secretary's vision and goals to internal and external audiences and assures that these messages are incorporated into communications products developed throughout the organization.
- Information Product Development
CCS is designed to meet the information product development and production needs of OSERS. In this technical, or "service bureau," role, CCS serves to develop and produce a wide range of information products for OSERS constituencies. Specific product design, development and production functions include: graphics, multimedia, desktop publishing and alternate format (Braille and audio cassette taping) development.
- Electronic Information Dissemination
CCS is involved in all aspects of the dissemination of OSERS' information products. This includes not only the more traditional media such as print and other hardcopy formats, but also the use of electronic media as typified by the Internet and the World Wide Web. CCS serves as the Web master for the OSERS' Web site area on the ED.gov Web site, coordinating all aspects of OSERS' Web site presence and online information.
- Executive Correspondence
CCS serves as the central repository for OSERS official correspondence signed by the Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary or their designee. Within that function, major responsibilities include providing assistance to OSERS' three program offices; processing letters referred from the Secretary's office for reply; opening and date-stamping mail addressed to the Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary; reviewing mail to determine which component should provide the response; and entering mail into the tracking system and assigning a due date.
- Customer Information and Referral
CSS responds to external inquiries for information and makes informed referrals to subject matter experts as warranted. This includes providing appropriate information resources from within OSERS. This may also include referral to other appropriate resources, within the Department, to other agencies, or to state, local or private-sector entities.
Key Staff:
Director: Paul Steenen
Last Modified: 04/26/2016


text:
By GARRICK FELDMAN
Leader editor
(This is a reprint of a previous Christmas column.)
When my friend Jack Sallee was with the Jaycees in Fayetteville, they'd put an ad in the paper at Christmastime saying that for $2 you could have Santa come to your place.
There'd be a group of Santas going out every night, and Sallee was among them.
"Each Santa went to about 10 homes a night," Sallee says. "Each Santa had a driver. Mine was named Larry Nixon. He was a big fellow, and I would tell the kids Larry was driving me around town."
Usually nothing out of the ordinary happened. Kids got to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas, and Santa gave them lots of candy, and everybody went to bed happy.
But then something different did happen. Sallee says, "One night we had two houses left to go. We drove around for a while, and when we found one, it was a one-room house. We went inside, and the house had a dirt floor and hardly any furnishings."
A young girl was there with her mother. They were as poor as they could be: They had nothing — or very little.
The two Jaycees, college educated and professionals who had seen dozens of nice homes, couldn't believe what they had walked into.
"There were two cots to sleep on and a table and a chair," Sallee says. "The house had a potbellied stove. She had one of those small Styrofoam ice chests. So needless to say, I was taken aback because I didn't think people still lived like that. This was inside the Fayetteville city limits.
"The girl was seven or eight years old," Sallee continues, "and she had long hair and blue eyes. She wore a nightgown that looked like a man's T-shirt her mother had cut off. She was flabbergasted that Santa Claus would actually visit her."
He says, "For a Christmas tree, her mother had brought in a branch and put it on the table."
Her mother had found her a present — a ball wrapped in tissue paper. Sallee wondered what else this poor girl would ask for.
"In the homes we had seen," he continues, "the children would tell us what they wanted by reciting the toy sections in stores they'd been to."
But that wasn't what the girl wanted.
"The girl sat on my lap and looked at me seriously," Sallee recalls. "She said, 'Santa, the only thing I want is for Daddy to come home.'
"I looked at my driver, this big, burly guy, and he had to walk outside because tears were streaming down his face," Sallee says.
"The mother turned her back to us, and I just turned my head away from her," he adds.
"I was just stunned and moved and speechless. I wanted to hold the little girl and tell her everything was going to be all right, but there was nothing you could do. You felt helpless. She never asked for a toy or clothes.
"I said there are some things Santa Claus can't do," Sallee adds, "but Santa Claus would try. I gave her all the candy I had.
"It's an experience you'll never forget," he says. "It will haunt you for the rest of your life."
Sallee remembers that little girl around this time of the year. He wonders what happened to her father.
Maybe this Christmas he will be home, and, who knows, they'll have a nice place to live in. You can't lose hope.
Monday, December 23, 2013
TOP STORY >> Young girl asks Santa for a very special gift
Posted by THE LEADER at 11:20 PM


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Open topic with navigation
The Single Image Element renders an image on a CommonSpot page. One variant allows you to specify header and caption text that appears above or below the image.
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After inserting a Single Image Element into your page and then clicking" Click here to define a Single Image Element", CommonSpot displays its Image Layout Properties dialog.
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text: DE Da'shawn Hand of Woodbridge, VA, regarded by some analysts as the top prospect in the nation for the 2014 class, announced today on Twitter his reduced list of ten schools. USC is among his final final ten. The others are Alabama, Florida State, Michigan, LSU, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Virginia Tech. He did not give an order to the list. Hand plans to be at Ohio State Saturday for the Michigan game.


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Just when you thought the long hours of exploring an alternative future version of Las Vegas were over, Bethesda is preparing to release the first of what will no doubt be many expansions for Fallout: New Vegas, "Dead Money". You weren't really using that social life anyway, were you?
First announced as an Xbox exclusive last month, the new expansion puts you in the role of a prisoner, who is being forced to join three other captives to steal the legendary treasure of the Sierra Madre Casino. If you succeed, you win your freedom. If you fail, the collar that has been placed around your neck will explode.
Besides just an intricate and original story, the expansion will offer a higher level cap of 35, as well as new perks and achievements. So far the game is exclusive to the Xbox 360, and there has been no word on when or if the PC and PS3 will see the content– although past experience says that it is just a matter of when, not if.
Check out the trailer below, and look for "Dead Money" on Xbox Live on December 21.


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The Lewmar 'Wavespring' self-tailer combines their renowned and gentle wave grip feature with self adjusting springs. It handles today's smaller diameters, as well as the traditional larger Dacron composite ropes. A sleek, minimum-friction feeder arm provides absolute snag-free operation.
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|The authors own nothing. Joss, UPN, WB, etc. own Buffy, the show, the characters, the places, and the backstory. The authors own any original plots.


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Augustana's Cam McCaffrey is an All-Central Region First Teamer
After a standout senior season, Augustana guard Cam McCaffrey has been named to the All-Central Region first team.
McCaffrey will leave after this season as the all-time leading scorer in school history, as he currently sits at 1,917 points. He is the Vikings leading scorer, averaging 21 points a game, second best in the Northern Sun Conference this season.
Augustana (21-8) is headed to the NCAA Division II Tournament as the third seed in the Central Region and will play sixth seeded Upper Iowa (20-11) Saturday at noon in Mankato.


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So your postbaby sex life is a little lacking? (Okay, make that nonexistant?) Well you're not alone. With a new baby in the picture, sex can drop a few notches on the priority list. And it's not just the new responsibilities and exhaustion — delivering a baby can leave you sore, dry, and feeling not-so-sexy. If you're ready to turn the heat back on in the bedroom (or dining room, or kitchen), try these real-life tips from sex therapist Dr. Lisa Terrell and a few other moms who've been through it all before.
Get naughty
If your girlie bits aren't quite ready for actual intercourse, but you want to get, er, intimate... well, there are other things you can do, you know. (Wink, wink.) Seriously, get creative and find ways to sexually connect. "Intimate contact can come in many forms," says Terrell, who founded the Sensovi Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina. "Think in terms of sensual contact, sensual relaxation, and sex play." (Blushing yet?)
Warm up
It's normal to be scared of postbaby sex. After all, the parts involved just went through a pretty traumatic event. (Not to mention the fact that sex resulted in that — beautiful and amazing — bundle of poop and tears down the hall.) So start slow. Share a lingering kiss now and then. Cuddle. Wrestle. "Do things you both genuinely enjoy that have some kind of physical component rather than being intercourse and orgasm-focused," Terrell advises. (Once you work up to actual sex, use protection — it is possible to get pregnant again right away.)
Get naked
Even if you're feeling not-so-appealing, naked is sexy. Terrell recommends a joint shower, a game of strip poker, a candlelit tub, or — our favorite — some skin-on-skin spooning. Without any necessary plans for sex, slide between the sheets minus the Skivvies. You may fall asleep right away, in which case you'll have a nice, intimate rest. Or...you might get the urge to take things further.
No, your sex life won't be all quickies from now on (promise). There will be amazing things in the future (like a child that sleeps for more than 45 minutes). But in these crazy days of exhaustion, crying fits, and 3 a.m. feedings, quickies are king. Go ahead and give it a shot. It worked for Kimberly Ford, author of Hump: True Tales of Sex After Kids, who claims that even brief intimate episodes release frustration, leave her feeling closer to her husband, and keep the flame alive for future rolls in the hay.
Give your body a break
Childbirth can leave a lady less-than-lubricated. First, recognize that this has nothing to do with your love or desire for your partner. (If he doesn't believe you, make him read this.) It's those pesky hormones again — namely a decrease in estrogen due to your new placenta-free state. (Chemicals produced in breastfeeding add to this issue too). It could be six months until you're back to normal, so check out the personal care items at your local drugstore. "Use lots of lube... buy stock in it," says Jelliebean1982. A little well-placed Astroglide can works wonder.
Give the boy a break
Between the hormones, the spit-up, and the sleepless nights, don't be shocked if your guy's every word sounds malicious or annoying in the first months of parenthood. Instead of letting resentment bubble up (in which case nookie doesn't stand a chance), talk to the poor chum. Let him know how he can help out, whether it's taking over while you relax in the bath, or giving you a nice rubdown after baby conks out. Happy mommy = better sex.
Embrace the awkward
Get ready to giggle, because it's true: If you're breastfeeding, you might squirt milk when you orgasm. Crazy, right? If it doesn't bother you, then just go with it. If it's a turn-off, have sex right after a feeding, or simply keep yourself covered. "I leave my nursing tank or bra on, it's not the hottest thing but I'm afraid I'm going to spray [my husband] in the eye," jokes MyBella. For a sexier feel, stick a couple of nursing pads into a lacy bra for protection. And remember, this is just something else that your amazing body can do right now.


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Scheewe Art Workshop
Distributed by: American Public Television (APT)
Show Schedule
Change Your Station
Daisy Meadow
Episode #1002 · Join Sue as she creates the delicate leaf foliage in this "Daisy Meadow" by simply tapping the proper brush. This acrylic painting is a simple, yet elegant, project for the beginning artist.
Long Forgotten
Episode #1003 · The delicate Queen Anne's lace adds the perfect charm to the long forgotten water pump nestled in the berry brambles. Join sue as she paints this country charmer.
Sunshine Yellow
Episode #1004 · Capture a burst of sunshine yellow with these beautiful sunflowers. The soothing neutral pinewood background, texture medium and radiant acrylic paints bring these delightful sunflowers to life.
Daisy Fresh
Episode #1005 · The fresh appearance of daisies can accent your garden or home on furniture, fabric and tin ware. Sue shows you a variety of projects you can create using a fresh daisy theme.
In Touch with Nature
Episode #1006 · There's nothing like creating a painting from nature. A long walk in the woods was the inspiration for this serene forest scene.
Country Hat Tree
Episode #1007 · Reminiscent of summer's warmth, a country hat tree wrapped in berries and flowers is the subject for Sue's creative painting talent.
Watermelon Summer Party
Episode #1008 · Summer is always a wonderful time for a party. Join Sue for inspiration on painting decorations that are sure to be the hit of any gathering.
Episode #1009 · Hollyhocks, no cottage garden is complete without them. Join sue as she recreates their delicate beauty in watercolor paint.
Episode #1010 · Golden pears are reminiscent of the rich fall harvest. Join Sue as she creates this elegant, timeless painting.
Cottage Flowers - Anemone
Episode #1011 · Join sue as she paints the colorful, beautiful shades of summer. Vibrant anemones spring to life at the touch of Sue's brush.
Rose Neat
Episode #1012
Strawberry Season
Episode #1013 · Ripe and luscious strawberries announce summers arrival. Join Sue as she paints this mouth-watering treat.
Episode #1014 · Summer poppies fragile and delicate are the inspiration for Sue's vibrant watercolor. Tune in and discover how easy it is to create this painting step-by-step.
Old Fashioned Garden
Episode #1015 · Join Sue as she creates a delightful spontaneous old-fashioned garden with just the touch of a brush.
Country Lane
Episode #1016 · Journey down a country lane with Sue as she creates this memory-filled painting. Step-by-step she will guide the viewer through this watercolor.
Summer Medley
Episode #1017 · This summer medley of beautiful blue delphinium and delicate yellow daisies adds a perfect touch to your home. Join Sue as she shows you how to paint this lovely cut flower arrangement.
Sweet Treats
Episode #1018 · These special little hummingbirds are almost hidden in the foliage of these elegant fuchsias. Learn how to paint this project in acrylic on a variety of surfaces.
Woodland Wayside
Episode #1019 · Preserve the memory of a restful stroll in the woods with this beautiful forest scene. A glorious tranquil stream gently flows through this dense forest.
Coastal Wonder
Episode #1020 · Capture the felling of distant fog and hazy light in this acrylic " Coastal Wonder." Working wet-on-wet, you will learn to create the distant hillside and shoreline. Majestic monoliths add to the splendor of this Oregon coast memory.
Gentle Cascade Waterfalls
Episode #1021 · Cascading water, pooling with many layers of rocks, makes a delightful acrylic painting. Sue uses a sea sponge to create texture in the rock formation.
Rainbow Trout
Episode #1022 · Join Sue as she creates a special project for a fisherman, the Rainbow Trout. Sue will show you how to create this fish on a variety of surfaces. A wonderful gift idea for a special person.
Days Past
Episode #1023 · Learn how to create the realistic charm of this rustic enamel pitcher and bowl. Through the garden windowsill, a beautiful red geranium and a light blue sky will also delight you.
Winter Beckoning Atmosphere
Episode #1024 · This watercolor painting invokes thoughts of a chilly winter morning and snow falling through a blanket of haze against a beautiful mountain range. Sue will take you as she takes you step-by-step through this lovely painting.
Glistening Snow
Episode #1025 · Learn how to create evening snow flurries, a majestic mountain range and an alpine cabin in this lovely watercolor. This winter retreat is so inviting you will wish you were there.
Christmas Memories
Episode #1026 · Close your eyes for a moment and remember the magic of the snow swirling in the air and gently falling to the ground. Wonderful Christmas memories are brought back in this watercolor painting.
Sweetness of Stargazer Lilies
Episode #1101 · Enchanting blooms of the Stargazer Lily unfurl with their sweet fragrance and permeate the air. It is a fun task to pick a favorite color among the allure of opaque white, pink, yellow, and deep magenta. The Lily's beauty with a variety of colors provides a wonderful subject.
Morning Glow
Episode #1102 · The brilliance of the morning sun creates the backdrop for this delightful painting. Greeting cards or any size canvas that can be painted by varying and adjusting the size of the brushes to the size of the project. Paintings, like great treasures, often come in small sizes and make a wonderful gift to send to a family member or friend.
Spring Blossoms
Episode #1103 · Bring a touch of spring into your home to enjoy all year long. Blossoms of tulips, primroses and narcissi, can be painted using delicate hues or bright jewel tones the choice is yours. Paint the same subject several times for gift giving by creating and customizing accent colors to meet your friends' tastes. Watercolors allow you to build layers by allowing the translucent quality of the watercolor's pigments to create colors that are different from mixed colors.
Path to Follow
Episode #1104 · The inviting stone path meanders down into the distant woods that are sprinkled with nature's wildflowers. Discover the technique of "tapping" on layers of foliage, to create depth in your painting.
Touch of Blue (Fresh Picked)
Episode #1105 · The cool and tranquil colors of a delightful and casual daisy bouquet provide a perfect subject. The hues of blue and lavender capture the texture of the daisies as you learn how to contrast and accent.


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United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Henry thought the tiny red dots on his skin were insect bites. But as he relaxed at a Florida beach house with a fellow pilot on a day off in 1990, he noticed he was the only one getting bitten. Henry wouldn't learn until later that the dots were capillaries breaking under the strain of nitrogen bubbles that had formed during his latest flight in a Lockheed U-2 spyplane, 10 hours earlier. He would find out the hard way how much worse it could get.
From This Story
Henry had been flying the U-2 since 1987, and has seen it go from flying over South Korea and Panama to being a constant presence over battlefields in Afghanistan and, until last year, Iraq. Like most others in the elite club of U-2 pilots (there are only 35 to 50 actively flying at any time), Henry is tough and matter-of-fact, but also somewhat romantic about flying the famous jet at 70,000 feet, twice the cruising altitude of commercial airliners—high enough to see the curvature of Earth.
But flying so high has a cost. The dots that Henry saw on his skin and the itching, crawling sensation that he felt were just a couple of the symptoms of altitude-induced decompression sickness. Most people know DCS by its common name, the bends, a condition suffered by divers who rise too quickly from the high pressure at depth to the lower pressure near the water's surface. (In medical terms, "bends" refers only to the DCS sufferer's joint pain.)
Pilots can experience the same physical reactions by flying up into the thin air at high altitudes. U-2 pilots are especially at risk, not just because of their extreme altitude but also because their cockpits are only partially pressurized. The pressure in a U-2 cockpit at typical mission altitude is equivalent to the atmosphere at 29,000 feet—as high as the summit of Mt. Everest. To cope, U-2 pilots breathe pure oxygen for an hour before their flight and wear a kind of pressurized spacesuit. Pre-breathing oxygen helps purge nitrogen from their bodies. If nitrogen remains even after pre-breathing and the pilot goes up, the thin atmosphere will cause the nitrogen dissolved in the body's blood and tissue to essentially boil. The same principle is at work when you open a can of soda: Release the pressure and the dissolved gas rushes to escape, in the form of bubbles. In the human body, bubbles can cause extreme pain, bruising, brain damage, and, without treatment, death.
In March 2006, Henry started experiencing symptoms more severe than the itchy dots he'd had 16 years earlier. This time, however, he was several hours into a combat mission, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the Middle East, and more than 13 miles above the ground. "The first thing that happened was the pain in my knees," he says. "I kind of blew it off because it was very, very light. But this was bilateral"—the pain was in both knees. "They never taught us before: Bilateral is bad. So I just pressed on, of course; that's what we do."
Over the next five hours, Henry developed an intense headache, nausea, and extreme fatigue. The pain got worse. At one point, he hallucinated that the airplane had rolled 30 degrees to the left. He began to feel disoriented and sluggish, a sensation he likens to intoxication. At one point, he snapped awake, not realizing he'd dozed off.
"That's when I go, Okay, I'm not feeling well, and I had to fess up," he says. He hadn't wanted to be grounded due to what he thought was an inconsequential medical problem, or to let the younger pilots hear that he returned complaining of a mere headache.
Henry contacted his ground mission supervisor, who woke up the squadron commander back at Beale Air Force Base in California. By that point, Henry had essentially forgotten how to fly his airplane.
Like Henry's red dots, many symptoms of DCS don't show up until after a pilot has landed, sometimes days later. The symptoms can be as minor as a headache or fatigue, so they're often ignored or attributed to dehydration, lack of sleep, even caffeine withdrawal. Says Henry: "We didn't talk about it, because back when I was growing up in the program it was like 'Oh, you'll get grounded.' "
Even though pilots were cautious never to appear too sick to fly, true DCS cases also used to be somewhat rare, and severe cases almost unheard of. Pre-breathing oxygen and a strict regimen of rest between flights were enough to keep pilots healthy. For decades, it was enemy fire, not nitrogen bubbles, that worried them.


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- Parent Category: News
Possible Armed Robbery Vehicle Leads to Possession of Cannabis Arrest
Ashkum, IL- Illinois State Police District 21 is reporting the arrest of Kamari B. Wells, 24, of Kankakee, for Possession of Cannabis more than 2.5 grams/less than 10 grams.
An Illinois State Trooper on patrol in Kankakee County Monday observed a vehicle matching the description of a vehicle used in an armed robbery traveling on 9000 North Road. The trooper conducted a traffic stop and spoke with the driver 24-year-old Kamari B. Wells of Kankakee.
The trooper smelled the odor of cannabis emitting from the vehicle. While searching the vehicle the trooper located cannabis and driver admitted to the cannabis being his. It was determined that Wells' vehicle was not the vehicle from the previous armed robbery.
Wells was also issued a warning for defective windshield and improper display of license plate.


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Big Ten Media Days: Brady Hoke Transcript
Video via 247.
Big Ten Media Days are under way in Chicago, and if you've been watching on the BTN you've already had your fill of questions about Ohio State's discipline and WHY ARE YOU TALKING SO LOUD, TIM BECKMAN. (Beckman: "Huh?")
Anyway, here are the important points from today's breakout session, culled together from the Twitters:
- As posted earlier, LB Antonio Poole's career is over due to injury. He'll be a student assistant this year.
- According to Brady Hoke, all of this year's freshmen have qualified, and aside from Poole all of the returning players are on track to be eligible for fall practice.
- Injury updates: Fitz Toussaint "continues to improve," but still isn't cleared for practice, though they're meeting about that on Monday. Blake Countess, on the other hand, has the green light to practice, and Hoke expects his medical redshirt to be official before the season.
- Taylor Lewan called Ben Braden the "most physically gifted athlete" he's ever seen, and claims that Braden is up to 322 pounds with just 12% body fat, which... yowza.
- As for Lewan himself, he's on a 5,600-calorie diet, with 1,000 calories per day from olive oil — per Chris Balas, he looks to be in the best shape of his life.
- Devin Gardner plans to room with Shane Morris during fall camp and help him deal with the hype and the process of waiting his turn.
- Hoke stands by his comments about Notre Dame "chickening out" of the series, saying, "I know Brian (Kelly) didn't make that decision, and neither did the players on the team."
And here's the full presser transcript from Hoke's turn at the podium, courtesy of the Big Ten and asapsports.com:
THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Brady Hoke.
COACH HOKE: First off, I know we're all excited that you're all here and you took the opportunity to travel up here and it's really an honor and a privilege to represent the University of Michigan and the team 134.
We've got 12 days until fall camp, look forward to it. We've had some good things throughout the summer and since we got back from the game with South Carolina a year ago. Not a year ago, but in January.
We're a young team. We've got to replace some guys who have been very important to Michigan football. But with that youth comes a lot of competition, and that competition is always good.
And the expectations, though, never change. And that's to win Big Ten championships.
A year ago we were 8 and 5, and that's unacceptable. It's unacceptable at Michigan. It's unacceptable for us.
And in those five losses, we had 18 turnovers. So it tells you a little something that we need to be a little more diligent in taking care of the football. We need to be a little more diligent in making better decisions. And those are things that we've talked about and we've had through spring ball, had a good spring.
I like our football team. I usually don't say that. I said it after the spring. I will continue to say it because I like how they've handled themselves on the field and off the field so far this summer. I like their work ethic, and I like how they've represented Michigan in a lot of ways.
Me liking them doesn't guarantee us anything, because we have a lot of work ahead of us still. And at the same time we've gotta do a job as coaches to make sure that we are doing everything capable to help our kids perform at a high level.
We're excited about the season, the challenges that lay ahead. Questions now?
[Hit THE JUMP for the full transcript.]
Q. Devin Gardner took over for you in the season last year when Denard was injured and it's always been Denard's team since Devin was there. How have you seen this off season Devin take ownership of the quarterback position and be that type of leader that maybe Denard was, but just that transition to him now being the guy?
COACH HOKE: Well, I think a few things. I think number one, I think he had some strong help on that side of the ball when you look at leadership. I think Taylor Lewan and the decision that he made in January spoke volumes about the University of Michigan, Michigan football.
I think Devin, his maturity and understanding what it is to be the quarterback at Michigan, I think he's absorbed that, understands the decisions that we have to make as a football team and the decisions that he makes as a quarterback. They're going to be very important.
Q. Can you talk about the depth that you have now on the defensive line and the offensive line and how it has evolved since you've gotten here?
COACH HOKE: I think when we came in a couple of years ago, we had eight offensive linemen on scholarship. Eight or nine. And I think we've improved those numbers. I think we're at 15 right now, maybe 16.
I would say the same thing a little bit with the inside people on the defensive side of the ball, because of?? style of defense had a lot to do with that.
But I think our numbers are up. I think our competition throughout spring, I think the competition that?? in how they did things through summer have improved both positions, particularly the interior of the offensive line and the interior of the defensive line.
Q. Denard Robinson, when he got hurt last year and you had to insert Devin Gardner at that position, did you expect that Devin would perform the way he did? And if Denard wouldn't have gotten hurt, would Devin Gardner be a wide receiver this year instead of a quarterback?
COACH HOKE: No, he was always going to go back to quarterback. That was already?? him and I had talked about it. He really showed a lot of unselfishness by moving to wide receiver, and it really became part of his DNA and what he wanted to do to help the football team.
With Denard obviously getting hurt, the opportunity for Devin to get experience and move back to quarterback meant a lot. And it meant a lot for his experience and how he learned from those things, good and bad in spring ball.
Q. It seems like the trend in college football is to get more toward the spread offenses, put people in space. You're obviously going back to your pro style offense. Could you talk about that, what you like about that?
COACH HOKE: I think everyone believes in a philosophy, obviously. We all have our own quirks and beliefs. But I think the physicalness that the game of football needs to be played with, I'm of the feeling that playing physical football, some pro style, and then there will be multiple enough personnel groups that I think that will be big.
I think also with Devin at quarterback, you still have an opportunity to do some of the things out of the spread that may be there. But I think the physicalness that will help your defense, when you run some downhill schemes, the combination blocks. I'm an old defensive line coach, still am, and I think teaching that every day and going through that every day is something that's important.
Q. What were your thoughts when you initially heard Michigan being compared to cancer, and what was the reaction from Grant Reid when you called him and offered him tickets to the game?
COACH HOKE: Well, number one reaction is we were glad. We were excited for that young man. And being a father, our children are so important and you try and put yourself through what that family has gone through.
So him beating Michigan in this context, we were all for. But it's just something?? I'll be honest with you, it was something that we had talked about, Justin Dickens and myself, because our kids do an awful lot in Mott Hospital, C.S. Mott. And our daughter was five months in the hospital when she was born, and so you just imagine what that family was going through.
And I spoke to Grant a little bit. He's doing well. He was excited.
Q. I was wondering if you shored up that backup quarterback position yet, and should Gardner go down this fall, what was the plan going forward for that?
COACH HOKE: Well, we looked around to try and find maybe a guy who had graduated early and could transfer. We looked at some junior college prospects. And we just didn't feel comfortable enough. In 32 years or 33 years of coaching, I try and think how many times you've gotten to your second quarterback on the teams that you've coached. Hasn't been very many.
I think Brian Cleary and obviously Shane Morris are two guys that we feel very good about. And so it would either be one of those two guys if anything would happen.
Q. What is it about Devin Gardner that makes him maybe a better pro style quarterback than Denard Robinson?
COACH HOKE: I think typically when people talk about pro style quarterbacks, a lot of times they talk about the heights. And they also talk about the running quarterbacks obviously is how they've performed in the gun, read zone, counter, whatever it might be.
But I think Devin has a nice dual threat capability, because he probably spins the ball a little tighter. I think his height helps him over the line of scrimmage. So I think those reasons.
Q. How has the situation in Detroit, the bankruptcy, the economic, affected your program and how your personnel that are from the Detroit area?
COACH HOKE: Sure. I think that, you know, everything's a little different for every kid. Every individual, every family. It's a little bit of a different path they all have taken. Obviously we're pulling for Detroit. We're pulling for the city and the state to get together or the federal government, because it's a great town. It's a great city.
For our kids, I think every situation is different, but I think all our kids, you know, maybe they haven't thought in detail enough about it. But it's all been positive.
Q. Is there any change on Jake Ryan's status? Has he accelerated his return during his rehab?
COACH HOKE: I think we're very excited about his progress. So I don't think anything's really changed besides he's done a great job of being very committed, very disciplined to getting himself back through the rehab and everything he's doing. We'll find out a little more as we keep going and getting closer. But I think sometime in October I think would still be a likely date for him.
Q. How much importance do you put on instate recruiting? You get a lot of Detroit, Michigan guys. How much focus do you put on that?
COACH HOKE: We put a lot of our efforts in the state of Michigan. That's important to us. And that's something that?? the high school coaching is very good. The caliber of the athletes we really like. And also they understand playing at the University of Michigan. So that's always a very important part for us in our recruiting.
Q. Your schedule is pretty loaded up for November particularly this year. Is that a good thing for a team where you're going to bringing guys along on both lines throughout the year, especially that interior of the offensive line?
COACH HOKE: The goal is, John, every week you have to get better if you're going to win championships. And the good teams I've been fortunate to be with, that's what they've done, from week one to week two and so on.
So as far as the back end of the schedule, we've got a great schedule. And if we keep coaching and doing the things we need to do for our kids, then I think we'll be competitive and it will be a lot of fun.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach.