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Oct. 2, 2005
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Behind the efforts of co-captain Taylor Barton, who set a personal record in smallbore, the Engineers' rifle squad opened the 2005 campaign with a dominating victory over the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Tech sealed the win with another strong effort in air rifle.
Barton set a new personal high with a score of 534 in smallbore. Her total led all competitors, while teammates Jay Gill (525) and Nathan Pfaff (524) finished just off her pace as MIT outdistanced the Bucanneers co-ed team, 2092-1762.
In air rifle, Pfaff was the top marksman after finishing with a score of 565. Taylor closed second with 531, while Gill totaled 526.
Making his collegiate debut, Jake Latham shot a 509 in smallbore and a 508 in air rifle.


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The city would have to spend up to $100,000 to reopen it on its own, City Attorney Randy Hayes said, adding the legal action will cost the city about $25,000.
ORMOND BEACH — Faced with the imminent loss of air traffic control service at its airport, Ormond Beach is joining a lawsuit to challenge a decision by the Federal Aviation Administration to close 149 contracted airport towers across the nation.
"It's a bit of an uphill climb," City Attorney Randy Hayes said. "(But) I do think there is a valid argument to be made."
Ormond Beach Municipal Airport was informed by the FAA on March 22 its airport traffic control tower would be among those that would lose federal funding due to sequestration, the congressional budget deal that's forcing the federal agency to make more than $600 million in cuts. Ormond Beach's tower was chosen because it had fewer than 150,000 flight operations last year.
Hayes said Ormond's airport tower, which is staffed by six employees, will be shuttered April 6 and federal funding would cease the next day. New Smyrna Beach's airport tower is also scheduled to close the same day, along with 22 other airport towers, according to the FAA. A total of 46 contract towers will lose funding on April 21 and another 79 on May 5, the federal agency stated.
But a motion will be filed this week in the U.S. Court of Appeals on behalf of the city by the Denver-based law firm Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell, which will ask a federal judge to delay the tower's closure. Lawyers will argue the FAA failed to follow federal standards in deciding to close airport towers, attorney Peter Kirsch said.
"The FAA made that decision without conducting any safety analysis," a violation of federal protocol, Kirsch said by telephone Wednesday of the group's argument.
Kirsch's firm is also representing airports in Punta Gorda and Naples. Several other airports are expected to challenge the FAA's decision in court, Kirsch said. New Smyrna Beach Tuesday night opted not to contest the FAA's decision.
Earlier this month, city leaders from Ormond and New Smyrna Beach lobbied the FAA to reconsider its decision to close the cities' towers, but their appeals were denied. At the time, cities were told the FAA could only consider the "national interest" in deciding the fate of airport towers.
"We heard from communities across the country about the importance of their towers and these were very tough decisions," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement. "Unfortunately we are faced with a series of difficult choices that we have to make to reach the required cuts under sequestration."
Spencer Dickerson, executive director of the United States Contract Tower Association, said he also believes the FAA went outside of its normal protocol.
"This thing is out of control. I think they're just charging ahead," he said Wednesday by telephone, "and there's no justification for it."
Hayes said he believes the city will receive an answer next week on whether its stay will be granted. If so, a judge would then decide whether standards were followed and the FAA could be forced to conduct a safety analysis, at the very least staving off the tower closure for a few months.
If the appeal is denied, then "we're done, out in the cold," Hayes said. He added if the city's tower closes, it's unlikely the federal government would reopen it. The city would have to spend up to $100,000 to reopen it on its own, Hayes said.
"That was a pretty big factor in our decision-making," he said of taking the legal action, which will cost the city about $25,000.
City officials view the airport as a key in Ormond Beach's economic prospects and hopes for development in the area — hopes that might be diminished should the traffic control tower close permanently. With no air traffic control tower, pilots would be responsible for communicating with others while landing and taking off, though corporations typically won't land their planes at an airport without a tower because of liability issues.
Though the number of flights out of the Ormond facility has declined in recent years, the city estimates the airport injects about $50 million into the economy and helps to employ more than 500 people.
Commissioners were optimistic Wednesday about the city's chances of winning the legal challenge.
"It's frustrating that we have to go this route, but I think in the long run it is far less expensive to try and keep the tower open then to let it be closed wrongfully," Deputy Mayor Bill Partington said.
Mayor Ed Kelley said should the appeal be denied, "Then we'll move on."
Asked about the city's chances for a favorable outcome, Kelley replied, "I'm more hopeful than I was yesterday."

subset: commoncrawl


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posted by Rahul on Fri 31st Oct 2008 16:12 UTC
InternetNews talks to developers and vendors about the rise of Btrfs as a successor to Ext4. Though Ext4 adds extents, Chris Mason, Btrfs developer noted that BTRFS adds a number of other features beyond that. Among those features are items like snapshotting, online file consistency checks and the ability to perform fast incremental backups. BTRFS (pronounced better FS) is currently under development in an effort led by Oracle engineer Chris Mason. With the support of Intel, Red Hat, HP, IBM, BTRFS could become the engine that brings next generation filesystem capabilities to Linux.


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|Episode Description
|Friday, Feb 28, 2014 - 4:00 AM
"New York"
Jenn and Emily, members of the Junior United States Luge Team, slip slide away at the New York Hall of Science playground, investigating gravity and then applying what they learn to maximize their timings on the icy tracks at Lake Placid. Stanley and Jessica go ape, checking out the Bronx Zoo's Congo Gorilla Forest to see how plants and animals coexist in the many layers of the African Rainforest. And find out what's not so natural about New York's Central Park-the most frequently visited urban park in the U.S. D
|More on LEARN/CREATE (MT)
|No upcoming shows in database


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Home | Forum | Chat | Tours | Articles | Pictures | News | Tools | History | Tourism | Search
Asia Cup 2012
Points Table
Bangladesh hold nerve to clinch series
20 July 2012
A spirited display from Ireland after their opening match debacle wasn't
enough to prevent Bangladesh from winning the second match of T20 series as the
tourists were the better side by just 1 runs at Stormont in Belfast today.
Ireland was well on course to overhaul Bangladesh's modest 146 in 20 overs, but
two intelligent overs from off spinner Mahmudullah ensured Bangladesh maintain
their 100% winning record in their Europe tour. Mahmudullah conceded only 4
runs in the 18th over and took 2 wickets in 20th over to restrict Ireland to
145. Bangladesh has now taken an winning 2-0 lead in the series with the third
match to be played on the same venue on Saturday.
Bangladesh opted to bat first after winning the toss and struggled to
get going as their openers could only manage 12 runs in 3.3 overs before
Johnston ended the misery of Tamim Iqbal who went for a 9 ball duck. Ireland
picked first match start Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim in
quick succession and reduced Bangladesh to 61 for 4 at the halfway stage.
Mohammad Ashraful watched the procession of the batsmen at the other end
played an uncharacteristic 46 ball 38 to anchor the Bangladesh innings. He was
well supported by young Nasir Hossain who played a classy 33 ball 50 to score
his maiden half century in the shortest version of international cricket. Nasir
guided Bangladesh to a competitive 146 which at the end was enough to hang on
to a 1 run win.
Ireland started their reply well through some entertaining stroke play
by skipper William Porterfield and young Paul Stirling. Bangladesh found their
way back into the game when Porterfield was run out by Nasir Hossain and
Stirling was bowled by an impressive Elias Sunny who continued to weave his
magic around Irish batsmen. Ed Joyce (44 ball 41) and Gary Wilson (27
ball 37) kept Ireland well on course to victory, but at the end two overs from
Mahmudullah proved decisive.
Ireland needed 10 runs to win from the final overs with 5 wickets in
hand, but they could only manage 8 runs which included a last ball six from
veteran Trent Johnston who watched the turnaround in the previous two
deliveries from the dressing room as they lost Poynter and Joyce to
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IN CONJUNCTION WITH MARK AMERIKA'S TALK THIS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, AS PART OF THE DDA LECTURE SERIES, THERE WILL BE AN INSTALLATION OF HIS SOUND ART PROJECT THE COMEDY OF ERRORS IN THE DDA GALLERY FROM SEPT 19th-24th.
"Perhaps the most enigmatic work in the long trajectory of glitch projects identified with The Artist 2.0 is The Comedy of Errors. The work is generally considered a unique sound art work that remixes the formatting and stylistic tendencies of a live comedy album but with customized glitch effects. It has also been referred to as an experimental audio book whose central character is an imaginary professor-turned-stand-up comedian.
Throughout this album length work of comedic sound art, we hear the voice of the anonymous comic deliver his routine on many relevant topics including sex, money, art school, e-commerce, avant-garde art and writing, and the increased corporatization of the university as an apparatus in the service of neoliberal capitalism. First-generation net artist and media theorist Mark Amerika, whom The Artist 2.0 is said to have briefly studied with after having left the UK toward the end of the Noughties, plays the voice of the comic."


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Marilyn R. Sperstad, age 75, died October 7, 2012 at the Luther Memorial Home in Madelia. Funeral Services will be 11 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Madelia with Pastor Bringle officiating. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m., Tuesday Oct.9, 2012 at the Sturm Funeral Home, Pilgrim Chapel in Madelia and one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be at the Lake Crystal Cemetery in Lake Crystal. You may send the family condolences online at www.sturmfh.com
Arrangements are with the Sturm Funeral Home, Pilgrim Chapel in Madelia Marilyn Ruby Sperstad, daughter of Rodney and Myrtle (Stokke) Nelson, was born on February 23, 1937 in St. James. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. Marilyn grew up on a farm near Jeffers, MN and later near Godahl and attended country school and St. James High School. She married Orville Blekestad on January 17, 1954, they were later divorced. She married Donald Sperstad on November 19, 1960 in Sibley, Iowa, they made their home in Madelia with their children. Marilyn was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Madelia. She enjoyed watching television, especially the Minnesota Twins baseball games, American Idol and the Bachelorette. She loved trying out new recipes and cooking for her family. Marilyn enjoyed listening to country music. She cherished the time she spent with her family and friends, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Marilyn will be remembered for her sense of humor, her smile and her unique and contagious laugh.
She is survived by her daughters, Nancy (Bruce) Buckingham of rural Madelia, Susan Sperstad and special friend Lorenzo Valladolid of LaSalle; sons, Rick (Barbara) Blekestad of Duluth, Mark Blekestad of Madelia, Timothy Sperstad of St. James; 17 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; sister, Joyce Duncan of Citrus Heights, Calif. and brother, Doug


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LET'S & GO (TAMIYA) Episode 2
Hello friends I-Movies .. Do you remember with this anime? For those of you who used to very happy as the name tamiya, dong the same anime would know this one. Yes, that's right Let's and Go tells the story of brother and sister who loved to play tamiya ie Retsu and Go. Let's acquaintance with leaders Let's and Go!Retsu Seiba, is one atu protagonist of this anime. Behind his quiet and kalemnya, Retsu very calculating, lo! He had a great car named Sonic, very agile in across various tiger bend.Go Seiba, The Black Hair is also the main character in the cartoon and Let's Go. Seklaipun brothers, Go has a great attitude in opposition to Retsu. He is very passionate and unyielding. Unfortunately, sometimes he was careless. Go have a powerful car named Magnum was superior in a straight line.Professor Tsuchiya, not just a good-natured, Professor Tsuchiya is a great tamiya maker. He berpendaoat, secret tamiya cars greatness lies in children. To that end he gave a homemade car on children considered gifted, like Retsu and Go.Professor Ogami, Professor Ogami For the important thing is to be the strongest. Therefore, he always makes a car that can destroy other people's cars.J, is a professor Ogami men wicked, but eventually he realized and became the assistant Professor Tsuchiya. It has a flagship car that can blow air cannon, named Proto Saber.Ryo, Initially, Ryo hostile to Retsu and Go. He rarely smiles and full of secrets. Ryo is the owner Tridagger X, a great car that quickly overwhelming.Tokichi, is a friend Retsu and Go. He was a very rich man. Sometimes he makes himself at home games. He also has a car 4 wd.Jun, is a friend Retsu and Go. His father was an auto parts salesman tamiya. He possessed a mini Jeep cars.


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Claims that the news media form a vast liberal conspiracy strike me as utterly unconvincing, but there's one area where accusations of institutional bias have merit: nearly all of us in the news business are completely out of touch with a group that includes 46 percent of Americans.
That's the proportion who described themselves in a Gallup poll in December as evangelical or born-again Christians. Evangelicals have moved from the fringe to the mainstream, and that is particularly evident in this administration. It's impossible to understand President Bush without acknowledging the centrality of his faith. Indeed, there may be an element of messianic vision in the plan to invade Iraq and ''remake'' the Middle East.
Robert Fogel of the University of Chicago argues that America is now experiencing a fourth Great Awakening, like the religious revivals that have periodically swept America in the last 300 years. Yet offhand, I can't think of a single evangelical working for a major news organization.
Evangelicals are increasingly important in every aspect of American culture. Among the best-selling books in America are Tim LaHaye's Christian ''left behind'' series about the apocalypse; about 50 million copies have been sold. One of America's most prominent television personalities is Benny Hinn, watched in 190 countries, but few of us have heard of him because he is an evangelist.
President Bush has said that he doesn't believe in evolution (he thinks the jury is still out). President Ronald Reagan felt the same way, and such views are typically American. A new Gallup poll shows that 48 percent of Americans believe in creationism, and only 28 percent in evolution (most of the rest aren't sure or lean toward creationism). According to recent Gallup Tuesday briefings, Americans are more than twice as likely to believe in the devil (68 percent) as in evolution.Continue reading the main story
In its approach to evangelicals, the national news media are generally reflective of the educated elite, particularly in the Northeast. It's expected at New York dinner parties to link crime to deprived childhoods -- conversation would stop abruptly if someone mentioned Satan.
I tend to disagree with evangelicals on almost everything, and I see no problem with aggressively pointing out the dismal consequences of this increasing religious influence. For example, evangelicals' discomfort with condoms and sex education has led the administration to policies that are likely to lead to more people dying of AIDS at home and abroad, not to mention more pregnancies and abortions.
But liberal critiques sometimes seem not just filled with outrage at evangelical-backed policies, which is fair, but also to have a sneering tone about conservative Christianity itself. Such mockery of religious faith is inexcusable. And liberals sometimes show more intellectual curiosity about the religion of Afghanistan than that of Alabama, and more interest in reading the Upanishads than in reading the Book of Revelation.
I care about this issue partly because I grew up near Yamhill, Ore., which has 790 people and five churches. My science teacher at Yamhill Grade School taught that evolution was false, and a high school girlfriend attended a church where people spoke in tongues (contrary to stereotypes, she was an ace student, smarter than many people fluent in more conventional tongues, like French and Spanish). In the evangelical tinge to its faith, Yamhill is emblematic of a huge chunk of Middle America that we in the Northeast are out of tune with.
Moreover, it is increasingly not just Middle America, but Middle World. As Professor Philip Jenkins notes in a new book, fundamentalist Christianity is racing through the developing world. The number of African Christians has soared over the last century, to 360 million from 10 million, and the boom is not among tweedy Presbyterians but among charismatic Pentecostalists.
One of the deepest divides in America today is the gulf of mutual suspicion that separates evangelicals from secular society, and policy battles over abortion and judicial appointments will aggravate these tensions further in coming months. Both sides need to reach out, drop the contempt and display some of the inclusive wisdom of Einstein, who wrote in his memoir: ''Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.''
Paul Krugman is on vacation.Continue reading the main story


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- Inside Athletics
- Tickets
- Fan Zone
- Media Zone
- Social
- Shop
- E Fund
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Feb. 9, 2012) – When the Lady Bucs take the hardwood on Saturday afternoon against North Florida, Blue and Gold won't be the theme for the day. Instead, it will be "Pink."
On Saturday, the Lady Bucs will "Play 4 Kay" and help create awareness for breast cancer, which took the life of Hall of Fame Coach Kay Yow back on Jan. 24, 2009. Yow was a past president and founding member of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), and a galvanizing voice for the WBCA.
In 2007, the WBCA started the initiative with its "Pink Zone" theme, but this past year the organization rebranded the name in honor of Coach Yow to "Play 4 Kay." The mission of the initiative has remained intact: a nation of coaches raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond. The Kay Yow Cancer Fund will continue to be the official charity of the initiative.
Prior to the game, over 150 local girl scouts will be treated to a sports clinic which will consist of basketball, volleyball, tennis, soccer, cheer/dance, and agility stations. Along with the sport stations, the girl scouts will be able to make posters for the game and cheer on the Lady Bucs.
Fans are asked to wear pink on Saturday, and those who do will receive $1 admission to the women's game.
During the game, Mary Kay will have four sales representatives passing out free samples, while Cakes in a Cup are donating cupcakes as well. In addition, Austin Springs Spa of Johnson City will be on hand giving massages, facial treatments, and handing out samples.
Meanwhile, fans will have the opportunity to bid on autographed pink basketballs, pink jerseys, and a Austin Springs Spa package. Throughout the game, donation buckets will be passed and those who make contributions will receive their choice of a pink T-Shirt, pom-pom, or wristband.
Fans that are unable to attend but would still like to make a donation to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund can do so by visiting https://www.kayyow.com/sslpage.aspx?pid=298.
For more information regarding the "Play 4 Kay" initiative, visit http://www.kayyow.com/Play4Kay.
For more information on Lady Buccaneer hoops, visit www.ETSUBucs.com.


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Artist description:
Female lion.
Java Draw Created Jan 10, 2011 640 x 460px Unless noted Copyright 2011 bosterix.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
Post a comment
luv how it is upside down it makes it so much cooler :p its eyes r super awesum 2 plus i like how u drew its features; faveee
Great angle,,, love how you did this,,, very eye catching,,, and the eyes here are just awesome,,, awesome details,,, fav-coll4me
fantastic point of view...awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww...5/5 and fav..
Beautiful drawing the whiskers look brilliant and the chin is so detailed. Well done!
perfecto! 5H :)
It's so soft-looking...I want to pet it. xD Bad idea...
This is way too cool and beautifully done. Great art!
ha ha very cool
Oh! I can't believe! It's woderful! I love her! ::::::::::::::♥♥♥♥♥::::::::::Collection!


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A decade into our quest to lessen our environmental impact, thinking—and acting—green is part of daily life at Accenture. We are helping to accelerate the shift to a low-carbon economy and to lessen the effects of climate change.
Since setting our initial carbon target, we have reduced our carbon emissions per employee by more than 52 percent against our 2007 baseline.
Hover over the bars in the chart to view a percentage breakdown of our carbon emissions by year.
Our people help drive our progress. They have embraced digital technologies and innovative solutions as a way to lessen our collective environmental impact.
Explore the tabs below and click on each icon to learn how our global eco commitment makes a difference in communities worldwide.
Accountability for our environmental strategy starts with our Chairman & CEO and cascades to our governance bodies, which oversee our environmental policy and corporate objective of fostering environmentally sustainable growth. Our Environmental Responsibility Policy, established in 2007, is reviewed annually.
"Sustainability is incredibly important to Accenture, and we are very proud to contribute to efforts to promote a cleaner environment for our planet. As part of this commitment, we are always looking for new ways to use technology to support a more sustainable future."


text: Up for sale i have my Icom 7410 and matching AH-4 remote tuner. All was purchased in May. Used very little. Used mostly remotely via Commcat program and iphone. Will come in factory double boxing and come with all factory items. Works great. Just dont use, so letting go of it all. Will be double boxed and insured. Feel free to ask questions. Will SHIP via UPS, fully insured and double boxed. Paid $1800 for radio and $315 for tuner, all new, back in late May from HRO Atlanta. Will include the receipts. Asking $1700 shipped. Also will be willing to sell radio only, for $1500 shipped. Accept a cleared check, money order, or paypal. 73! Thanks for looking email@example.com


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Number: 111- 58
Date: November 18, 2010
House Passes Senate Version of H.R. 1722
Telework Enhancement Act of 2010
On November 18, the House accepted the Senate-passed version of H.R. 1722, the "Telework Enhancement Act of 2010," and passed it by a vote of 258-154. The bill, as passed, contains the following provisions of interest to SSA. The bill now needs to be signed by the President to become law.
Executive Agencies Telework Requirement
- Would require the head of each executive agency, in consultation with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), to establish a teleworking policy within 180 days of enactment; determine the eligibility of all employees of the agency to participate in telework; and notify employees of their eligibility to telework.
- Would require that the telework policy ensure that telework does not diminish employee performance or agency operations; require a mandatory written agreement outlining the specific work arrangement that is agreed to between management and employee; and, provide that an employee may not be authorized to telework if performance of that employee does not comply with the terms of the written agreement between management and employee.
- Would allow agencies to temporarily deny permission to telework if, in the judgment of the agency head, the employee is needed to respond to an emergency.
- Would prohibit an employee from teleworking if the employee has:
- Been officially disciplined for being absent without permission for more than five days in a calendar year; or
- Been officially disciplined for viewing, downloading, or exchanging pornography including child pornography, on a Federal Government computer or while performing official Federal Government duties.
- Been officially disciplined for being absent without permission for more than five days in a calendar year; or
Training and Monitoring
- Would require the head of each executive agency to:
- Provide an interactive training program, that includes information security guidelines, for supervisors, managers, and all employees who are authorized to telework;
- Incorporate telework in agency continuity of operations plans and use telework in response to emergencies; and,
- Make no distinction between teleworkers and non-teleworkers for the purposes of periodic appraisals of job performance; training, rewarding, reassigning, promoting, reducing in grade, retaining, and removing employees.
- Provide an interactive training program, that includes information security guidelines, for supervisors, managers, and all employees who are authorized to telework;
Policy and Support
- Would require the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), within 120 days of enactment, to issue policy guidance regarding the purchase of computer systems by agencies that enable and support telework.
- Would require that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) provide policy guidance for telework in the areas of pay and leave, agency closure, performance management, official worksite, recruitment and retention, and accommodations for employees with disabilities.
- Would require OMB, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, to issue guidelines, not later than 180 days after enactment, that ensure the adequacy of information and security protections for information and information systems used in, or otherwise affected by, teleworking.
Telework Managing Officer
- Would create in each agency a Telework Managing Officer, designated by the agency's Chief Human Capital Officer, who would serve as the primary resource and point of contact in developing and implementing a plan to incorporate telework into the agency's regular business and continuity of operations' strategies.
- Would require each Telework Managing Officer to provide telework program information to OPM and the Government Accountability Office in order for them to prepare annual reports to Congress. Information would include techniques used to verifyand validate telework data and numbers on denials of permission to telework.
- Would require on an annual basis the Chief Human Capital Officer of the agency in consultation with the Telework Managing Officer of the agency to submit a report to the Chair and Vice Chair of the Chief Human Capital Officers Council on agency management efforts to promote telework.
Effective Date
- Unless otherwise indicated above, the provisions of the bill would be effective upon enactment.


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Mental Health Support - How is new technology helping those with learning disabilities?
- Articles
With the fast pace that technology is being distributed into the market place, it's hard to keep up and some may find the constant change exciting and others simply deem it confusing. However, no one can deny the benefits new technology brings, especially for those with learning disabilities.
It could be argued that new technology and social platforms are not 'human' and are ridding the world of personal contact. But on the contrary, for those with learning disabilities, these platforms are now providing a new way for them to have a voice, communicate and develop skills at a quicker rate than before.
Dependent on the disability, there are a number of Apps that can be used on tablets or iPads that are changing the lives of children with developmental disabilities that include Aspergers syndrome and Cerebral Palsy. These learning disabilities can affect social interaction, communication and language.
New technology doesn't isolate those with learning difficulties, but actually provides a great source of support and motivation – plus, they're fun! Here are just a few apps you should take a look at…
Proloquo2Go – is an alternative communication tool for those who find it difficult to talk, or for those who can't talk at all. It can be adapted dependent on your needs and has a variety of literacy levels and natural sounding voices.
Words Words Words – This app will help to build communication skills. It teaches you words unfamiliar to you, how they're used in context and how they're pronounced. It includes fun games and challenges.
Story Builder – This helps children to accomplish educational goals that you set. It helps improve auditory processes for children with autism and other sensory processing disorders.
Grace - helps autistic and special needs children construct sentences. There are a huge number out there and you may need to trial a couple before you find one that is the perfect fit.
Using these apps can help you or your child to develop in the following areas:
Communication - Devices that previously offered 'touch to speak' functionality were very expensive, now iPads and other tablets are an amazing way for children and adults with disabilities to communicate using a very simple interface.
Therapy and motivation: BridgingApps is a volunteer community, the co-founder Cristen Reat's son Vincent was born with Down syndrome, which has led to low muscle mass. The iPad has provided Vincent with great motivation to walk when placed on a treadmill.
Education: Additionally, the fun and entertaining element these Apps provide motivate children to learn – sometimes they don't even realise they're learning!
Behaviour Monitoring: helps to quantify the behavioural progress of children with special needs, Behaviour Tracker Pro is a popular App for this.
If you'd like to know more about how technology can help provide mental health support and education, there are a number of online communities, including BridgingApps, of parents and therapists that share information on how they're currently using these apps and which ones they recommend.


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DIY Forms
DIY Star Award Recipients
April 2010
Ava S. Raphael, Surrogate Onondaga County
Onondaga County Surrogate's Court Staff
Maria Alibrandi, Tamara Dauphin, Heather Yaroski, Patti Romano, Alberta Raab, Karen Demartino, Mary Ellen Sofinski, Chief Clerk Ellen Weinstein, Judge Fern A. Fisher & Judge Ava S. Raphael.
Surrogate Ava S. Raphael and the Onondaga Surrogate's Court staff received the New York State Courts Access to Justice Program's DIY Star Award on April 13, 2010, at a ceremony held at the Onondaga Surrogate's Court in Syracuse, New York.
NYS Courts Access to Justice Program Director Judge Fern A. Fisher, Fifth Judicial District Deputy Administrative Justice Donald Greenwood, District Executive Michael Klein, Esq., and NYS Courts Access to Justice Program Chief Counsel Rochelle Klempner, all spoke about the recipients' outstanding efforts furthering equal access to justice for unrepresented litigants. Judge Greenwood read a commendation letter from Administrative Judge James Tormey.
Surrogate Raphael is a DIY Star because of her valuable contribution to the development and implementation of the Small Estate Affidavit DIY Form program. Judge Raphael can be credited as the "founder" and one of the primary authors of this DIY program. Her efforts to create the program to assist litigants who cannot afford an attorney and her work to ensure the program's use in the courthouse are greatly appreciated.
The Onondaga Surrogate's Court staff (which includes Chief Clerk Ellen Weinstein, Esq. and Mary Ellen Sofinski, Karen Demartino, Alberta Raab, Tamara Dauphin, Heather Yaroski, Maria Alibrandi, Patti Romano), are also DIY Stars because of their commitment to facilitating usage of the Small Estate Program. In the first quarter of 2010, over 59% of unrepresented litigants starting a voluntary administration proceeding used the DIY Form program in Onondaga County!
Additionally, Onondaga Surrogate's Court staff are DIY Stars because of their insightful attention to the UCMS statistical analysis. As a result of team brainstorming, Chief Clerk Weinstein and her wonderful staff, in particular Heather Yaroski, pointed out that the total DIY filings should only be measured against total unrepresented filings, since DIY Forms are not for attorneys. Based on their observations, the state-wide UCMS stat collection reporting and review for Surrogate's and Family Court have been changed.
Onondaga Surrogate's Court staff also furthered the assessment and review of the DIY program by returning the litigant User Surveys. "Onondaga Surrogate's Court personnel often meet litigants who have lost a loved one and are dealing with the difficulty of resolving financial affairs. The staff's tireless efforts to assist unrepresented litigants is commendable and most deserving of this award," said Justice Fisher. Many of the comments in the User Surveys call attention to the high level of support and compassion they received from staff members. A sampling of what litigants had to say about their DIY experience is below.
View the photo gallery of the awards presentation.
Read a sampling of what litigants had to say about their DIY experience in the Onondaga County Surrogate's Court
"Wonderful program. Very helpful staff. Nice to know it was available for people who pass away with no will & loved ones need paperwork to settle their estate." - Small Estate Affidavit Program, March 19, 2010
"The court clerks were very helpful in filling out the form. Couldn't have done it without them!" - Small Estate Affidavit Program, March 16, 2010
"Much easier than I thought. The ladies working here were extremely helpful and compassionate." - Small Estate Affidavit Program, February 26, 2010
"Everyone was very helpful and kind. Their help was greatly appreciated." - Small Estate Affidavit Program, February 19, 2010
"Very helpful staff." - Small Estate Affidavit Program, February 18, 2010
"Very helpful." - Small Estate Affidavit Program, January 28, 2010
"Very helpful personnel." - Small Estate Affidavit Program, January 25, 2010
"Alberta was so very helpful! Couldn't have done it without her!" - Small Estate Affidavit Program, January 19, 2010
"She was very nice and helpful" - Small Estate Affidavit Program, January 5, 2010
"Very helpful, pleasant people to work with. They made this experience very easy for me and made me feel very comfortable." - Small Estate Affidavit Program, January 4, 2010
"Very helpful." - Small Estate Affidavit Program, December 18, 2009
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In 2005, the Cardinals were far superior to the Astros, but they lost in the NLCS. The 8 seed Warriors beat the 1 seed Mavs in the first round of the 2007 playoffs. The Mavs beat the Heat in the finals two years ago despite Miami being the team of the future with three all stars in their prime, and the Mavs being too old, only having one star, and having a reputation as a choker in the postseason. In 2011, the 102 win Phillies, who had a dream team rotation of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt, got beat in five games by the Cards who had to rely on Kyle Lohse, Edwin Jackson and Jaime Garcia after Chris Carpenter, not to mention that the Phillies had a lineup that featured Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino and Raul Ibanez, while the Cards could only counter that with Albert Pujols, Rafael Furcal, Yadier Molina and Lance Berkman. Upsets happen all the time. It's not because the underdog was just better after all, and we just didn't know it, it's just that the underdog happened to win that time.
It's not that playoff baseball is different. It's that baseball in itself is crazy, and nobody can say for certain who's going to win on any given day. That's why you have to take the entire season into consideration when you say who's best.
The explanation for the WS's weight in the comparison, was already explained. It's not just 7 vs 252 or 7 + 252.
The purpose of the reg season is to qualify for the playoffs. That is it. It is not, nor will it ever be, to determine the best team, or order of who is best.
Again, if a runner is ahead during most of a race, it doesn't mean he is best unless he is ahead at the end of that race.
Playoffs are that last stretch of a race. If a team eliminates you, they leapfrogged you.
72-10 don't mean a thing without a ring. And neither does 162-0.
Last edited by cub killer; 11-24-2012 at 09:35 PM.
Your argument only works in the vacuum of rhetoric and it falls apart when you consider the implication that the the best team in the AL would have been able to handle the third best team in the NL. The best team in AL, according to the standards that define the Tigers as the seventh best in the league, was totally outclassed by the Tigers in the ALCS, which was totally outclassed by the Giants in the World Series.
The baseball postseason isn't just a tournament, the results of which you can dismiss if the results run counter to your prejudices. You watched the World Series, no doubt, and you saw that the Tigers were totally outclassed by a team that looked a heck of a lot better. Two years ago the Giants totally outclassed the Rangers. Just as seven years ago the White Sox totally outclassed the Astros.
To make the assumption that the NL is the lessor league because the AL held the edge in interleague play ignores the fact that the interleague games were played before the All-Star break with teams playing wildly different interleague schedules. The best teams grow as the season progresses, even the wire-to-wire championsip teams. Interleague play for the Giants ended with the A's hitting a game-ending two-out, two-strike three-run homer against a closer who wasn't closing when the Giants season ended with Miguel Cabrera looking at strike three.
The AL probably is (was, when it had just 14 teams) the overall the better league. The bottom teams in the AL in 2012 were better than the bottom teams in the NL. The difference between the top and bottom teams in the AL wasn't as great, and I think the AL had more balance. I think that was apparent in the division races. The NL races weren't close. While the AL races were still undecided in the last couple of weeks, everything in the NL was decided but for the second wild card.
But I thought all of the teams that made the NL postseason were clearly better than all of the teams that made the AL postseason.
Also, dial back the attitude some. There's no reason to let a debate devolve into "You disagree with me, you must be stupid".
Rock over London. Rock on, Chicago.
The thing is, as someone who lives and breathes sports, and has since the 1980s... it's impossible for me to not consider the postseason to be the be-all, end-all litmus test. That theme is central to pro sports fandom. It is reinforced all the time by the media, players and coaches every single year.
Day in, day out, the goal is to get to the playoffs, not to gain the best reg season record. When the playoffs arrive, there is an atmosphere that is diametrically different than reg season. Hell, some Sox WS tickets were selling for thousands. It is incomparable. The pressure is palpable, and exists for the reasons that I keep mentioning.
I don't know how old you are, but if you watch sports as much as I do, you will eventually agree one day. The playoffs=endallbeall theme is inescapable. It's central to pro sports, kind of like a Prime Directive.
I was a doubter, but maybe, just maybe we can win with pitching, defense and fundamentals.
I find the idea (not necessarily yours) that a team that swept another team four games in a best-of-seven World Series, beating the American League champion who swept the team with the best record in the American league in a best-of-seven series is just the third-best team in the inferior league to be ridiculous and sounding like the ramblings of a sore loser.
Yes, they're still just baseball games. And yes, there is A LOT of luck in a 5 or 7 game series
2015 Obligatory Attendance/Record Tracker
LAST GAME: May 22 - Sox 3, Twins 2
NEXT GAME: June 8 - Sox vs. Astros
You're obviously just a casual fan. You'll need to immerse yourself in the sport in order to understand.
If there is a such thing as luck (and I know that many of my fellow Chicagoans here were raised by the mantra that there's no such thing as luck, or you make your own), then it goes both ways and balances itself out, leaving talent as the deciding factor.
Follow the sport intently, then get back to me in a coupla years. You won't be saying "just baseball games" or "luck" anymore.
But yeah, in a 7-game series, luck is a huge factor, if for nothing else the way you're able to line your pitchers up. But in the game play, what's the difference between a HR and a weak pop out to RF? We're talking millimeters on the bat or milliseconds, distances and times essentially imperceivable to the human eye. In terms of the actual gameplay, yes, there is a lot of luck in baseball.
You can rally your bull**** "rah rah" winners make their own luck! buzzword garbage all you like, I suspect at this point you're just goofing around because there is absolutely no way anyone could have watched the American League in 2012 and at any point of the year declared the inept, underperforming Tigers the legitimate team to represent the league in the championship series. They were awful for most of the season, barely finished in the top half of the league, and really, only did so because they play in such a god damn awful division that somebody had to be the least bad in.
So no, the idea that the World Series in which the AL was represented by a horrendously mediocre Detroit team that barely had any business being in the postseason at all paints a picture representative for the league as a whole is a completely asinine opinion. I'd be willing to give the Series more credibility if it truly was a champion vs. champion affair, but the watered down playoffs have made that all but impossible. I honestly can't think of the last time the World Series was really a matchup of the league's two best teams. 1998?
Concluding that the top teams in the American League are better than the top teams in the National League because the American league held an interleague edge is flawed logic. Even if you believe that a seven-game series is ruled by luck that evens out over a 162-game schedule (although such statistical logic would have to naturally include a margin of error in the standings), interleague campetition was a succession of three (and home-and-home six) game series. Only half of the American League teams had a winning record against National League teams. The AL didn't dominate, and it wasn't a challenge with teams going up against teams positioned similarly in the standings.
Only the Rangers, Yankees and Angels won more than 11 games. The Rangers won five of six from the last-place Astros and swept the Padres in a three-game series. They beat the Giants two out of three in early June and also won two of three from the the Diamondbacks and last-place Rockies. The Yankees swept the Nationals in a three-game series in June, missing Strasburg (as every team did in the postseason, allowing the wild card to get past the first round), but they lost two of three to the Reds. Their 13 wins were aided by winning five of six from the Mets. The 12-interleague-win Angels were swept by the last-place Rockies. The Tigers were one of three AL teams with 11 interleague wins, splitting six with the Pirates and taking two of three from four other teams, including the Cubs. A three-game series in June is more vulnerable to luck because teams you can miss the other team's best pitchers or hit a Sunday where the other team is resting regulars because they are headed out on a roadtrip against league rivals.
Luck had nothing to do with the Tigers beating/sweeping the Yankees in the ALCS. You would have seen that when you watched the series. The Tigers certainly had more business representing the AL in the World Series than they Yankees. Luck had nothing to do with the Giants beating/sweeping the Tigers. If you want to argue that the Mariners and Twins were better than the Astros and Cubs, I won't argue. I think the AL is stronger overall, weaker at the top and stronger at the bottom. But that is different from labeling a team unworthy after it spent six months overcoming the challenges of a baseball season, emerging as the best team in the NL West, battling to win six elimination games to go to the World Series before sweeping it.
But when you watched the World Series, you saw the better team win and win easily, not because they were lucky, but because they played superior baseball. Arguing otherwise reeks of denial.
And yes, they got lucky that baseball's new, even more watered down play-off system meant better teams in better divisions, like the Yankees and Rangers, had to exhaust themselves in wild divisional chases while a miserable underachieving **** team like the Tigers gets to sneak in to the playoffs and run those teams over because they spent essentially 5 1/2 months not having to try. The system itself is flawed in choosing a champion, the Tigers were better than the Yankees for 1 week in the middle of October, but for basically April-September, the Yankees were clearly the better team. Clearly. If you had actually paid attention to the season as it progressed, you'd have clearly seen this.
If the Rangers slapped around the Brewers in the World Series, nobody would be trying to paint broad outcomes of that, as everyone would be in agreement that the Rangers were a good AL team for most of the year while the Brewers were terrible to awful. It'd be expected.
If the Giants played a good AL team and beat them, that would be something to note. Beating a team that had no business in the postseason? Meh. Good for the Giants, they deserved to win, but hardly qualifies as anything extraordinary.
If the Yankees had made it tot he World Series, the Giants would have beaten them, just as they beat the Tigers. The top teams in the National League are better than the top teams in the American League. No matter how the league division series would have worked out, you would have had an elite NL team against an overmatched American League team.
Major league baseball isn't nearly as inclusive in its postseason as the NBA or NHL. With the exception of a play-in game for the wild card, it isn't single elimination as is the NFL. Baseball teams in different divisions play wildly different schedules. If you want to go by regular-season records, the White Sox had a very strong record against the AL West and played only .500 in interleague play. The White Sox had a clear winning record against the Rangers and a dismal record against the Tigers , so maybe they would have had a better record in the West if the travel hadn't taken its toll.
I paid attention to the season. I watched how it played out. I was not at all surprised that the Tigers beat the Yankees having watched the way the season played out. If the Rangers had made it to the World Series after their historic collapse, they would have been slapped around by the Giants -- again. Look at how much better the NL postseason teams were at all-around aspects of baseball than the AL teams. Maybe the Rangers would have slapped around the Brewers, but the Brewers didn't make it to the postseason.
But last year the NL wild card beat the Rangers, even if it wasn't what you expected. You obviously haven't been paying attention.
Yes, there are factors such as wind, field condition, a fan in the stands reaching his hands out, etc. But as I said, it usually balances out and affects both teams. I haven't seen a series where there were so many "lucky" occurrences happening to the same team that it nullifies their series victory. That definitely did not happen this year.
As for the pitching match-ups... yeah, there are instances where a team can't set up their rotation the way they want because they had a tougher previous series, or a tougher division to qualify from. And their opponent had ample time to set up their rotation. But the thing is, the same people who will complain about "bad luck" would say the same thing if their team was the one with ample time, except this time the excuse will be "we had too long of a lay-off!"
So which excuse is acceptable? I say neither. Sometimes teams still win despite tougher qualifying, tougher previous series, injuries, etc. The excuses are unacceptable, unless there's an extremely serious circumstance, in which case I'm sure MLB would step in and delay the series so that there wouldn't be so much of a disadvantage.
You may say the poor Yankees were so worn out from having to qualify out of the East. Those poor babies. Ditto for the A's and West. I say bollox. Suck it up and fight on, you'll have 3.5 months to rest after that.
So yes, the Kitties were representative of us. Not as much as pre-1969 pennant winners, but representative nonetheless.
If you think that 1998 was the last time the 2 leagues' best faced off, then you might as well stop watching. Nobody's thinking of the reg season anymore in October. Put it out of your head, not just so that you'll enjoy the playoffs again, but because in October, the reg season truly now is ancient history. If I had a dime for every time a player/coach/broadcaster said that... But they say it because it is true.
M. Jeff & Co. said it much better than any poster here could, back in 1996. They even made hats and shirts to pronounce pro sports' Prime Directive.
The Tigers' crappy reg season didn't mean a thing, because they got that pennant ring.
Last edited by cub killer; 11-26-2012 at 09:15 PM.
You can go ahead and pat yourself on the back for "calling the World Series" (a real gutsy call a month after it occurred), but I would suspect anyone who actually does pay some attention to the game knows deep in their gut that the playoffs rarely, if ever, match up the two best teams in the league for the World Series. It's almost always just two teams that just happen to still be standing.
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Shri R.N. Jha, Director (Technical), Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL) has taken over the additional charge of Chairman-cum-Managing Director on 01.12.2017. MECL is a fully owned Miniratna CPSE of Ministry of Mines carrying out detailed exploration of various minerals. Shri Jha has been serving as the Director (Technical) of MECL since January, 2012. He succeeded Dr. Gopal Dhawan, who served as CMD, MECL from May, 2012 to November, 2017.Shri Jha is a Graduate Mining Engineer from Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad (now IIT (ISM), Dhanbad) along with first class Certificate of Competency (Coal) & Post Graduate Diploma in Management. He has 32 years of rich experience in the field of planning and operation of open cast and modern underground coal mines, mineral exploration and environment management.Under his guidance & able leadership, it is expected that MECL will continue to rise further and attain newer heights.
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CRESTVIEW � Sarah Downs, Antioch Elementary School�s literacy coach, has been named the Okaloosa County school district�s elementary school Literacy Coach of the Year.
CRESTVIEW � Sarah Downs, Antioch Elementary School�s literacy coach, has been named the Okaloosa County school district�s elementary school Literacy Coach of the Year.
Superintendent Mary Beth Jackson presented the award during an April 26 literacy coach meeting.
Downs trains Antioch teachers on new techniques for teaching the district�s evolving curriculum. She has prepared teachers for Common Core State Standards, a new form of computer-based testing, which the state is implementing. Common Core replaces the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test for the 2014-15 school year.
"Her knowledge, experience and passion more than qualify her for this honor. She has made great contributions to both the literacy coach cadre and Antioch Elementary School," Ann Flanagan, a reading specialist for the school district, said in an email.
Downs has worked in Okaloosa County since 2006, spending the last three years at Antioch.
"I can't imagine being anywhere else," she said. "They have made me feel like family."
Karen Ott, of Lewis School in Valparaiso, earned the secondary Literacy Coach the Year award.
Fellow literacy coaches working in the school district vote for the Literacy Coach of the Year.
Each county nominates one elementary and one secondary level coach for the state Literacy Coach of the Year award, presented by the Just Read, Florida initiative.
Downs said the award reflects all the district literacy coaches� efforts.
"We work really well together and support each other's ideas for how we present new information to teachers and improve student achievement across the district," she said. "I feel like we are all really hard workers and we are trying to do the best we can for Okaloosa County."
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Andrew Luck has a few new wrinkles for opponents this season.
He has three receivers with 1,000-yard seasons on their resumes. He has two pass-catching tight ends, two running backs with workhorse pedigrees and now he's implementing a no-huddle offense, too.
It's just the natural progression for one of the game's best young quarterbacks, a move that could create all sorts of mismatches and help the Colts take the next step in their Super Bowl chase.
''I think it's great when the time calls and the situation calls, it puts pressure on the defense,'' Luck said. ''Obviously it makes us tired, but hopefully it's making them tired as well, or maybe more tired. I think the fast tempo, you can sustain a little momentum with it.''
Over the past two seasons, Luck has provided all the momentum the Colts needed.
Since his arrival, Indianapolis has completed one of the greatest one-year turnarounds in league history, been to the playoffs twice, won its first AFC South title without Peyton Manning and produced the second-largest playoff comeback in league history.
The glaring omission from that list is a Super Bowl title, something Luck & Co. hope to rectify in 2014.
''We know what the outside expectations are, but we have our own,'' coach Chuck Pagano said. ''We're chasing that Lombardi (Trophy) and that's our goal.''
The Colts have a myriad of reasons for optimism.
They have slowly surrounded Luck with more playmakers and a defense that seems to be getting comfortable and finding players who better fit Pagano's 3-4 system. They have improved their special teams coverage units and their return game. Now they're giving Luck a chance to install some of the offense and change tempos at will, as was the case with Luck's predecessor, Manning.
And Luck can already see a difference.
''Absolutely the execution gets better,'' he said. ''I think you have the ability to do more with it the more you do it. I guess everything should get better the more you do it. But you can tell guys are more comfortable with it, absolutely.''
Will that be enough to leapfrog perennial AFC favorites Denver and New England? Perhaps.
''We won the division, we won a playoff game, and now it's just a question of trying to get deeper,'' Colts owner Jim Irsay said.
Here are some other things to watch with the Colts in 2014.
DE-FENSE: Things are changing in Indianapolis. After switching from the 4-3 to the 3-4 in 2012 and finding a handful of new starters last season, the Colts have added linebacker D'Qwell Jackson and defensive lineman Arthur Jones this year, and they have given this defense a more aggressive look. If this confident bunch can complement Luck's already potent offense, Indy (11-5) just might have the right combination.
LINE DANCE: Indy's offensive line is already off to a rough start. Starting left guard Donald Thomas will miss the entire season with a torn right quad. Starting center Khaled Holmes sprained his right ankle on the first series of the preseason opener and hasn't returned yet. Second-round pick Jack Mewhort is contending with a sore right knee and seventh-round pick Ulrick John is expected to miss substantial time with a lower right leg injury. So the Colts have had to mix and match - much as they did last year. Health will be a major factor in whether the Colts can add the ground game they need to help Luck.
RICHIE RICH: Nobody faces more scrutiny this season than running back Trent Richardson. The Colts traded a first-round pick to Cleveland last year to get the No. 3 overall draft pick in 2012. But Richardson's struggles were so glaring, fans wanted him benched. Eventually he was, and now that he's had a full offseason to learn the system and work with his teammates, the Colts expect much more from Richardson in 2014.
COMEBACK CITY: Tight end Dwayne Allen missed 15 games with a hip injury last season. Perennial Pro Bowl receiver Reggie Wayne missed nine with a torn ACL. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw missed 13 with a neck injury, and reigning sacks champ Robert Mathis will miss the first four games this year after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. If all four return to their normal levels, the Colts should be significantly improved.
SCHEDULING MATTERS: Some years, everything seems to fall in place and this could be one of them. Not only do the Colts play in the NFL's only division that didn't produce at least two .500 teams last season, they have four games against the NFC East and four more against the AFC North. That makes the Colts schedule the easiest in the NFL.
Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL


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Ford Explorer the 2011 North American Truck of the Year
Presented at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the North American Truck of the Year is considered the most prestigious product in the auto industry because the journalists who vote on it are completely independent of one another, working as freelancers or staff writers representing dozens of competing media outlets in the U.S. and Canada.
A jury of 49 automotive journalists awarded the North American Truck of the Year title through a series of votes for vehicles that were new or substantially changed for the 2011 model year. When it came down to the three finalists, the Explorer won by a wide margin. The Explorer garnered 253 points, leaving the Jeep Grand Cherokee with 138 points, and the Dodge Durango 99. Each of the 49 jurors cast 10 points, and they can be divided up.
All-new for 2011, the Ford Explorer is built on a unit-body platform, like that of a car. Available with a new 3.5-liter V6 or a new, fuel-efficient Ecoboost four-cylinder engine, the 2011 Explorer delivers excellent fuel economy for its class. The V6 achieved an EPA rating of 17/25 mpg City/Highway. A big cargo capacity and roomy back seats make the Explorer an excellent choice among midsize SUVs.


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This article is a collaboration between MedPage Today® and:
Commercial foods sold in the U.K. for weaning infants were predominantly sweet and provided little extra nutritional benefit over breast milk, researchers found.
Based on an analysis of more than 400 complementary solid foods, most were soft and spoonable (79%), sweet (65%), and similar in energy density to breast milk (mean 282 kJ/100 g versus mean 283 kJ/100 g), according to Ada Garcia, PhD, of the University of Glasgow in Scotland, and colleagues.
Additionally, the food companies promoted giving their products to infants as young as 4 months, but children should still be on an exclusive breast milk diet at that age, the researchers stated online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
These weaning-period foods "would not serve the intended purpose of enhancing the nutrient density and diversity of taste and texture in infants' diets," they wrote.
Health officials in the U.K. recommend that the transition to complementary, or weaning, foods be gradual, starting with cereals, vegetables and fruits, and then working up to protein-rich foods. The American Academy of Pediatrics also advises that "infants begin consuming foods in addition to breast milk or formula after 4 months of age, preferably at 6 months of age."
While home-prepared foods are best for introducing infants to flavors, tastes, and textures, two-thirds of mothers in England gave commercial products, mostly baby rice, to their babies as the first solid food, and 45% of mothers gave their children, ages 8 to 10 months, commercially prepared foods at least once a day, according to the study authors.
"This highlights the central role the commercial infant food market plays in shaping babies' diets and the importance of understanding the type of commercially prepared infant foods available," they wrote.
In this cross-sectional survey, they evaluated the dietary qualities of 410 types of commercial infant foods for texture, taste, and nutritional content, such as energy, protein, carbohydrates, fat, sugar, iron, sodium, and calcium.
Foods included were soft and wet pre-prepared and dry foods that required reconstitution with milk or water. Drinks, milks, and smoothies for infants were excluded from the study.
Nutritional data were gathered through the manufacturer's website, in-store labeling, or through email inquiry to the company, as well as information on recommended age for the product, recommended type of dilution, and added salt or sugar.
The authors classified products as sweet or savory and as ready-made, breakfast cereals, powdered meals, or dry finger foods. Portion sizes ranged from 120 g to 250 g (4.2 oz to 8.8 oz) for wet foods and 5 to 50 g (less than an ounce to about 1.8 ounces) for finger foods and snacks.
The majority of sweet products referenced fruit in the description (80%), but roughly two-thirds did not state the exact amount of fruit included in the food. Roughly a quarter (23.8%) of sweet foods were deserts, while other sweet products were dairy-based (20.2%), such as yogurt or custard, breakfast cereals (22%), or sweet dry snacks and raisins (14.3%).
Over 90% of savory foods were soft, spoonable, and starch-based (92.5%), and around two-thirds contained some meat, fish, or poultry (64.6%). Most also included a vegetable, while a little under 10% also included a fruit (8.5%). Two product labels noted that the product had added salt.
"Although meat containing savory foods had the highest iron content, this was no higher than formula milk, and not much higher than non-meat-containing foods," the authors noted, adding that protein content of most of the soft wet foods was "only around 400% higher" than formula milk and that the energy density of the packaged foods was roughly half that of home-prepared foods.
Finally, nearly half (44%) of the products were targeted at children 4 months and up.
The study had some limitations including the reliance on manufacturers' reported nutritional information which may not have reflected actual nutritional content.
The authors cautioned that complementary solids should be introduced at 6 months and older "in order to move an infant from a milk-based diet to a family foods-based diet."
However, timing a child's introduction to solid foods can be tricky, as delays in adjusting children to solid foods has been associated with food allergy, but feeding too early has been linked with health problems such as an elevated risk for type 1 diabetes.
The authors noted that "mothers often justify introducing foods earlier than 6 months ... and health professionals should be able to advise mothers that first-stage commercial baby foods are no more energy dense than milk."
Also, healthcare professionals "should encourage [parents] to progress [infants] to suitable family foods, particularly later in the first year of life," they concluded, adding that home-prepared weaning foods should not include additional salt or sugar.
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
- Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco and Dorothy Caputo, MA, BSN, RN, Nurse Planner
Primary Source
Archives of Disease in ChildhoodSource Reference: Garcia AL, et al "Nutritional content of infant commercial weaning foods in the U.K." Arch Dis Child 2013; DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2012-303386.


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|Novi, Mich.
|High School:
|Multi Events
|Brain and Cognitive Sciences
2014: All-American (4x100m) ... NCAA Qualifier (100m hurdles, pentathlon and 4x100) …NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Award... NEWMAC All-Conference (100m hurdles) … CoSIDA Academic All-District …NEWMAC Academic All-Conference … (Outdoor): earned All-America accolades as a member of the eighth place finishing 4x100m relay that crossed in 48.18 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships (5/24) … finished 18th in the 100m hurdles at NCAAs with a final time of 14.57 … recorded a lifetime best time of 14.49 in the 100m hurdles to finish second at the ECAC Championships (5/15) … crossed 10th in the 100m hurdles in 14.92 and finished 20th in the high jump, with a season best height of 5-03.00, at the NEICAAA Championships (5/10) … (Indoor): earned 3131 points for a 15th place finish in the pentathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships (3/15) … finished second in the high jump by clearing 5-03.00 at the New England Division III Championships (2/22) … recorded a season best time of 9.15 in the 60m hurdles to finish second at the Tufts Stampede Invite (2/1), also finished second in the long jump clearing 16-10.75 … set a varsity record of 5-04.50 in the high jump en route to a second place finish in the pentathlon at the Harvard Multi Meet (1/25) … won three events at Bates (1/11), the high jump clearing 5-03.00, the 60m hurdles with a time of 9.19, and the long jump with a final distance of 16-06.00
2013: CoSIDA Academic All-District … CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American … All-America (Pentathlon) … NEWMAC Academic All-Conference … USTFCCCA All-Academic … (indoor): tied for tenth in the high jump with a 4-09.75 at the Tufts Stampede (2/01) … was sixth in the 60m hurdles with a time of 9.59, tied for fifth in the high jump with a 4-11.75, third in the long jump with a 16-05.00 and fifth in the shot put with a 33-01.00 at the Cupid Challenge (2/11) … was first in the pentathlon with 3,453 points at ECACs (3/01), breaking the MIT school record … tied for sixth place in the pentathlon with 3,387 points at NCAAs (3/08) … (outdoor): finished in fourth in the 100m hurdles in 15.22, fifth in the high jump with a 5-02.25 and was part of the 4x100 relay that finished in third with a time of 49.52 at the NEWMAC Championships (4/27) … tied the school record in the High Jump with a jump of 5-03.25 and came first in the heptathlon with 4,420 points at the New England Division III Championships (5/04) … won the heptathlon with 4,625 points at ECACs (5/17), setting a new MIT varsity record … finished in 20th place in the heptathlon with 4,282 points at the NCAA Championships (5/25).
2012: Finished sixth in the pentathlon (3062 points) at the New England Division III Championship (indoor) … ranked second on the team for shot put indoor (34-05 ½) and the pentathlon (3062 points) … NEWMAC Academic All-Conference … All-New England.
2011: NCAA Division III All-Region in pentathlon (indoor) … set MIT rookie outdoor record in javelin (108-5 feet) … recorded program's third-best pentathlon score (2958 points), seventh-best 55HH time (8.91 seconds) and eight-best high jump mark (5-0.25 feet) of all-time … recorded program's fifth-best heptathlon score (3529 points), fifth-best javelin mark (108-5 feet), sixth-best outdoor high jump mark (4-11.00 feet) and seventh-best 100HH time (16.05 seconds) of all-time … won distance medley relay against Colby and Bates (13:10.08) …won javelin (108-5 feet) against Colby and Bates … All-New England.
Off the Track: Majoring in brain and cognitive sciences with a minor in biology…Walle J.H.Nauta Award for Oustanding Researc...Hans Lukas Teuber Award for Outstanding Academics at MIT...intern as part of the University of Michigan Cancer Research Summer Internship Program during summer of 2013 … researched in the Nedivi Lab at MIT … conducted research in the Early Childhood Cognition Lab and the Fee Lab … president of BrainTrust … co-author of Sins of omission: Children selectively explore when agents fail to tell the whole truth, which is currently in review … Honorable Mention for Outstanding Research for work in the Nedivi Lab, as awarded by the MIT Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences … essay titled "The Gift of Education" was published in the 2011 MIT Angles Journal … the Boston Home volunteer … Massachusetts Eye and Ear Surgery Center volunteer … high school physics tutor.
High School: A 2010 graduate of Northville High School.


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NWSB managing editor Q brings us his Love Em & Hate Em recap from Sunday night's game between the Milwaukee Bucks vs. Portland Trail Blazers. LaMarcus Aldridge went 7 for 11 from the floor and 7 for 8 from the charity stripe. He also led the team with 12 rebounds. Once again the opponent lit up the Blazers from three-point range. The Bucks won big.
Bucks vs. Trail Blazers blog: love 'em & hate 'em
March 20, 2012 By


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There seems to be an inherently macro view of today's consultant as one that has not changed parallel to the rest of the industry, or, in some cases, has resisted change. And many in the industry believe the growth of design dealers will spell the end of traditional foodservice consultants. Although some of these views jump to premature conclusions, I do tend to agree with certain aspects of these opinions.
The reality of today's business climate: there's no room for complacency and what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow. This applies directly to foodservice consultants today. For us, change is inevitable as it acts as the underlying current that will usher in the next generation of foodservice consultants. But we are left to ask ourselves: What does this change look like? How does it affect the rest of the industry?
While change can be hard to describe, the following represents what I believe to be the critical issues affecting today's foodservice consultant. The purpose of this article is not to speak on behalf of all consultants but rather shed some light on those factors that will continue to impact our role in today's foodservice industry and beyond.
Value Proposition
Value: I love the word and find the concept of it quite interesting since its true definition lies in the eye of the beholder. Many articles have been written in regards to value and we consultants often use the word loosely to identify a general list of our clients' needs. In our organization we used to say that we want to bring value to our clients, but our value may not necessarily be in line with the client's needs. As foodservice consultants our focus should be more intentional. One formula that seems to reap the most rewards is the ability to make it easy for others to do business with us. On the surface, this may seem like a simple concept yet it becomes pretty powerful when we consider the age-old sales notion that "people buy from people."
Most of our repeat customers (a.k.a. architects) emphasize this concept more than anything else. Visionary design is critical but if the architect and/or the end user find us difficult to work with it is unlikely they will ask us to be part of their team in the future. In most cases architects still run on skeleton crews, unlike the so-called good old days prior to the recession, and that means they now depend on the foodservice consultant to provide more information, more leadership and a higher degree of coordination. Quick turnaround times have become paramount and will become even more important moving forward.
And as our customers ask more of us, we must ask more from our partners, the manufacturers' reps and the manufacturers. This represents a critical issue for manufacturers with engineered products. Where we used to have a week to wait for a drawing, we now need data within a day or two. Having a manufacturer's rep serve as the communication conduit is no longer adequate. Having access to an inside factory representative is critical when meeting these quick turnarounds. Our industry does a great job of providing equipment and operational data online, what consultants need to write better specifications is more technical data vs. sales data.
For consultants to provide the architectural community with the value it desires, we must ask our industry partners to do what's asked of us: be thorough, follow up in a timely manner, and own the issue at hand.
The Design-Build Paradox
When it comes to project delivery systems, the design-build approach has had a tremendous effect on the foodservice consultant in the past few years, and this approach will eventually become the new normal. Granted the foodservice industry is no stranger to the design-build process, as our industry has always had some form of blending design and procurement. I will be the first one to admit that I love the concept of design-build because it usually means a shorter design and construction schedule and a project that costs significantly less than design-bid-build. Having said that, I will also take the bold step of adding that most design-build projects feature some tremendous challenges specific to their foodservice components.
Our experience with most design-build projects tells us the foodservice equipment section will always go out to bid, typically early in the project before completing the design. This leads to unrealistic equipment budgets and, of course, the dreaded value-engineering sessions, which ripple throughout the entire project.
The design-build process has led many to believe that the foodservice equipment dealer with design capabilities will bring an end to the traditional foodservice design consultant. I do not necessarily agree with this thought process and feel that, in a sense, design-build has brought the dealer and consultant closer than ever before. While many see this as a blurring of the lines between traditional supply chain roles, in reality the design-build process creates some clarity and distinction in the marketplace. Since a typical design-build team consists of a general contractor and architectural team, some clients have the expectation that same format applies to a project's foodservice component. As a result, this creates a scenario where the foodservice consultant and dealer work side by side on a project.
Due in large part to the design-build process, we as a firm have made the decision to truly focus on what we are good at, which is design, and are abandoning our minimal attempt at equipment procurement. This approach has opened the opportunity for our firm to begin collaborative relationships with equipment dealers regardless of the project delivery method. These types of partnerships, as untraditional as they may seem now, will continue to grow.
By no means do I proclaim that the foodservice equipment dealer with design capabilities will not thrive in the current and future marketplace; rather I strongly believe that there will be certain projects that make sense for the dealer's design consultant and others that only make sense for a traditional foodservice consultant to lead. In order to thrive in the future, traditional foodservice consultants will need to provide a greater distinction between their levels of service in order to remain relevant and define value on the customers' terms.


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For those of you who don't know me, I'm one of the original cast members of Bravo's hit reality television series The Real Housewives of New Jersey. I signed on to this show back in 2008 without taking into consideration how much my life could change. I never stopped to think that there would be a greater purpose to it. You see, my 3-year-old son, Nicholas, has autism. We kept it under wraps until we could figure out what was wrong, and what we were going to do about it, but that time has come.
Honestly, I'm glad it's out there. I don't think people should be afraid or ashamed to share their struggles. When you open up, you often find that it's the support and generosity of others that can provide the strength and tools you need to get through it. Ever since my husband, Chris, and I went public about our son's diagnosis in People magazine, the support has been overwhelming. Thousands of you have reached out to us with knowledge, resources and success stories. Our family faces many challenges, just like any other family. Right now, one of our greatest happens to be helping Nicholas recover from autism—because I believe it's possible. Maybe not all children will recover, but many have and all of us parents with a child on the spectrum should be given that hope.
How It All Started
It was such a gradual regression with our son. Nicholas has a cousin, Joey, who is two weeks younger. It was hard not to notice that Nicholas was not meeting the developmental milestones at the same rate as his cousin. Joey walked and talked earlier than Nicholas, and seemed more in tune with his environment and the people in it. Meanwhile, Nicholas enjoyed playing by himself, and seemed content in his own little world. However, Nicholas was doing some things that Joey could not. He knew his letters and their sounds. He could count up to 20, and identify his shapes and colors. He was a whiz on the iPad.
Signs of regression became too clear to ignore when he was around 2 years old, shortly after we started filming season four of RHONJ. He stopped singing his favorite songs, using utensils, and following my finger as I pointed to an object. Eye contact and language slowly diminished. He wouldn't answer to his name. When Nicholas stopped saying "I love you," it was devastating. As a mom, when your child starts to talk, hearing those three little words is something you cherish. Losing that broke my heart.
There was a three-month waiting period to see the developmental pediatrician. We arrived at her office already assuming that our child had autism. But after watching the doctor play with Nicholas for over an hour, there was a part of me hoping to hear I was wrong.
Nothing prepared us for the pain of hearing a professional say "Your child has autism." Seeing the diagnosis written down on a piece of paper in front of our faces hit us hard. I got a lump in my throat, and found it hard to swallow. I could see the pain on my husband's face. The pediatrician gave us information on treatment options, and recreational activities for kids on the spectrum.
I went home, hugged my husband and cried until I couldn't cry anymore. I cried for myself; I cried for my husband; I cried for my other kids, and I cried for my Nicholas. After that one-day grieving period, I woke up the next morning focused on bringing out the best Nicholas that he could be. I began reading everything I could find on autism. We learned that early intervention is key to recovery. We learned that diet and nutrition play an important role. We learned that my husband and I would have to work together to be our son's greatest advocates.
Going Public
Some of you may wonder why we would be so open about our son's disorder, maybe thinking that we should have kept it hidden—but we feel strongly that autism is not a shameful secret. Nicholas is our son, and we are proud of him. We are not ashamed of him or the diagnosis. We don't ever want him to feel ashamed, either. My son is a beautiful little boy who is very smart and loving. Autism is one small piece of who he is.
I often wonder what led me to this life as a reality TV personality in a seemingly meaningless, drama-filled series. I didn't know it would be a platform to help others. Whether you have a child with autism, some other disability or none at all, we all need support.
Here are some Autism Warning Signs and Early Signs of Autism in Infants to look for.
This post is part of our 1 in 50 project, in which we attempt to put a face on the latest autism statistics.