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The reason for my lack of posts the past couple of days has been due to dealing with some medical procedures that have been keeping me busy. Monday I had a wisdom tooth pulled. The darn thing decided out of nowhere to visit me in my 30's and cause havoc. It was pulled by my dentist in office and it was not the most pleasant experience to say the least. My mouth hurts something bad so I have been laying low with that whole thing.
Now this morning I had two different MRI's to try to get to the root of the headaches I have been plagued with since I had a brain surgery when I was 18. The first MRI was your plain run of the mill scan. The second time was with contrast so they could get a better look at my blood vessels. I was happy to see that my reports were in tonight and my office emailed me a copy of the reports. Now I know though why you should never Google things on a medical report. While there are no tumors or anything of that nature to report which is great news, I noticed my contrast scan showed malacia in the area I had surgery. Google tells me this is softening of the brain. I had to quit reading things after that. I have an appointment to go over the results with my doc on Monday but now I feel very scared and unsure of what this all means. Wishing I had a neurosurgeon as a BFF right now to break it all down for me lol!
I figured posting would be a good way to get it out and off my mind before bed. Tomorrow I will wake up with a more positive outlook on this and my pain and get back into my scheduled posts that are backed up for me to finish. On the plus side all 3 of my girls won their first volleyball games tonight so I'm a proud mama right now! Trying to focus on the positives!


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I decided to tell Luca, my 10-month-old poodle, that he was going to be neutered the following morning. "Tomorrow," I said while creating images in my mind, "we are going to take you to the veterinarian's. They will take you into the back room. You will probably go into a silver cage that reflects light. They are going to give you some medicine that makes you feel strange and fall fast asleep. Then they are going to do an operation on you that makes it so you can not create babies with another dog."
Then I named all my present animals and explained that they too had had this operation.

subset: commoncrawl


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my black and white photos of the Mendocino Coast: www.jonshiu.com
Well the one eBay listing has expired and the seller doesn't show any other auctions. Are these still available?
I too would prefer one the functioned as a diffusion head without the condensers, but I'd probably buy one of these as-is. I have an Omega so not looking for a Bessler model.
I tried a 150w bulb and found it too bright for my usual printing so I went back to the 75W. Some of y'all must be making some seriously dense negatives or you like very short printing times. No matter - I can always add some neutral density to the filter drawer and it could be nice to have the extra speed when needed, making large prints from dense negatives or such.
This looks like a really great product.
Well I did buy one of his early units. Here's a duplicate of what I just posted about it on APUG:
I have had a chance to do a fair amount of printing with my LED lamphouse now. The results have been great. I can tell no difference in evenness or contrast between the LED lamphouse and the incandescent one. Printing speed is just about squarely in between that of using a 75W #211 bulb in the incandescent and using a 150W #212. In other words, it's faster than the 75W, but slower than the 150W. It's fine for the vast majority of my negatives.
I have not tried the extreme ends of the contrast filtration scales yet. I was going to do that, but Cemil graciously offered some free upgrades of my head (which is one of the first prototype units) to his current standard, and I just shipped it back to him today. I haven't had a chance to print in a while as I've been quite busy (and probably won't again until April. Should have a lot more time after that, though.)
But the last time I printed I did finally get around to making some test prints with no negatives to compare evenness.
These are prints with no negative in the carrier, using a 6x9 cm carrier, 100mm Componon-S enlarging lens, on my Omega D2/II-V (it's a D2 chassis on which someone has mounted the variable condenser head.) I used the grade 2.5 MG filter from a brand new set of filters. I use the 6"x6" above the lens filters and just lay them atop the lower condenser, which works fine. The lens was stopped down all the way to give a somewhat manageable albeit still short exposure time, which probably explains the in-focus splotches and dust that were apparently on the bottom of the upper condenser and which I immediately cleaned off, but also had not noticed on any of my prints, as I don't normally expose negatives at f/32.
The densities are obviously not exactly matched, but I didn't care to spend more paper getting them closer. You can match in PS if you want and still compare evenness.
These show why I can tell no difference between prints made with the two lamphouses. Some edge fall off is normal but on both I see a bit more than I thought it was. I normally edge burn all my final prints by about 15% of the base exposure time. I may extend that a bit, and maybe burn a little farther in from the edges than I have been particularly on the long axis, though I've not noticed any problems or unevenness in my prints. This sort of test will show tiny variations.
Standard incandescent lamphouse:
LED lamphouse:
I'm quite pleased with the unit. It's nice to leave the light on as long as you like for focusing and cropping without worrying about negative popping or lamp life and to make exposures as long as you like with the same lack of concerns. It's also nice to use it for checking the negative carefully and repeatedly for dust without concern for lamp life.
Mine being a very early unit, it has a two prong plug and cord. Cemil is graciously replacing the cord for me with a three prong grounded cord and plug. This will be better, though I was not concerned with it personally as the way my darkroom is laid out there isn't really any realistic chance of it falling into liquid or the like. It also may improve the one very minor drawback I've found - it generates a fair amount of radio hash and interferes with my FM boom box in the darkroom. Most folks who listen to music while printing may be 100% digital anyway. In my case, I use my iPhone just outside the darkroom or the computer upstairs to stream Pandora or, most often, WWOZ from New Orleans, with the output going into an FM modulator which I pick up on the (all lights taped over) boom box inside. When this unit is on it generates a fair amount of hash, but I can live with that as it is, of course, only when the enlarger is on. The grounded cord may help this. I can't just use the iPhone inside because I can't turn on airplane mode and still stream, and there would be the chance of getting a call or text and a very unwelcome blast of light at the wrong time.
Pros: Very well made unit that looks like it came out of a factory. Actually, strike that - it looks like it came out of a factory perhaps 30-40 years ago when they made stuff more solidly. Works well with very even illumination, or at least comparable to the stock incandescent lamphouse. I suspect what unevenness is present is due to the design of the condensers rather than the light source, since the two are so similar in evenness. I also suspect but have no tests to prove that both the spectrum and the light output of an incandescent bulb vary more over its life than this LED source will, so prints may be more easily repeatable from notes when made much after the initial prints and data. Much less heat generated and power used than the standard lamphouse.
Cons: Hmm, well, it generates some radio static. It probably isn't usable for color per our discussion [on APUG] though I haven't tried it, so if you print color with CP filters you may have to switch back to the standard lamphouse. This takes about 30 seconds if you take your time, 15 if you hurry. Honestly that's all I can think of.
My Flickr page
Most blest is he who lives free and bold
and nurses never a grief,
for the fearful man is dismayed by aught,
and the mean one mourns over giving.
- Hávamál verse 48


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For more 30 years biologist Dave Vetrano turned his energies toward improving streams and fish populations in Wisconsin's west central region. Now he grazes and direct-markets jersey steers from his farm near Bangor, Wisconsin and is a passionate advocate for grazing.
This change in direction is not retirement. Vetrano is building a business and seizing the chance to live what he learned while adding 400 miles to the region's classified trout waters and reintroducing native brook trout.
"It started with enhancing trout streams," says Vetrano. "Now it's more; it's about land use."
The West Allis, Wisconsin native once called a 'rogue biologist who got results' is not afraid to try things and has naturally drawn in farmers, landowners, local organizations, and experts through the years to share the work of restoring streams and keeping soil where it helps farmers.
"You can farm on a stream system and not have it be detrimental," he says, "but we need to look at the system as a whole."
Vetrano witnessed systemic change early in his career, a change that positively altered stream conditions.
"After the 1985 Farm Bill, funds to farmers required cross-compliance and a conservation plan," he explains. "Within five years we saw an increase in stream base flow, colder stream temperatures, and for the first time, an increase in natural reproduction of native fish. It was a region-wide effect. By the end of the decade there were a number of streams we didn't have to stock any more."
The reason, he says, was widespread adoption of both perennial cover on the land and practices that prevent erosion.
"Conditions reversed with seven-dollar corn," says Vetrano. "Social, economic, environmental, and political aspects of life can't be separated from this work, because each affects the other. Spending all kinds of time and money on farm programs and stream restoration without considering the watershed as a whole system does not work."
This view and passionate love for the land and people drives Vetrano's current work and influenced his entry to farming.
"Managed grazing," he says, "makes profitable use of perennialized land and is a natural way to sustain fertility. Farmers and non-farmers who are learning can get into it without spending a lot of money, and without reinventing the wheel. Ongoing inputs are low, and forage production is high.
"Graziers are sometimes looked at as quaint, but grazing is a good way to profit from farming and improve soil, water quality, and stream base flow at the same time. It's a way to keep agriculture sustainable."
Along with managing his own operation, Vetrano now serves as a director for organizations including the School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers (UW-Madison), Grassworks, and the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship program. He hosts pasture walks in the region, typically organized and promoted by Grassworks, Wallace Pasture Project, or Land Stewardship Project. He credits these groups and others across the Midwest for working with diverse partners and bringing all with a stake to the table.
"If you look around, lots is happening," says Vetrano. It starts with an individual who sees an issue and wants to do something about it. Here, Valley Stewardship Network was started when the La Farge dam project failed years ago, and has spawned a collaboration for farms and streams that just keeps expanding. Organic Valley was started by six hippies 25 years ago and has morphed into a business on track to earn $1 billion this year. Conservation strategies can be profitable!"
In his own work Vetrano found more, better work gets done when partners with diverse skills share the load.
"A few years ago we did a big restoration project at the Neprud farm near Coon Valley and invited in people with all kinds of expertise. I pointed them in the right direction and some, like herpetologist Bob Hay, were like kids at Christmas. We built trust and had fun. A single person's work makes a difference, but when many get involved whole systems improve."
— Story by Nancy North, NewGround, Inc.


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It's not just iPhones: Cash in on your second hand iPad 2 by recycling
Although mobile phone recycling is well known, few people are aware they can also cash in on several other old gadgets – including iPad 2s, which can fetch more than £300 by selling them on.
Technology is moving so fast that must-have gadgets can be out of date within a year, leaving fans struggling to keep up with the cost of upgrades.
The new Apple iPad 3 for instance, has arrived before many users have had time to get the hang of their iPad 2s.
Mobile phone recycling has been around for years but fewer people realise that many companies will also buy other mobile devices.
Fone Bank UK, for example, is offering £310 for a second-hand iPad 2 with 64GB, wifi and 3G, which is almost half the cost of a new top-of-the-range iPad 3 costing around £650.
Entrepreneur Chris Frost has launched RecycleYourGadget.co.uk to allow users to compare recycling prices.
âThere are hundreds of pounds to be made with very little risk by recycling anything from an iPad to an iPod or even a camera,â he said.
Marketing director Lee Farrer, 36, from London made more than £200 from recycling three gadgets.
She said: âI am a sucker for new technology and have a drawer full of old mobile phones.
'I recycled three phones and my old iPod Nano and made £240, paying off my credit card bill in full and clearing some space in my drawers at the same time.â


text: New Search Back to Search Results 9329 Share Profile Richard Hill, MD Specialty Ophthalmology (Board Certified) Phone (714) 542-0111 Address 1200 N. Tustin Ave. Suite 240 Santa Ana, CA 92705 Get Directions Accepting New Patients Primary Office Address 1200 N. Tustin Ave. Suite 240 Santa Ana, CA 92705 Get Directions Phone (714) 542-0111 Fax (714) 542-8211 Hours Mon - Fri: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. More Information Website www.sjo.org The patient rating score is based on responses and comments from Press Ganey. Responses are measured on a 10 point scale, with 10 being the best score. These scores are then translated to a 5 point scale in order to display results in a 5 Star rating. Comments are also gathered from the same survey and displayed in their entirety with the exception of any language that may be considered libel, or may contain private health information, or is unrelated to the provider being reviewed. Learn more about Press Ganey star rating calculations Meet The Doctor Specialties & Education Primary Specialties Ophthalmology (Board Certified) Education & Training Medical School Northwestern University Medical Center - 1985 Residency St. Joseph Hospital and Health Care Center - 1986 Residency Penn State University, Hershey Medical Center - 1989 Fellowship Doheney eye Institute - 1990 Back to Search Results


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When Infertility Issues Hand You Lemons...
Write about it.
WARNING: This post contains mentions of the deed, va jay jay's, but so sorry, not for fun, but for knowledge,just an FYI.
Andy and I always hesitate to tell people when we become pregnant. This time was no exception. We learned the hard way the first time. We were married for just a few years when pregnancy #1 occurred We told everyone and their mother that I was pregnant.That pregnancy ended in a flat out miscarriage. We were scared out of our minds, not sure what was happening. My doctor at that time, who has no beside manner what so ever,came down to the ER, examined me, called it a miscarriage and said, 'well this happens a lot with first time pregnancies, just keep trying, you are healthy.' So then came the job of telling everyone, and telling them what happened, over and over again. Not fun. You relive the entire situation every time you speak about it, and no one means to cause you pain, but reliving it is definitely painful.
So the next time it happened, we told each other, not a word, with the exception of close family, until 12 weeks. It wasn't to shut people out, but to protect our hearts.
Except, it wasn't happening. I wasn't getting pregnant. I guess the protocol is a year; after you can't get pregnant for a year, you are stamped as infertile and herded onto an Infertility Specialist. It's an awesome title, let me tell you. My then OB/Gyn referred me to one individual who will remain nameless. After an examination, and some brief blood work, and being treated like a science experiment, and not a patient unable to conceive, he deemed me fine, and that there was no found reason I couldn't conceive. I think I could have paid someone $10 to tell me the same thing.
My aunt recommended her fertility specialists. I won't mention who they are, but if you ask, I will give you raving reviews, and refer you right away. This was a completely different experience. We were sat down one on one with a doctor on the first visit and reviewed everything, the tests, the options, the emotional ups and downs, recommended to 'take breaks', from the whole process once in awhile. Finally, I felt like a person, and not a lab rat. I went through a battery of tests, which I could give you a further explanation on, but would only make this post longer, and you don't want to sit for too long. My 'cycle,' was followed closely. And when I tell you I knew everything about what it took to make a baby, believe me, I knew every single detail, I was a walking Infertility Encyclopedia.
Turns out for Andy and I, thankfully there was nothing seriously wrong with us, his men swam wonderfully and plentifully, and there was no set diagnosis that would prevent me from getting pregnant and having it stick. Phew. But the hitch was this, everything has to be perfect for you to get pregnant. Your temperature, your hormone level, your fluids, the day, the egg, your uterus has to be a friendly environment at that time,(I know right, can it be unfriendly, turns out it can),and when it is laid out just like that, it is a complete miracle people get pregnant so often.
That was just it for me, things were not lining up perfectly, particularly down to the ovulation and my hormones. They rarely matched up to meet perfectly on the same day. They did sometimes, and it was on those sometime moments we would be able to conceive and have a viable pregnancy. i.e., bring home a healthy baby. On top of all of that, I am a carrier of the cystic fibrosis gene. Thankfully, Andy, again, was not and so the chances of us having a baby with this, was slim to none. Recently, I found I was also a possible carrier for Tay-Sachs, another typically fatal auto-immune disease. That. Is awesome. No really, it sucks, obviously. So as you can see, having a baby, as mentioned previously is a miracle, being able to study and know every single detail that goes into that scientifically, is a medical miracle. And for us to bring home a baby, was also going to be a miracle.
So what do you do? You get blood tests once a week every week. When that blood test showed that my levels were getting close to ovulation I went everyday for blood tests and ultrasounds on my ovaries, until the levels were just about perfect, and was told to go home and, well you know.
I think a couple of months into it, I got pregnant, sadly, the hormone levels were not rising like they should have been, and the pregnancy was found to be ectopic. Which is simply, the fertilized egg gets stuck in the fallopian tubes, and does not move to the uterus. This is never ever a viable pregnancy, and the pregnancy will either dissolve, or surgery will have to be done before the fetus starts to grow and burst the tube. Scary stuff. So I was monitored, and again, on a happy side, did not require surgery.
We then took a big break from all the fertility stuff.We were told treatments would have to become more aggressive for it to work. When all you think about is the perfect timing to make a baby for three years, and having people examining your va jay jay becomes second nature, and to have that end in another loss, a vacation from it all is needed.
I then returned about 6 months later ready for the aggressive stuff.I was placed on Clomid, and told I would have to get artificially inseminated. Simply, Andy supplied the goods, which is another story all in itself, and on the day I was going to ovulate, found again, through blood tests, I went into the office, and through a baster, literally, Andy's men were shot inside of me. We did this two times with no success. My Clomid was upped, the chances of twins went up again, we were set to go for an appointment on the 10th of May 2005, for another round, we were in the city, and running late, and so I knew I would never make the appointment, and so instead of wasting a month, we well, you know...and 2 weeks later we found out, Kendall had been made.
I was placed on Progesterone Suppositories for the first 12 weeks, which would only bump the hormones a bit more. I went in for ultrasounds every week until 12 weeks, and labeled 'high risk.' At one of the ultrasounds, when Kendall the Fetus had moved, another sac was revealed, but there was no baby in it. Turns out I had conceived twins, but one had not moved on past fertilization. This I could handle, as long as the other one stayed put, two at one time, was not an option. Kendall stuck around, and at week 12, I was discharged to my, new and bedside manner induced, OB/GYN.
Kendall Anne was born healthy as a horse on February 13, 2006.
So what do you do about thinking about another? We didn't. We had our little girl, and I thought, well if we are going to have another we will go through the same testing all over again. When Kendall was 4 months old, I found out things had lined up perfect again, and I was pregnant with Ethan. Same protocol though, suppositories, weekly ultrasounds, and then released to my OB/GYN, but this time at 10 weeks.
Ethan Thomas was born healthy has a hog, he was a big boy, on March 25, 2007.
Time for a break, right?
So we took one.
Being naive and thinking nothing could go wrong, 2 successful pregnancies in a row, perhaps the worst was behind us, we decided to start trying again. I didn't even think to refer to a Fertility Specialist. And also thinking it might take awhile, I was surprised when the body sent me the message, 'You are pregnant.' I took the test, it was positive. This time I was much more relaxed, called the fertility specialist, but thought, oh I don't even think I have to go to them. They thought it was best for me to come in and get things checked out. Turns out they know best.
I started blood tests, suppositories, and my levels were rising. The first ultrasound was scheduled and went good. The baby was measuring a week off, but my cycle was always off, so what's a week? I went back the next week and this doctor was concerned. There was a blood clot, the baby was not growing like it should have been, and she couldn't find a heartbeat. I was sent to another doctor in the practice for a second opinion. I went to see him the next day. It was true, there was a blood clot, the baby wasn't measuring what it should be if my cycle was on, but it never was. He then was doing some more exploratory stuff of the uterus, and then turned to the nurse, and asked, 'Liz what is this?' I immediately thought the worse, I looked at her and thought, 'not only am I losing a baby, they found a tumor and I am going to die.' After a few moments, she said,'well that looks like a heartbeat.' Sounds like a happy ending?
Well I was told to be on as much bed rest as I could possibly be, not to lift the babies, and to take it easy. This baby had a 50/50 chance, and to come back in week. Of course, it wasn't as brief as that, and they were kind, and told me the reality of the situation.
Yesterday was my appointment, and it was not good news for us. The heartbeat was slowing, the baby was still not growing, and the blood clot was bigger. I was ready for this. The blessing and the curse of going to a fertility clinic and knowing all the facts and figures, and being able to see the pregnancy early on, is just that you know what is happening. I knew that a blood clot was a bad thing, and that a baby not growing was even worse. You still pray for a miracle, but it isn't always delivered.
A lot of people say, well you have 2 healthy babies, a boy and a girl at that, for some reason, that doesn't make it any easier, my reaction and my grief is still the same. I get angry when I have miscarriages and I sit on that for awhile. I get angry at myself, at God, at my body, luckily all of those things can handle the anger I am throwing out. I cry and get quiet, but fortunately this time I have my blog. I get frustrated my clothes don't fit because despite losing a baby, the progesterone still makes you bloat, and gain weight, and I have nothing to show for it, and now have to watch what I eat instead of burrowing my sorrows in eight hot fudge sundaes.
The reason is simple and I know it, I knew it the first time. The reason God puts me through this is because he gave me a voice, and it is really loud. Since the first miscarriage, since the first hormonal issue, God has put people in my way that are going through the same thing and can either uplift me, or I can do that for them. This is His refresher course, a hard one, but again, His. Of course, today, my fingers are doing the talking, but a lot more people read this on a daily basis then I talk to.
On top of this, this time I get the added lesson of appreciating the babies I have more. If you don't already know, let me throw it out there again, I put everything into Kendall and Ethan, but it still gets frustrating, tiring, and some days you just want to go and hide. But to get hit with the reality, that I was given two miracles to shape and nurture, that there was no mistake in it, I saw the hormone levels when the doctor said, 'it's now or never.'
Despite that and knowing, I know it is normal to be sad, which I am. I know I will be jealous when I see or hear of a pregnant woman, but it will go away. I am allowed to be sad, I am allowed to be angry, but I am also called to hug my babies a little tighter, and to share it.
So this is my Lemonade.
at 10:12 AM
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Muse: VerbA state of deep thought or dreamy abstraction
Recent musings
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Favorite Places
Entertainment News From The News-Herald
I know I saw that somewhere… search here
Find previous stories by category …
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I enjoy entertaining and showing the cute sexy me, I love expression and so much expression takes place. I know that I am providing companionship to someone who needs it and to entertain that for someone is a really amazing feeling. I love wearing sexy outfits that make me feel hot. I have the tricks and talents that will make you go "awee".
I enjoy emailing and texting my clients, ask me any question that you are unsure about, I will answer. Better to know than not know.
Amanda-Lee is a under 5' tall, curvy, all natural, 22 year old caucasian woman with medium length brunette hair and green eyes.
She is available for Men, and Couples.
My donation is listed on my site, with other information as well.
You can either book me through text, email, directly through my site.
- +1 613-324-0047 Text Only
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- your smartphone (QR code)
Scan the following QR code with your smartphone to view or save Amanda-Lee's contact information:


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As we're very close to the end of another year, I think this is a good moment to look back and see what lessons can be drawn from the previous 12 months of trading. Bear in mind that it's beyond the scope of this article to be anything more than a general overview.
See more here


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Russell Brand has broken his silence about rumors his marriage to Katy Perry is on the rocks, insisting the internet is full of "wicked little liars".
The pop star has already dismissed the reports and now funnyman Russell Brand is laughing them off in a taped interview with talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, which will air on Friday (02Dec11).
He jokes, "She (Perry) should've told me... There are always rumors, aren't there? In the end you have to just not engage with internet technology... I've treated the whole internet now like it's a wicked little liar. I am really happily married.
"Being famous is like a little bit of you is taken away and goes off and lives on it's own and does what it wants. I wish it would do more interesting things... I don't know what he's doing, the other me, but I'm married to Katy. Perpetually, until death do us part was the pledge - and I'm still alive."
In fact, far from splitting up, the couple is planning to start a family.
Russell Brand explains, "I would like one (baby). I love those little babies in the beginning. They're so lovely in that bit. Me and Katy are godparents to two twin boys. They're called Sam and Donovan... They are just a year old. At first they were boring. They were just essentially little fluid factories. Generating fluids. No regard for what I was wearing... Now, they are interesting. They smile and look at me. So I can learn from them."


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With the release of the new 2017 Autodesk products comes a to-do list that needs to be completed before you can finally play around and use your new products. For network license users, this means you'll need to update your Autodesk Network License Manager (LMTools) and generate a new Network License file. In this post we'll go over a new and easy way to generate Network License files using Autodesk's new Network License File Generator. For info on updating your LMTools click here.
To start, sign-in to your Autodesk Account at manage.autodesk.com. Once you've signed in, it brings you to the Management screen where you can see your current Autodesk products.
Under the 'Products & Services' tab is a section titled 'Quick Links' where you'll find the 'Generate Network License File' link. Click this link to begin the process.


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What We DeliverGuaranteed
If you don't personally see the results mentioned below, you get your money back. 60-day, no questions asked return policy.
According to a study by Shiv & Fedorikhin, people who were asked to remember a 7 digit number instead of a 2 digit number took the impulsive choice of a slice of cake over the healthy bowl of fruit 34% more often when offered. Why? The cognitive resources needed for remembering the extra 5 digits are diverted from other parts, such as impulse-control and self-awareness.
• Remembering what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, and even what to work on next, has a measurable penalty on your decision making.
• Organize what needs to be done and by when, and Time Mapping will plot the best path for you
• Permission to forget everything, allowing deep concentration—stop checking to see if you have missed anything and relaxalerts let you know when your current course of action is pushing constrained tasks past their due time
working from a schedule gives you clear feedback on how to finish the day, redirecting your thoughts into how to do that
The conflict you have when doing knowledge work is this:
When you are relaxed you have the best ideas—but in this high-dopamine state you are most susceptible to distractions.
When you are under the pressure of a deadline closing in, norepinephrine focuses your attention—but leaves you open to careless mistakes that would be obvious to most parts of the mind, were they not shut off to allow you to focus.
Deflect common thought patterns that prevent flow, gently directing your attention back to the task at hand
Research done by Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research found that simply making a note of what you ate, resulted in an average weight loss of 20 pounds—compared to the group that didn't track, who only lost an average of 10 pounds. Why? Self-awareness unconsciously changes behavior.
What Makes Us Different
We aren't "simple" todo list softwarewe make the creative process predictable
Q: How do you find the time for proactive thinking when the connected world is there to interrupt you?
A: Time Mapping
Free up periods needed for relaxed thinking with scheduling expressive enough to let you set & forget your constraints
About our unique
Day Planner Software
Q: How do you decide what to do, when there is so many things you know you should be doing?
A: ROI Prioritization
Organize your desired outcomes, and then outline and rank your opportunities by the "biggest bang for the buck"
About our unique
Goal Setting Software
Q: How do you keep your mind from getting distracted when you are working on something?
A: Clapperboard
Finely tune your concentration by deflecting common thought patterns that break your flow
About our unique
Time Management Software


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Obtaining a Visa
You will need a visa to enter and study in the U.S. Valencia College issues the I-20 forms that are required to apply for the F-1 student visa. Once all of your admission documents have been submitted and reviewed, Valencia College will issue you an acceptance letter and I-20 form.
Students residing outside of the U.S. at the time of admission will be emailed instructions on how to have their admission packet mailed via priority shipping.
Steps to Apply for a Visa
- Find out how to obtain an F-1 student visa by visiting the U.S. Department of State.
- Review the Form I-20 (this form is also known as "Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student")
- Check your name, date of birth and all other personal information for accuracy. If there are any errors, let us know immediately.
- Sign and date the form.
- Make an appointment at your nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Please note that they get extremely busy around the holidays. (Note: Citizens of Canada and Bermuda can enter the U.S. with an I-20 form and do not need to apply for an F-1 visa).
- Pay the SEVIS fee. Foreign citizens applying to become students must pay the SEVIS I-901 fee of $200 for F-1 visa applicants.
- Complete the DS-160: Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application.
- Attend your appointment with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Make sure that you have the following items ready to take with you:
- I-20 signed and dated
- Valencia College acceptance letter
- A passport that is valid for at least six months beyond your anticipated arrival date
- Financial Support such as bank and/or sponsor letter
- Any proof that you are planning to return to your country after you complete your studies
Already Studying in the U.S.?
International students currently attending a U.S. school can have their I-20 records transferred to Valencia College and only need to apply for a new visa if traveling outside of the U.S. with an expired F-1 visa.


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FRIDAY: Padres fans won't have a pennant this year -- weren't we mathematically eliminated in May? -- but at least we have Beerfest. From 5 until 7 p.m., fans can buy a ticket to the game and enter the Fest, where beer can be sampled for $3 (six ounces) or $6 (14 ounces). Brewers will include Ballast Point, Coronado, Green Flash, Karl Strauss, Mission, Stone, Kona, New Belgium, Sierra Nevada and others.
Beerfest: Petco Park, San Diego; sandiegopadres.mlb.com
SATURDAY: Edible San Diego closes its Eat Drink Local Week with an afternoon of craft beer and food trucks. The $45 ticket includes a $10 credit at the truck of your choice, samples of every beer on hand and live music from the Bayou Brothers. Tickets can be bought here.
Eat Drink Local: Fixtures Living, 9340 Dowdy Drive, Suite 102, San Diego; ediblecommunities.com
SATURDAY: Hamilton's "Second Saturday" party this month features the beers of Ballast Point. Scot Blair, the owner, promises "a ridiculous lineup" and notes that the tavern's two casks will dispense Tongue Buckler and Dorado IIPA, the latter with crystal malt and Chinook hops. From 5 p.m., the kitchen will serve roasted tri-tip, chimmichurri, chili colorado -- pork version -- and more.
Hamilton's: 1521 30th St., San Diego; (619) 238-5460; hamiltonstavern.com
SATURDAY: As popular as India Pale Ales are in San Diego County, few of us are familiar with all the IPAs on the market. Holiday Wine Cellar can help educate your palate -- the Escondido retailer is offering samples of five IPAs for $5. They are: Knee Deep IPA, Hangar 24 Double IPA, Fish Tale Organic IPA, Butcher Double Shaka and Noble IPA.
Holiday Wine Cellar: 302 W. Mission Ave., Escondido; (760) 745-1200; holidaywinecellar.com
SATURDAY: Thank you, Brandon Hernandez, for tipping me to the fact that today is Sour Beer Day! When last I checked, Encinitas Ale House was pouring the rare Drie Fonteinen Zwet.Be, a tart and tasty Belgian porter made with lambic yeast.
Encinitas Ale House: 1044 S. Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas; (760) 943-7180; encinitasalehouse.com
SUNDAY: It's worth a reminder and a trip to Escondido -- every Sunday, Stone sells "rare and vintage" beers, beginning at 11 a.m. Think of this as a liquid garage sale.
Stone Brewing: 1999 Citracado Parkway, Escondido; (760) 471-4999; stonebrew.com


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Smile straphangers — you're on candid camera!
Four cars of an E train equipped with state-of-the-art security cameras made its unprecedented first run this morning, part of an aggressive anti-terror and crime initiative that the MTA could expand to every line in the subway system.
Riders in the super-secure cars will see a sticker that reads: "Notice: This train may be equipped with a video recording device."
The train will make four runs today — from Jamaica Center to the World Trade Center –two in the morning hours and two in the afternoon.
The cameras won't be watched live, but will be digitally taped and stored and used in investigations and criminal prosecutions.
Also installed in the same cars are "fold-up" subway seats, which transit officials may use in the future to squeeze 18 percent more riders into subway cars during rush hour.
Vertical bars on those cars will be closer to the windows, instead of pushed toward the center. Also, metal grasps — hearkening back to the hanging straps — will be placed on the cross-bar above the seats.
There's no timeline when the seats will be "unlocked" and put into use.
As for the cameras, transit officials said alerting riders to their mere presence can reduce crime and aid in fighting terror.
"Video camera systems have clearly been shown to help deter criminal activity on transit vehicles," said new subway and bus chief Thomas Prendergast.
He added that the cameras are invaluable when it comes to investigating the "potential threat of terrorist activity" on the subway.
If a straphanger is assaulted — heaven forbid — he or she can report the incident to the NYPD and police can then use the video feed in the investigation.
Each car will be equipped with four cameras, for a total of 16. The system was manufactured and installed by California-based TOA Corp. with little to no cost to the MTA.
"The cameras will be conspicuously installed in the train," said a NYCT source. "It'll provide us with forensic evidence."
There will be a 12-month evaluation process, and then a final decision on their use will be made in 2011.
Officials will look at video quality and after "evaluation of the system, NYC Transit may consider implementing the closed-circuit television system throughout the subway fleet," said Steven Feil, senior vice president for the department of subways.
Straphangers welcomed the watchful eye, saying criminals were less likely to strike if they know they're being recorded.
"It'll protect people. It'll bring down a lot of unwanted activities on the train," said Donald Terrell, 48, from Harlem.
"A lot of people in New York see something but they don't say anything," he added.
Several female riders said the cameras will give them peace of mind during late-night commutes.
"There are a lot of perverts out there, and if cops aren't around now you'll be able to say "run the tape!" said Nicole Davis, 34, a Bronx school bus driver.
MTA board member Norman Seabrook, who chairs the safety and security committee, said he was concerned about people "vandalizing" the cameras.
"I hope we don't see people spray painting them over," he said.


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Improving Our Understanding of Extreme Events in the Arctic Using a Cross-Disciplinary Approach
When: 19 - 23 June 2018 | Where: Davos (Switzerland)
Working Groups: AWG, CWG, MWG, SHWG, TWG
Contacts: Alek Petty, Thomas Armitage
T-MOSAiC Implementation Workshop
When: 19 - 23 June 2018 | Where: Davos (Switzerland)
Working Groups: AWG, CWG, MWG, SHWG, TWG
Contacts: João Canário, Warwick F. Vincent
Young Permafrost Researchers Workshop, during EUCOP 2018
When: 23 - 29 June 2018 | Where: Chamonix (France)
Working Groups: CWG, SHWG, TWG
Contacts: Florence Magnin, Justine Ramage
When: 14 - 16 May 2018 | Where: Fairbanks (Alaska) | Contact: Julia Schmale
Working Groups: AWG, SHWG, TWG
The air Pollution in the Arctic: Climate, Environment and Societies (PACES) initiative has been developed as a bottom-up community action to address deficiencies in our understanding of sources, processing and fate of Arctic air pollution. PACES WG2 focuses on interactions between Arctic air pollution and societies. Approaches to address key research questions under consideration are observational studies guided by community concerns, investigation of local air quality in Arctic communities, and feedbacks between economic development, air pollution and environmental change in the Arctic. A first city has been identified for a major international field study: Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. The IASC co-sponsored workshop brought together the scientific and local air quality communities to discuss ideas on how to investigate the air pollution problems of Fairbanks. The outcome of the workshop is to write a whitepaper on the ALaskan Pollution and Chemical Analysis (ALPACA) project. The white paper serves as a basis to acquire funding for an extensive scientific study.
For more information see the PACES and ALPACA websites.
• Fairbanks is the most polluted city in the USA in terms of particulate matter in winter.
• The emission sources of the particulate matter and precursors thereof are not fully understood, and hence require investigation.
• The cold and dark environment in the wintertime Arctic creates very specific conditions under which atmospheric processes occur that are still largely unknown. ALPACA will tackle these knowledge gaps specifically.
Arctic Freshwater Resources Initiative (ArcFRI)
When: 15 - 16 March 2018 | Where: Stockholm (Sweden) | Contacts: Johanna Mård, Arvid Bring
Working Groups: AWG, CWG, SHWG, TWG
The Arctic Freshwater Resources Initiative (ArcFRI) project gathers an international and interdisciplinary consortium of senior and early-career researchers to enhance our understanding of how freshwater resources in Arctic respond to and are possibly threatened by the present rapid change in the Arctic, both climate and land-use, water-use change, while also exploring opportunities to sustain and improve water resources in the region. In the first ArcFRI workshop in Stockholm, the team continued the preparation of a perspective paper that sets out the key challenges and opportunities for freshwater resources under scenarios of changing geophysical and socio-economic conditions in the Arctic. This first workshop was the first gathering of the research team, and work focused on the structure of the review/perspective paper as well as producing the first text towards a draft manuscript. In addition to IASC, this workshop was also co-sponsored by the Bolin Centre for Climate Research at Stockholm University, which supported the workshop with premises, logistical organization and the participation of one senior researcher in a public seminar in conjunction with the workshop.
• The Workshop identified a set of key indicators for impacts on Arctic freshwater resources.
• The Workshop reviewed driving forces and associated freshwater system components.
• The Workshop discussed how to analyze the impact of various geophysical and socio-economic scenarios on the identified indicators.
The Importance of Arctic Glaciers for the Arctic Marine Ecosystem (NAG)
When: 22 - 24 January 2018 | Where: Obergurgl (Austria) | Contacts: Thorben Dunse, Renate Degen
Working Groups: CWG, MWG
The workshop integrated two special activities. The first, "Understanding atmosphere-glacier-ocean interactions and their implications for the pan-Arctic glacier mass budget" represents a long-term strategy of the Cryosphere Working Group and NAG. The second theme broke new ground: an IASC cross-cutting activity of the Cryosphere and Marine working groups of IASC, addressing "The importance of Arctic glaciers for the Arctic marine ecosystem".
Interdisciplinary work requires that researchers from the involved disciplines get to know each other and learn to understand each-others scientific jargon. The IASC cross-cutting activity contributed in building a bridge between the cryosphere and biosphere community. NAG aims to elaborate this initiative in the years to come and work towards the involvement of members from other relevant disciplines, such as physical oceanography, ocean biogeochemistry, as well as terrestrial ecology.
The next workshop on the dynamics and mass balance of Arctic Glaciers and Network on Arctic Glaciology annual meeting will be held at Bardøla Hotel in Geilo, Norway, 20-24 January 2019. More information will be distributed via Cryolist and the IASC-NAG website until summer 2018.
RATIC Sustainable Arctic Infrastructure Forum (SAIF)
Working Groups: AWG, CWG, MWG, SHWG, TWG
The Sustainable Arctic Infrastructure Forum (SAIF) was an IASC cross-cutting workshop involving principally the IASC Terrestrial, Social and Human, and Cryosphere working groups. The forum occurred 3 April, during Arctic Science Summit Week 2017, in Prague, Czech Republic. Eleven related scientific papers and six posters were presented during the Science Session 17.3 "Rapid Arctic Transitions due to Infrastructure and Climate (RATIC)". SAIF is an activity of the IASC RATIC initiative. Thirty-nine individuals participated in the SAIF workshop. The program consisted of: (1) a series of introductory talks, (2) a keynote student presentation by Will Tyson, (3) breakout sessions to address scientific and policy issues related to major types of infrastructure, and (4) discussion to address a journal publication and a RATIC strategy document. The major task of SAIF was to address the cumulative effects of four major types of infrastructure systems: indigenous infrastructure (e.g., camps, trails, corrals, migration corridors, etc.); onshore oil & gas fields (networks of roads, drilling and facility pads, pipelines, etc.); remote communities (village infrastructure); and urban infrastructure (cities).Workshop Report
Contact: Donald A. (Skip) Walker
BEPSII: Biogeochemical Exchange Processes at Sea Ice Interfaces
The BEPSII research community is a global community of sea-ice biogeochemists which had been initiated as SCOR WG 140 which addressed fundamental issues in communication and methods. BEPSII was then approved by SOLAS (Surface Ocean Lower Atmosphere Study) and CliC (Climate and Cryosphere) as a longer-lived activity with additional endorsement from SCAR (Scientific Committee of Antarctic Science). With additional support from IASC, a Workshop was being held in La Jolla, April 2017, discussing updates of activities including science talks and poster presentations. The focus of the 2nd phase is to develop the tools to tackle big-picture questions of global relevance and feedbacks. A set of objectives has been compiled with specific task groups which comprises the base for a draft 5 year -science plan. As a BEPSII subgroup, the new SCOR Working Group 152 was established: Measuring Essential Climate Variables in Sea Ice (ECV-Ice) which had its first meeting within the BEPSII workshop. Upcoming tasks include several method intercalibration projects, support for the MOSAiC field program, 1-D and 3-D model intercomparisons, a student field school and various experimental and modelling approaches enhancing our understanding of biogeochemical exchange processes at sea -ice interfaces (BEPSII).Workshop Summary
Contact: Nadja Steiner
For more information see the following page
Long-term Perspectives on Arctic Social-Ecological Systems
Working Groups: AWG, MWG, SHWG, TWG
A long-term, interdisciplinary perspective is needed to better understand past human responses to changing Arctic environments and present transformations and in turn strengthen the knowledge base for future sustainability strategies. The use of complimentary chronological perspectives (palaeo, contemporary and future) can provide mutually-reinforcing insights into factors that contribute to vulnerability and resilience within the closely interconnected social-ecological systems (SESs) of the Arctic. A conference session will be convened during Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) 2017 to assist in integrating historical, archaeological and long-term environmental and climatic records in order to improve understanding of the 'palaeo' aspects of Arctic SESs. In order to build on the 'palaeo' outcomes of the ASSW 2017 conference session, opportunities will be explored to convene subsequent conference sessions at ASSW 2018 in Davos, Switzerland to explore developments affecting contemporary Arctic SESs, and at ASSW 2019 in Arkhangelsk, Russia to explore opportunities to support future sustainability.Workshop Report
Contact: Peter Jordan
Community-based Research – Do's and Don'ts in Arctic Research
Working Groups: CWG, MWG, SHWG
Climate change represents a major challenge for northern regions, and its impacts are already being observed in many communities. The workshop session "Community-based Research – Do`s and Don`ts in Arctic Research" was organized by IASC Fellows Josefine Lenz (TWG), Elena Kuznetsova, Louis-Philippe Roy, Robert Way (all CWG), Kristina Brown and Emily Choy (all MWG) in the frame of the Permafrost Young Researchers Workshop on 18-19 June 2016 during the 11th International Conference on Permafrost 2016 (icop.org).
This workshop session aimed at bringing together Early Career Scientists (including engineers) and local Arctic actors to discuss best practices and exchange of traditional and modern knowledge when conducting research in northern countries. Together with our invited guests Richard Gordon (Inuvik, Canada), Anna Annasyeva (Tromsø, Norway), Jan Otto Habeck (Hamburg, Germany) and Robert Way (Ottawa, Canada), young researchers created a list of "Do`s and Don`ts in Arctic Research" in small groups and openly discussed with all participants. Sharing of diverse experiences in northern communities, crosscutting of disciplines and greater scientific understanding of the Arctic Regions was actively enhanced during the workshop. The organizers, as well as invited guests and participants, concluded that the workshop session was incredibly interesting and a great success.
Contact: Josefine Lenz
Cutting barriers in snow knowledge
Working Groups: AWG, CWG, MWG, SHWG, TWG
Snow influences all IASC working groups from arctic bio- and geosystem through to human values and practices. The concrete goal of this workshop is to come up with a product for better interaction of researchers concerning snow related questions in the Arctic and to build a network.
Workshop information is available here.
Contact: Martin Schneebeli | Cryosphere Working Group
Advancing Integrated, Cross-cutting Practices for Arctic Flux Observations in Terrestrial Environments
Detailed observations of energetic, hydrological and chemical fluxes at the surface-atmosphere interface are necessary to understand and model coupling within the Arctic climate system. Global and regional models may represent Arctic state variables with relative accuracy, but it has been observed that they consistently fail to represent the observed magnitude and direction of energetic fluxes within the Arctic system (Jones, 2014; Aas et al, in press). Some results of this failure are highly uncertain projections about the future state of the Arctic cryosphere and biosphere (McGuire et al., 2013) and high uncertainty about the fate of cryospheric carbon in the global atmosphere (McGuire et al., 2012; Belshe et al., 2013; Hayes et al. 2014; Christensen, 2014).
A host of initiatives, organizations and disciplines share an interest in these topics, yet no one organization has the expertise or mandate to tackle the integrated, pan-Arctic challenge. In recognition of this, it was proposed to develop an IASC cross-cutting initiative to bring together the expertise and resources of IASC member science communities. A starting point for developing collaborative research objectives and refining community interest was the open workshop 2016, initiated by a small scoping meeting in association with the Fairbanks ASSW.
Contact: Sandy Starkweather
Symposium: Do we speak the same language of science?
Working Groups: AWG, CWG, MWG, SHWG, TWG
Among the numerous events supported by IASC during the ASSW 2016 was the Symposium "Do we speak the same language of science?" organized by one of IASC Fellows, Malgorzata (Gosia) Smieszek from IASC Social & Human Sciences Working Group (SHWG). In this well-attended event invited speakers both from IASC Working Groups and beyond spoke on research methods, challenges and limitations of human, social and natural sciences and discussed with the audience effective means of communication between disciplines as well as best practices for the pursuit of interdisciplinary research in the Arctic. In the first keynote speech of the session Louwrens Hacquebord, the founding chair of IASC SHWG, recalled beginnings and developments that led to recognition of social sciences as polar sciences within IASC. In the second keynote speech Thomas Armstrong, chair of the Arctic Council Adaptation Actions for a Changing Arctic (AACA) project, addressed means for effective connection of science and decision-making, essential in developing responses and adaptation actions in the Arctic. The Symposium served as a support for development of cross-cutting initiatives among IASC Working Groups.
Contact: Malgorzata (Gosia) Smieszek | IASC Fellow on Social and Human Working Group
Community-based Research - Do`s and Don`ts in Arctic Science"
Working Groups: CWG, MWG, SHWG
This international workshop, to be arranged in conjunction with the International Conference on Permafrost (Potsdam, June 2016), will facilitate an exchange among Early Career Researchers of various fields of research and Indigenous Peoples' spokespersons to discuss permafrost research with and in northern communities.
Contact: Josefine Lenz | IASC Fellow on Terrestrial Working Group
Arctic in Rapid Transition (ART)
ART is a pan-Arctic scientific network developed and steered by early-career scientists, which aims at studying the impact of environmental changes on the Arctic marine ecosystem. ART has a focus on bridging across time-scales, by incorporating paleo-studies with modern observations and modeling. ART is now in the process of broadening its scientific vision to address the changing marine realm as an integrated system fully ramified with other components of the Arctic. Within this framework, ART will continue to propose inter-disciplinary workshops targeted to students and post-docs, and will support the development of joint projects and collaborations that should deliver innovative knowledge on biogeochemical and ecological implications of Arctic changes.
Contact: Nathalie Morata | Chair
For more information see the following page
International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic (INTERACT)
Working Groups: AWG, SHWG, TWG
INTERACT (International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic) gained an infrastructure award from the EU's 7th Framework (infrastructure programme) in 2010 and a new award from the EU Horizon2020 Framework programme in 2016. INTERACT is a network of 79 terrestrial research stations. The research stations are located in all of the Arctic countries and in many neighbouring northern countries. The INTERACT stations together hosts over 5,000 researchers and 76 individual environmental networks every year. INTERACT is building capacity for research, monitoring and education at national, regional and global scales. It works with many international organisations and is also highly visible in political circles. It brings station managers together to share information and data and to promote interoperability of measurements, and it increases researcher mobility and has funded over 500 researchers to visit all Arctic countries. It is also developing new methodology in rapid response to environmental emergency alerts, drone technology, biodiversity monitoring and local adaptation. This innovative and huge network ensures active participation in addressing environmental challenges of both local and global significance.
Contact: Margareta Johansson | Coordinator
Contact: Terry Callaghan | Scientific Coordinator
For more information see the following page
Arctic Coastal Dynamics (ACD)
Though generally only a few kilometers wide (except in the vicinity of large deltas), the coastal zone of the Arctic Ocean is the site of dramatic changes in not only the land and ocean but also in the cryosphere and biosphere. The Arctic coastlines are highly variable, can be stable or extremely dynamic and are the site of most of the human activity that occurs at high latitudes. Extraction of natural resources occurs in many locations around the Arctic Ocean creating the need for port facilities and the potential for pollution. These pressures are only likely to increase with time.
The Arctic Coastal Dynamics (ACD) project was established in 2000 to focus and coordinate circumpolar research on these physical processes that are unique to cold coasts in the northern regions. ACD is a multi-disciplinary, multi-national forum to exchange ideas and information. The overall objective is to improve our understanding of circum-Arctic coastal dynamics as a function of environmental forcing, coastal geology and cryology and morphodynamic behavior.
Contact: Pier Paul Overduin | Project Leader
Contact: Nicole Couture | Project Leader
For more information see the following page
Arctic Freshwater Synthesis (AFS)
Working Groups: AWG, CWG, MWG, SHWG, TWG
There is increasing scientific recognition that changes to the Arctic freshwater systems have produced, and could produce even greater, changes to bio-geophysical and socio-economic systems of special importance to northern residents and also produce some extra-arctic effects that will have global consequences. To address such concerns, a scientific synthesis will be conducted that focuses on the various Arctic freshwater sources, fluxes, storage and effects. The range of sources and fluxes to be assessed include: atmospheric vapour transport, precipitation-evaporation, river flow, ablation of glaciers and ice caps, sea ice formation/ablation and marine (low-salinity water) exchanges. Extra-Arctic sources and fluxes from lower latitudes will be included, given their relatively large influence on the overall Arctic freshwater budget, as well as potential flux regulators (e.g., flow from the Greenland Ice Sheet).
Jointly organized with the Climate and Cryosphere project and the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, the synthesis will be coordinated through a set of international workshops and meetings, with past open community meetings at the AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco in 2012 and at the ASSW 2013.
Contact: Johanna Mård Karlsson | Network Coordinator
Contact: Arvid Bring | Network Coordinator
For more information see f.ex. the following page
Palaeo-Arctic Spatial and Temporal Gateways (PAST Gateways)
'PAST Gateways' (Palaeo-Arctic Spatial and Temporal Gateways) is an IASC endorsed research programme, the scientific goal of which is to understand Arctic environmental change during the period preceding instrumental records and across decadal to millennial timescales. The focus of the six year programme is on the nature and significance of Arctic gateways, both spatial and temporal, with an emphasis on the transitions between major Late Cenozoic climate events such as interglacials to full glacials and full glacial to deglacial states, as well as more recent Holocene fluctuations. There are three major themes to the programme: (1) Growth and decay of Arctic Ice Sheets; (2) Arctic sea-ice and ocean changes, and (3) Non-glaciated Arctic environments.
PAST Gateways follows on from the previous network programmes of 'PONAM' (Polar North Atlantic Margins), 'QUEEN' (Quaternary Environment of the Eurasian North) and, most recently, 'APEX' (Arctic Palaeoclimate and its Extremes). It is interdisciplinary in nature and seeks to bring together field scientists and numerical modellers to advance understanding about Arctic climate change. The programme involves scientists from across Europe, Russia, Canada and the USA, and is lead by a Steering Committee comprising members from participating countries. Each year it will bring together scientists in a multidisciplinary International Meeting to discuss recent research and improvements in the understanding of Arctic environmental change.
Contact: Colm O'Cofaigh | Chairman
For more information see f.ex. the following page
Geosciences Assessment
For more information please see the following page
Historical Data Retrieval
Where: Icelandic Meteorological Office, Reykjavík I When: 11-12 November 2013
An IASC-sponsored workshop on data rescue and citizen-science was held at the Icelandic Meteorological Office in Reykjavik, Iceland, on November 11 and 12, 2013. The aim of the workshop was to develop new collaborations and research strategies for the conversion and use of technically intractable Arctic data sets. For example, large quantities of historical environmental data are available that have not been utilized because they are not easily converted into a readily analyzable form, such as manuscripts and unstructured descriptive data.
Workshop sessions focused on presentations by subject-area experts followed up on the afternoon of the second day by an open-format discussion aimed at identifying data requirements and potential cross-discipline collaborations on science and/or technical means of data recovery and analysis. The potential of citizen-science to reduce the barrier between intractable data and new methods of using them was a major theme.
The workshop recognized cultural differences between disciplines—such as varying approaches to free and open data access—that need to be taken into account, but also fostered new potential collaborations among social and physical scientists, archivists, and curators, and strengthened existing relationships.


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Under federal labor law, children between the ages of 14 and 15 must work outside school hours, for no longer than three hours on a school day, for no more than eight hours on a nonschool day and for no more than 40 hours per week when school is not in session, notes the U.S. Department of Labor. Children between the ages of 16 and 17 can work an unlimited number of hours in jobs not deemed hazardous.Continue Reading
Lawmakers designed the youth provisions in the Fair Labor Standards Act to protect children's health and educational opportunities, according to the Department of Labor. There are different standards for the agricultural industry, and children are allowed to work for their parents as long as the jobs aren't in mining or manufacturing or declared hazardous for children under the age of 18.
While 14- and 15-year-olds are generally covered together under federal labor law, the law does permit 15-year-olds to act as lifeguards at swimming pools or water amusement parks, while 14-year-olds are prohibited from this work, explains the Department of Labor. Children under the age of 14 can only work in jobs that are exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act, such as acting or newspaper delivery. When federal and state law differ regarding child labor, employers must follow the more restrictive of the two.Learn more about Child Support & Custody


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A stone can add beauty and visual interest to your surroundings. Stones have many applications. They are used in construction and landscaping. Texas Quality Stone Inc. is located in Houston, TX and sells stones of all kinds like natural stone, flag stone and sand stone. We sell stones in different sizes and shapes. All our products are of great quality and are very durable.
Texas Quality Stone Inc. has a huge rock yard with a large collection of stones. We have on our premises many rare stones that are hard to find. We guarantee you that no matter what stone it is that you need, you will find it in Texas Quality Stone Inc. We deliver stones within 200 miles of Houston.
Contact us to know more about our work and services.


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Free Cell Phone – Care Wireless
Update: Care Wireless is no longer in business and does not participate in the free government phone program.
In addition to SafeLink Wireless and ReachOut wireless, Illinois residents that meet the income qualifications can receive free government cell phone along with free airtime from Care Wireless. Care Wireless is powered by Ptel (formerly Platinum Tel).
What Care Wireless Offers
As mentioned above, Care Wireless provides a free cell phone but they also provide 300 minutes of talk time or the equivalent is 750 text messages. This is a no-contract, no monthly bill service.
In addition to free airtime their free wireless phones offer services such as Caller ID, Voice Mail, Three-Way Calling and free nationwide long distance.
Qualifying for Care Wireless Free Service
To qualify you must be a resident of Illinois. Care Wireless is available in Illinois. In addition to the residency requirements you must participate in at least one of the following government assistance programs:
- Food Stamps
- Medicaid
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8)
- National School Free Lunch Program
- Bureau of Indian Affairs Programs
- Supplemental Social Security (SSI)
- Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
Please be advised that if someone else in your economic unit is already participating in a Lifeline government phone program, you are not eligible for Care Wireless. Only one government program is allowable per economic unit.
Applying for a Care Wireless Cell Phone
Care makes it very easy to apply. You have the option of enrolling online by visiting their website or you can call them using their toll-free number of 1-855-711-2222. If those options don't suit your fancy you can download the Illinois enrollment Application and fax it or mail it back to them.
If you are accepted into the program and they ship a free cell phone to you, you are subject to an annual verification. This means that once a year you must provide the necessary documentation to prove you continue to meet the qualifying criteria for free government phones.
Purchasing Additional Airtime
The monthly value of the free 300-minute/725-text plan is $15. Care Wireless deducts five cents for every minute of talk time and two cents for every text sent or received. Additionally, There's a fifty-cent charge for every 411 call plus an additional five cents for each minute you're on the 411 calls.
If you find that 300 airtime minutes is not enough to meet your monthly cell phone needs, you can purchase additional airtime ranging from $10 to $100 which gives you anywhere from 90 days to 365 days of phone service.
Please note, in order to receive your free airtime, you must have your phone on for the first three days of the month. That is when the airtime is credited to your account.
Buying additional airtime is a simple as dialing 611 from your phone, or you can visit the Care Wireless website, log into your account and purchase the denomination of time you need. If you prefer to handle business in person, find a Ptel store in your area.
Category: Care Wireless, Illinios


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If Your Computer Hasn't Long Been Held For Ransom Yet, It Is Really
What is Ransomware?
In one sense, ransomware is a growth industry. The best hackers now sell ransom software to wanna-be hackers, partially accounting for the explosion in the number of cyber attacks. The hacker programmers reserve their best work for their own use.
Ransomware locks up a computer system and demands money to release it. Many companies take weeks or months to recover from the loss of revenue. Some companies problem ultimately cannot recover and go out of business.
Businesses lost at least $75 billion in downtime - many attacks aren't reported, so the true cost could be significantly higher
Ransoms demanded vary widely, from $500 to $50,000 or more
Should Ransom be Paid?
No. It's tempting to pay the ransom, especially if the amount isn't too excessive. However, there is no guarantee that you'll regain access to your data. You're not dealing with a legitimate businessman. You could be dealing with someone wearing the uniform of a very hostile government. You could be dealing with someone with links to terrorists. You could be dealing with a kid in a third-world nation. Whatever the case, you've no clue who you're dealing with.
If you recover your data, it could all have been copied and put up for sale. Medical records are worth about $500 to the right person and may be resold several times. The data could be corrupted or infected. Paying the ransom is a waste of money. Not only that but every time someone pays the ransom, it encourages further ransomware attacks.
Free Wifi Could Cost You Everything
There is a huge most secure wifi. A hacker can grab access to your computer in five seconds, even from the parking lot outside the cafe. Suddenly, you're connected to the hacker's network and he/she can do whatever they like. Grab your passwords, empty your bank account - all of the data on your computer is now theirs. Anytime you're away from home, paid wifi is always safer than free.
Here's another hint. Never take an unattended flash drive. Hackers leave them lying around hoping someone will take it and plug it in. As soon as that happens, their system belongs to the hacker.
Call the Experts Immediately
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(b 1913; d 1969).
American potter famed for his hand-painted porcelain figures of American birds. He maintained an aviary on the Delaware River, and the captured life specimens were the ...
Subjects: Decorative Arts, Furniture, and Industrial Design.
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Lost Etheme documentation by Anonymous
Steve sent me these a few weeks back and I promptly forgot about them, such is the organisation I apply to my life.
Anyway, I'm leaving them in the format they were created in out of respect for whoever put them together. Because of this there isn't a way back to the Etherdox homepage but if you're using Firefox you can browse within a new tab.
There's some explanation of things that I've always been a bit wooly on myself so it's a good read.
If you happen to know who created it then please let me know so I can contact them. These are currently hosted without the authors permission and I would like to get some sort of ok.
Page last updated: 02/04/06


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Ribfest funding supports Naperville-based parent mentoring program
Naperville Exchange Club's Ribfest proceeds support parent mentoring program
Looking back on a difficult phase of parenting her middle son, Xiaohong Li of Naperville now says her approach was all wrong.
When he was angry and she didn't know why, she thought "What's wrong with him?" or "What's wrong with me?"
When she didn't know how to handle his anger in a certain situation, she'd feel frustrated, defeated.
Turns out she should have been thinking about what her son was going through developmentally and seeking to understand -- not solve or abruptly end -- his displays of anger, says Li, now a volunteer parent mentor with Naperville-based Project HELP.
The charity is one of several nonprofits heavily supported by the Naperville Exchange Club's Ribfest, which recently wrapped up its 26th year of raising funds for efforts to end child abuse and domestic violence.
Project HELP runs a parent mentoring program and parent education classes that teach people like Li how to find internal or external resources to maintain a safe and healthy environment for their children, even during stressful situations like job loss or divorce, said Regina Rogers, executive director.
"For us as Project HELP, the safe and healthy development of a child is our top priority," Rogers said. "We're building and strengthening families so it lessens the chance of them abusing their kids."
Li says she gained a new parenting approach, grew in stress management skills and even found a way to give back, all starting the moment she first contacted Project HELP in 2007.
"I felt like a defeated mother at that time, so I needed help," she said. "The home visitation gives you a great sense of being supported."
Li participated in a yearlong parent mentoring program, one of two offered by Project HELP, which works with parents to create a "Healthy Environment for Little People." She received weekly visits from someone who had been there -- a parent-volunteer willing to listen to issues Li was having with her then 8-year-old son, share advice and give her mental tools to be a more effective parent.
"By being relaxed with the (mentor's) support, I could think about what's going on with my son's growing process," Li said. "It's a deeper understanding of human development and a deeper understanding, when the situations come up, of how to communicate instead of placing blame."
Li took the lessons she learned from her mentor a few steps further, beginning to volunteer with Project HELP in 2010 and taking a class to become a life coach a year later. She now has been a mentor for three families, including one led by a single mother, and wants to assist multicultural families in the future.
Rogers said Project HELP mentors about 20 families in a year, and most of them are referred through counselors or social service personnel in Naperville Unit District 203, Indian Prairie Unit District 204 or Evangelical Child and Family Agency of Wheaton.
"The families who reach out to us are those who want to improve their parenting skills," Rogers said, adding families never are required to follow a referral to Project HELP. "Those are the ones who make great changes."
The organization was founded in 1992 by the Naperville Exchange Club and has continued to receive the club's support since then, Rogers said. Now, about 75 percent of Project HELP's budget comes from money raised at Ribfest each Fourth of July weekend and doled out during a banquet each March.
Rogers declined to specify Project HELP's total budget but said Ribfest funding from the Exchange Club helps fund volunteer training, counseling for families who need mental health assistance, rent for the office at 1815 W. Diehl Road and other programming, operational and personnel costs.
Project HELP has about 15 volunteers and recently hired a full-time family support specialist, but Rogers said more assistance is always welcome. Empathetic people who want to help parents address life issues through a one-on-one mentoring relationship are encouraged to visit projecthelpdupage.org or call (630) 357-5683 to learn about volunteering opportunities.
Being a mother or father is not necessary, as Rogers, who got her start as a Project HELP volunteer in 2006, is not a parent herself.
"Whether we're parents or not, we've all been parented," Rogers said. "And some of us are just passionate about families and helping raise healthy children."


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Working in healthcare can be a wonderful privilege where every day we have opportunities to develop therapeutic relationships and play healing roles in people's lives. Although not mutual, these relationships can be intimate and rewarding. It can also be fulfilling to be part of a dynamic team pulling together to save lives and helping patients and families navigate tough times. Relationships are also integral from a complexity science perspective in that we are the elements of our complex adaptive system. Bottom line: how we interact will influence all of our outcomes.
Work Relationships can be Traumatic
Doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers are repeatedly exposed to tragedy, loss and grief in our daily work. We may be helpless in the face of disease progression while time and staffing limitations can make it very challenging to nurture healthy interprofessional and therapeutic relationships. In addition, we have pervasive problems with vertical and horizontal violence and toxic cultures. Whether painful or joyful, helpful or hurtful, with patients or each other, the relationship components of our work profoundly affect us, the systems we work in, and the care we provide.
The Value of Different Thinking
As a nurse, author and medical improv practitioner, I have one foot in the science of healthcare and one in the art. This isn't new for me or necessarily a conscious path, but before I went to nursing school I earned an undergraduate degree in biochemistry with a minor in theater and communication. This perspective helps me see how incredibly valuable improv can be for nurturing positive relationships and convey that to others. In an effort to do that, throughout this series we'll explore three separate topics and then discuss how they are related. First, we'll look at the vast complexity of what is going on between us. Second we'll dive into the concept of neuroplasticity and practices that support it. And finally, we'll uncover how experiential strategies from medical improv can be helpful.
Stay tuned for Part II next week where we answer the very intriguing question of, "What is going on between us?" But first, I'd like to hear from you: What is going on between us? Why do you think we struggle with relationships in healthcare?


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Golden Reunion
June 14, 2004
During commencement weekend, the class of 1954 gathered for their 50th reunion. Alumni were treated to tours of the campus Rose Garden, faculty lectures, campus tours, a luncheon with Interim President Paul Bragdon, and a reunion banquet. Participants enjoyed reconnecting with classmates and the College.


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IT, Healthcare the Top Fields for Telecommuting Jobs, According to FlexJobs
If you want to work from home, you might have an easier time finding a telecommuting gig if you're in healthcare or computer/IT. Those two industries dominated FlexJobs' list, The Top 100 Companies With Work-From-Home Jobs, which ranks the companies that offered the most work-from-home opportunities on the site in the past year. Forty percent of the companies included were in one of those two fields.