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The Longboat Key Town Commission must decide at its June 17 regular workshop whether to give businesses the right to advertise their locations on the town's five new wayfinding signs.
The wayfinding signs were erected last month as part of a $500,000 federal stimulus grant.
The town has used approximately $120,000 to upgrade the two welcome signs at the north and south ends of the Key and $50,000 to upgrade the wayfinding signs that alert motorists to businesses located off Gulf of Mexico Drive. The rest of the money was used for Gulf of Mexico Drive landscaping.
The signs, which sit along Gulf of Mexico Drive at Broadway, the 5000 block of GMD, the 4000 block of GMD, Bay Isles Road and just south of Longboat Club Road, all have eight blank nameplates on them.
The signs have piqued the curiosity of at least two business owners, according to Public Works Director Juan Florensa.
"We believe the commission wants to put generic names on the signs that read Police, Town Hall, etc.," Florensa said. "But we want to clarify whether we should add generic names like banks, churches or real-estate offices."
Or, Florensa says, the commission has the option of allowing the names of certain business or churches to be included on the signs.
"We need the commission to tell us what they want," Florensa said. "It's up to them to decide if we should remain silent on the businesses that are off the main road."
Florensa said he also needs direction on how to "divvy up the signs" to businesses if the commission decides to allow their names on the signs.
In a memo Florensa sent to Town Manager Bruce St. Denis dated June 9, Florensa wrote, "Generally, the Florida Department of Transportation requires these types of signs contain only information guiding motorists to public destinations such as parks, libraries, visitor centers, tourist information centers and the like."
Town staff is suggesting the following names be placed on the town's five new wayfinding signs: Center for the Arts, Boat Ramp, Beach Access, Police/Fire Rescue, Chamber of Commerce, Town Hall, Joan M. Durante Park, Post Office, Public Tennis Center, Bicentennial Park and Library
Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].
The Longboat Key Town Commission must decide at its June 17 regular workshop whether to give businesses the right to advertise their locations on the town's five new wayfinding signs.


text: Sorry 'bout this all, Bob, I just need to get this out of my system... Why would we expect such a thing? Our heroes aren't interested in navigation in the slightest. They are wrestling helm control back from M-5. If this requires opening a box labeled "Helm plus stuff", and the stuff happens to include navigation, so be it. But what we really expect to see here is systems allowing our heroes to point the ship's bow in the desired direction. Be they manual or automatic (and preferably, of course, both), they have every right to feature all the elements of steering, including the machinery responsible for the act itself. There's a pretty clear reason why I so allude. It's a way in which ships are steered in real life. We have no data on how ships are steered in Star Trek. Here, pieces fall effortlessly in place if we assume ships in Star Trek are steered the same way ships in real life are. I cannot fathom why you would so desperately resist the pieces falling in place... It's not as if a) you would have a competing model you could point at as being evident on screen and therefore invalidating this model, or b) canon aside, there would be something wrong with this model per se, or another fictional model would be superior per se, or c) something would be gained by arguing that Chekov cannot be looking at a diagram featuring the warp propulsion system when looking for ways to influence where the ship warps. Based on what? None of the dialogue bits you quoted suggest anything one way or another. If the ship moves at warp, it is being steered by warp steering (except perhaps when superentities make her fly in circles); if it does not, it is not being steered by warp steering. Dialogue never dwells on either situation, and juxtaposing one situation's helm dialogue with another's warping dialogue won't help. Naah. It would show the system, with "dead" and "live" differentiated by minor things we can ignore, just like we ignore most of the (lack of) graphical detail in Star Trek. Having this diagram visible 24/7 poses no problem whatsoever, regardless of what it is supposed to describe, as long as it describes part of the hero starship (rather than something they only visit that one week). Makes no sense. You would now need to prove that a) part of what Chekov works on is irrelevant to what he is doing, and b) there is something to be gained from the diagram not being relevant to Chekov's task. The first claim is absurd, while the second calls for some pretty hefty explaining. Why do you so desperately wish for Star Trek to not make sense? Much more easily done than trying to explain why Chekov would be watching hard(ware) porn during working hours. Oh, well. Display shows Chekov that items A, F and J need to be checked. Chekov checks those specific items, namely their associated switches, and observes their status, then reports this to Spock. No need for him to look back at the display. There. Feel any better? Timo Saloniemi

subset: commoncrawl


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This is a product idea I have submitted on Quirky targeted at runners.
Changing the music volume (because of traffic, changing environmental noise) while running is always a hassle. Well, not any more, Runne(a)rphone's here.
Vote here: http://www.quirky.com/ideations/224692 (if you like it, and tell your friends about it too)
The Problem
This product is a solution to a very specific problem- changing the volume of your music device while running.
When running, we often have to change the volume over the course of the run, especially if we're running in the city. We come across different volumes of environmental noise (running by a busy road, passing by a construction site, what have you). This means we need to turn the music volume up and down quite a few times throughout the run.
Now changing the volume can be a pain, depending on where we've placed our music device. If we're not using a remote control earphone, then we need to take it out of the pocket and change it, which means slowing down and distracting ourselves from simply enjoying our run. Even using an armband requires us to slow down or bit, or stop moving the arm its on to change the volume… not something we like to do when all we want to do is zone out.
A remote controlled earphone is no better (something I personally use) because we still need to temporarily slow our speed down and get hold of the volume control on the earphone wire. I certainly don't enjoy it, and believe you don't too.
The Solution
My solution to the volume changing hassle is an easy, 'don't make me think' one. It is an earphone for runners, where the volume is controlled through the earphone itself rather than the music device.
The difference is that the volume is controlled through a rotary knob (just like those on the old television sets) and this knob is placed on the earphones itself (as you can see in the picture I've attached- the extruded portion is supposed to be the rotary knob).
Changing volume is as easy as rotating the knob on either headphone. This means we no longer have to slow down while running. We no longer have to get distracted from having to cumbersomely change the volume. It's as simple as volume changing should be while running.
Key Features
The product is an earphone targeted at runners and joggers. It solves the specific issue of the cumbersome process of changing the volume of music over the course of a run. It is special because I believe there is no other solution out there which makes it as easy as the this product.
Product Comparison
I am aware of none at the moment


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Federal money a boost for state roads
ST. PAUL -- Federal funds meant to spur the economy will help make this one of Minnesota's busiest road construction years.
Federal economic stimulus money will provide $180 million for 60 Minnesota transportation projects outside the Twin Cities, Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced Wednesday. By the time all money is received, Minnesota officials expect to receive $596 million for state and local highway and transit projects in the coming two years.
But that is just a start. Twin Cities projects have yet to be announced, and this spring the Minnesota Department of Transportation will announce its regular construction program.
State Senate Transportation Chairman Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing, said that the state normally spends about $2 billion on road projects in a two-year budget, and the federal stimulus money will increase that.
Local governments usually spend several hundred million dollars themselves, and they also get a part of the federal stimulus package. What local projects get funding still is being decided.
Also, Transportation Commissioner Tom Sorel said, the state is ready to snap up any federal transportation money not claimed by other states.
One of the main criteria Congress and President Barack Obama placed on the federal money is that it can be spent only on projects nearly ready to begin. The state will approve contracts beginning next month, with construction starting as soon as May.
"We are prepared to deliver," Sorel said.
The projects include a variety of types of work such as an $18 million concrete overlay on U.S. 53 north of Duluth, $66,000 for a traffic signal replacement on Minnesota 197 in Bemidji and $225,000 for fixing a U.S. 61 bridge in Red Wing.
One of the more unusual projects is on U.S. 169 near Chisholm, where abandoned mines are causing the road to collapse.
Federal authorities estimate that 5,000 jobs will be created or saved by the money influx to greater Minnesota's projects.
"It is very, very important to distribute these projects around the state to stimulate job growth," Sorel said.
Legislative transportation leaders were happy with Wednesday's announcement.
"They put a lot of money into transportation," House Transportation Chairman Bernie Lieder, DFL-Crookston, said.
He and Murphy praised Sorel for preparing a list of projects that could be started early in the year.
Sorel made sure Minnesota "got the best bang for the buck," Murphy said.
The U.S. House transportation chairman, not always a Pawlenty fan, also was happy.
"I am glad to see Gov. Pawlenty taking decisive action to use the recovery legislation to put people to work," Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., said. "The road and bridge work alone in this legislation could create 17,000 jobs in Minnesota this year; that is why Congress and President Obama passed this important bill."
Minnesota House Majority Leader Tony Sertich, DFL-Chisholm, criticized Pawlenty for flying on state money to announce the greater Minnesota projects.
"The governor is flying around Minnesota on state taxpayer dollars bragging about spending federal taxpayer dollars," Sertich said. "This is funding he didn't want. It's ironic coming from a chief executive who vetoed state transportation bills several times."
Pawlenty, however, said rural Minnesotans deserve to hear from him about such major projects.
"I think it is important to travel around the state ... " he said. "There is a world beyond the Capitol."
Republican Pawlenty compared his Wednesday trip to Democratic-organized legislative budget hearings around the state.


text: The term Dunkadelic has a wide range of definitions. It's mainly a cultural term used to describe players and dunks that make the highlight reels. The Dunkadelic Origin was created by Dr. J, Connie Hawkins, Earl Manigault, and the other Playground Legends of New York City during the late 60's and early 70's. This along with the hip-hop culture is the makeup for the Dunkadelic terminology.


text:
Grow Financial and Lakewood Ranch Town Hall have joined forces to offer a free Community Shred Day Saturday, Sept. 22.
Take advantage of this opportunity to dispose of documents that could be used by identity thieves to commit fraud.
Two drop-off locations are available: Lakewood Ranch Grow Financial Branch at 11008 Arcade Place, Bradenton, and Town Hall, 8175 Lakewood Ranch Blvd.
Shredding services will be provided by Accu-Shred. Town Hall is a drop-off location only; shredding can be watched at Grow Personal. The limit is two boxes, no larger than 24 inches by 12 inches by 12 inches.


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Damon happy for former teammate Clemens
By Glenn Sattell / Special to MLB.com
"I was very gratified for him," Damon said prior to the series opener on Friday at Minute Maid Park. "He's been going through this for a long time. With him being a former teammate of mine, I really enjoy the fact that he gets to enjoy his life now. He had a great career and now he gets to enjoy it. I was hoping he was still in [Houston] so he could come by and give me a visit."
Clemens was found not guilty of all charges at his federal perjury trial on Monday. Clemens was indicted in 2010 on three counts of making false statements, two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of Congress based on his February 2008 testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which was investigating the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.
"I'm sure it's a big relief for him," Damon said. "He's definitely one of my favorite teammates of all time, just the confidence that he exudes. Hopefully he can be inducted into [the Hall of Fame] this year."
Damon, who was teammates with Clemens on the Yankees in 2007, said he was surprised at the investigations into steroid use.
"It was amazing how they wanted to pursue it, especially with Clemens," he said. "One thing I know about Rocket is he's a very honest guy and a very convincing guy. So when Roger says that he never used performance-enhancing drugs, I believe him."
Santana working to improve at the plate
HOUSTON -- Carlos Santana continues to struggle at the plate from the cleanup position, but it hasn't gotten the Indians' catcher down.
"I don't stop working," Santana said prior to Friday's game against the Astros at Minute Maid Park. "I work every day."
Santana was hitting .192 for June entering Friday, and had not homered in 14 games this month.
The Indians have indicated to Santana that they'd like to see him more "quiet" with the bat and his stance at the plate. It's a suggestion Santana is taking to heart.
"Sometimes you need to change your approach," he said. "Right now I've got too much movement, but I'm working on it."
Santana said that the pressure of hitting in the cleanup spot isn't the problem.
"I don't feel any pressure," he said. "I hit fourth in the lineup last year. I'm feeling good and I'm trying to keep working every day."
Acta has plenty of history with Astros
HOUSTON -- Had a few things gone differently, Indians manager Manny Acta could have been sitting in the home dugout at Minute Maid Park when the Indians opened their three-game series against the Astros on Friday.
"It will always be special for me to come here," said Acta. "I grew up rooting for the Astros and had the pleasure to sign a professional contract to play for them. Everything I have and I am, I owe it to them.
"They were the one who gave me the opportunity, not only to play professional baseball, but to make me a coach and to allow me to manage in the Minor Leagues. So, nothing would have been possible unless they took a chance on me."
Acta was signed by the Astros at age 17 as a first baseman. He reached Double-A as a first baseman/outfielder and played five seasons of professional baseball, all in the Houston organization. He also began his coaching career in the Astros' organization.
"So it will always be special for me to come over here," Acta said. "I grew up idolizing Cesar Cedeno and Joaquin Andujar and Luis Pujols and Dickie Thon -- [Rafael] Landestoy and some of those guys that were here.
"I'm a very colorful guy, too, so I love the rainbow uniforms. I wore it when I signed, too."
As part of Flashback Fridays, the Astros wore their rainbow uniforms on Friday.
Acta said he has the first uniform pants he ever wore in rookie ball back in 1987.
"A couple of years ago, one of their Minor League clubhouse managers found them in storage and gave them to me," Acta said. "So there's a lot of ties."
Hafner continues to make progress
HOUSTON -- Indians designated hitter Travis Hafner, who was placed on the 15-day disabled on May 30, had his right knee scoped and is expected to miss another few weeks, but his progress continues.
"Pretty soon he's going to start running the bases," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "That's the main thing for us. He's probably going to have to go through the baserunning issues. That's the next step.
"If he's OK after those drills, he'll go out and play on a rehab. Hopefully it will be at some point during this road trip."
The injury has coincided with cleanup hitter Carlos Santana's struggles at the plate. Acta said he doesn't see the correlation.
"I don't think it affected Santana personally. As a team, I think [a healthy Hafner] would have given me a better option to take Santana out of the cleanup hole while he's struggling."
Hafner last played on May 23.
Smoke signals
Johnny Damon entered Friday's series opener hitting .346 (28-for-81) in his career against the Astros.
The Indians were hitting .252 with two outs this season entering Friday. That's third best in the American League, behind Texas (.287) and Boston (.254).
Lonnie Chisenhall has raised his average in the last 18 games from .206 to .280 by going 9-for-25 (.380) with two doubles, a triple and homer.
Cleveland has recorded 10 or more hits in four straight games entering Friday. That's one shy of a season high.
Glenn Sattell is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Home | Contact RGGI, Inc. | Sitemap | Mailing List
RGGI, Inc.RGGI BenefitsCO2 Auctions, Tracking & OffsetsProgram DesignNews & ReleasesDocuments
Home > CO2 Auctions, Tracking & Offsets > CO2 Auctions > Auction Results > CO2 Auctions, Tracking & Offsets > CO2 Auctions > Auction 14
RGGI Auction 14 was held on December 7, 2011 and monitored by Potomac Economics, an independent monitor of electricity markets retained to evaluate the RGGI CO2 allowance market. Potomac observed the auction and confirmed that there was no material evidence of collusion or manipulation by bidders, and that the vast majority of bids were consistent with competitive expectations.
Below are key data and information on the results of the auction. Detailed analysis is available in the Market Monitor Report for Auction 14.
1. Auction Statistics:
Current Control Period (2009-2011) Offering
Future Control Period (2012-2014) Offering
2. Auction Participation:
A total of 49 qualified bidders, listed by name in section 4 below, submitted an Intent to Bid in the auction.
The following statistics summarize the purchases and holdings of allowances by electric generators and their corporate affiliates ("compliance entities") under the RGGI program:
In Auction 14, compliance entities and their affiliates purchased:
In the first 14 RGGI auctions, compliance entities and their affiliates purchased:
Compliance entities and their affiliates will hold 97 percent of the allowances in circulation following the settlement of allowances sold in Auction 14.
3. Dispersion of Bids
In the offering of current control period allowances, bids were submitted by a large number of compliance entities and several non-compliance entities. A small number of allowances were also auctioned in advance for a future control period, although no bids were submitted in this offering.
In the auction for current control period allowances, just two compliance entities submitted bids for a large quantity of allowances (e.g., at least 1 million tons or 2.5 percent of the available supply). Overall, compliance entities accounted for 99 percent of the quantity of allowances for which bids were submitted in the offering of current control period allowances. The quantity of allowances for which bids were submitted increased to 0.63 times the available supply in Auction 14 from 0.18 times the available supply in Auction 13 and .3 times the available supply in Auction 12.
In the auction for future control period allowances, no bids were submitted. This remained stable from zero sold in Auction 13, and decreased from 0.57 times the available supply in Auction 12.
The following figure summarizes the quantities of bids submitted by all bidders.
Quantity of Bids Submitted By Type of Entity and Quantity Bid
4. Qualified Bidders
The following 49 qualified bidders submitted their intent to bid in the auction.
This chart displays the results of each RGGI CO2 Allowance Auction. To view a state-by-state breakdown for each auction, click on the auction number listed in the left-hand column.
*Six states participated in Auction 1
This chart includes data from the market monitor's reports on participation in the current control period offering in each RGGI CO2 Allowance Auction.
This chart displays cumulative auction results organized by state. To view a complete breakdown by auction and allowance control period for each state, click on the state name listed in the left-hand column.
Cumulative Allowances Sold
Cumulative Proceeds
* See New Jersey's Notice of Withdrawal of Agreement to the RGGI MOU.
Related Links
Auction FAQ
Prior Auction Notices
Auction Platform
Investment of Auction Proceeds
Allowance Distribution
RGGI COATS Platform


text:
Further Don Valley Tickets Released
Arctic Monkeys have released additional tickets for both Don Valley shows on Friday 10th & Saturday 11th June 2011.
To purchase tickets, click here. Please read the below ticketing terms & conditions before purchasing.
This is a concert for fans only and the following rules are in place to ensure that tickets do not get sold on and fans do not pay a higher price for their tickets.
The lead booker will be asked to present ID and the card used during the booking to gain entry into the venue. Failure to do so will result in the customer being turned away and no refunds will be issued. There are no exceptions to this rule.
The surname of the lead booker and the last four digits of the card used to make the booking will be printed on each ticket. The surname and card details cannot be changed once the booking has been made.
If you are booking more than one ticket your guests must arrive at the concert at the same time as you. Failure to do so will result in the guests being turned away.
All tickets will be scanned at the entry to the concert.
Tickets cannot be resold or transferred under any circumstances. If See or SJM Concerts reasonably believe this to be the case the barcode on the ticket will be invalidated, prohibiting entry to the concert.
Please note there is a ticket limit of 4 per billing address.
Age Restriction: 14+ (ALL UNDER 16's MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT)


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Barack Obama's outspoken pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., defended his statements accusing the U.S. government of deliberately engineering the AIDS virus as a means of genocide during a National Press Club appearance yesterday by citing the documented history of the U.S. government's involvement in biological warfare operations against innocent people.
Asked if he stood behind previous statements about the U.S. government deliberately creating AIDS as a means of genocide against black people, Wright responded, ""Have you read Horowitz' book - Emerging Viruses - AIDS and Ebola?"
"Have you read Medical Apartheid," continues Wright as he is heckled from the floor.
But when Wright starts to list documented examples of how the U.S. government had been complicit in biological warfare operations against innocent people, the reaction was noticeably mute.
Watch the video.
"Based on the Tuskegee experiment and based on what has happened to Africans in this country, I believe our government is capable of doing anything," Wright continued.
"In fact one of the responses to what Saddam Hussein had in terms of biological warfare was a non-question because all we had to do was check the sales record - we sold him those biological weapons that he was using against his own people, so any time a government can put together biological warfare to kill people and then get angry when those people use what we sold them, yes I believe we are capable," Wright concluded.
(Article continues below)
The Tuskegee experiment was a 40-year program run by the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) between 1932 and 1972 that studied the effects of syphilis on 399 poor black sharecroppers from Alabama.
The men were simply told that they had "bad blood," were never told what disease they were suffering from or of its seriousness, and were promised free health care and other benefits if they cooperated.
The men were left to suffer as the ravages of the disease took hold and were prevented from obtaining any kind of remedy that would alleviate their pain. "As I see it," one of the doctors involved explained, "we have no further interest in these patients until they die."
Most of the men hoodwinked into taking part in the experiment died directly of syphilis or related complications and their wives and children were also infected.
President Bill Clinton had to publicly apologize for the Tuskegee outrage in May 1997 and he was forced to acknowledge that the program was a racist eugenics-based horror that had no scientific merit whatsoever.
As researchers shunned by the media, people like Dr. Len Horowitz and Boyd Ed Graves, have asserted, evidence to suggest that the U.S. military-industrial complex artificially engineered the AIDS virus as a means of population control is compelling.
Graves' 1971 Special 'HIV' Virus Flow Chart (see it here) "provides absolute evidence of the United States' intent to kill its own citizens and others," according to Graves.
The flowchart coordinates over 20,000 scientific papers and fifteen years of progress reports of a secret federal virus development program which dovetails almost perfectly with the spread of AIDS from 1971 onwards.
As Jerry Mazza writes, "On July 29, 1969, only days after the Department of Defense (DOD) asked for $10 million from Congress to fund the development of a "synthetic biological agent, an agent that does not naturally exist and for which no natural immunity could have been acquired . . ." on that day, the chairman of the Republican Task Force on Earth Resources and Population, the Honorable George H. W. Bush, U.S. Representative from Texas, 7th District (1967–71), stressed the pressing need for population control activities to fend off "a growing Third World crisis."
In the following passage taken from the Dept. of Defense request for Appropriation for 1970, HB 15090, the Pentagon's Dr. MacArthur tells Robert L.F. Sikes of the need for a "synthetic biological agent".
The evidence for the man-made creation of AIDS is overwhelming and too lengthy to include in one article, but Graves' website and Mazza's article are a good start for further research. I also recommend Horowitz' paper, A New Theory On The Origin of AIDS.
Since Wright's comments about AIDS and U.S. government complicity in 9/11 were picked up on by the media as an excuse to smear Obama, the Democratic presidential candidate has distanced himself from the pastor.
"Some of the comments that Rev. Wright has made offend me, and I understand why they offend the American people," Obama told reporters yesterday. "They don't represent my views and they don't represent what this campaign's about, but he's obviously free to make those statements."
RELATED VIDEO: In Lies We Trust: The CIA, Hollywood and Bioterrorism by Len Horowitz
Get your exclusive Prison Planet.tv membership today and enjoy a plethora of multimedia content as well as access to live video streaming of The Alex Jones Show - click here to subscribe.


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A Waycross physician who was named in a lawsuit in which Satilla Health Services paid the federal government an $840,000 settlement has been convicted of 51 felony charges in the operation of an illegal pill mill in Garden City, Ga.
A federal jury in Savannah convicted Najam Azmat, 57, last week of single counts of conspiring to prescribe oxycodone and other drugs without a legitimate medical purpose, conspiring to launder money and of 49 counts of illegally dispensing the drugs.
He faces up to 20 years in prison on each count.
While working at East Health Center between Feb. 21 and March 18, 2011, Azmat wrote prescriptions for 196 patients, 96 percent of whom received prescriptions for oxycodone, a strong and highly additive painkiller, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Patients came from as far as Florida, Kentucky and Ohio and typically paid $300 to see Azmat or other physicians who came to work at East Health Center after Azmat left.
Azmat was paid $2,000, usually in cash, at the end of each work day.
Patients testified that they were addicted to oxycodone and learned of the Garden City pain clinic through marketing techniques at rival pill mills in Florida, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
The organizers of the clinic decided to open the clinic in Garden City because changes in Florida law restricted non-medical doctors from owning pain clinics, the U.S. attorney said.
Three other doctors who worked at the Garden City pill mill, Adelard LeFrancois III, 40, of Boca Raton, Francis J. Barbuscia, 37, of Plantation, and Kenneth Gossett, 52, of Rome, Ga., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to dispense drugs without a legitimate medical purpose.
Five others who organized or worked at the pill mill, although they had no medical training or expertise, have pleaded guilty. Sean Michael Clark, 34, and Adelaida M. Lizama, 28, both of Boca Raton, and Daniel John Wise, 35, of West Palm Beach, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges. Candace Anne Carreras, 26, of Boca Raton, and Shelly Lynn Morford, 31, of Fort Lauderdale pleaded guilty to concealing knowledge of a felony.
None of them, including Azmat, have been sentenced.
Nuvest LLC, the Florida corporation that financed East Health Center's startup, pleaded guilty to maintaining a drug-involved premises. As part of the plea agreement, Nuvest forfeited $2 million to the government.
Azmat went to work at the clinic after he and Satilla Health Services had been sued by Clarence Minter Jr. and others who claimed that Azmat injured them or family members while performing endovascular surgeries at the hospital.
Minter said that his wife, Ruth Annette Minter, 63, died 17 days after Azmat punched a hole in an artery as he installed a stent to restore blood flow.
Other suits asserted that a female patient was left bedridden and on dialysis after Azmat failed to prevent waste from her bowel from leaking into her abdominal cavity.
Another suit said Azmat dissected a patient's arteries with a catheter and guide wire and then blamed the mistake on a kink in the woman's arteries, which did not exist.
The U.S. Justice Department cited some of those claims when it filed suit in July 2010 against Satilla and Azmat. The government suit asserted that Satilla submitted Medicare claims for endovascular procedures that Azmat performed in the hospital's Heart Center for which he was not qualified or credentialed.
The government said that procedures performed by Azmat were worthless, not medically necessary and had caused one death.
While denying the claims in the government's suit, Satilla said it had agreed to the settlement that resulted in the dismissal of the government's claims.
Satilla said it settled "to avoid further distraction and continued high cost of litigation."
The Mayo Clinic has since taken over the administration of the Waycross hospital, operating it as Mayo Clinic Health System in Waycross.


text:
Great smart purchase
Reviewed By Joseph S (Wilmette, IL) Reviewed for a 2008 Land Rover Range Rover —2/8/2016 6:41 AM
Can't go wrong with these brakes. Look great, work great, excellent confident stopping power, quiet, as good or better than original parts at a very reasonable price point. Would not hesitate to purchase these again when the time comes.


text:
Q: What are chapter charter dues?
A: Chapter charters are renewed every three years, and every chapter is required to pay dues of $120. All chapters are on the same charter cycle. For new chapter charters, the dues are prorated based on the year within the three-year cycle that the chapter is chartered.
Q: When are charter dues due?
A: The due date is June 30th, prior to the new three-year charter cycle beginning on July 1st. National sends an email communication to all chapters, three months prior to the due date.
Q: After our chapter pays the charter dues this year, when will they be due again?
A: The charter dues that are due by June 30, 2017, will take you through June 30, 2020, at which time the charter dues will be due again for the next three-year cycle.
Q: How can we pay our chapter's dues?
A: You can pay your dues online, by phone or by mail. You may prefer the new online service, as the process is quick and you can print out an instant receipt.
Q: Can I get a receipt if I pay by phone or through the mail?
A: Yes. Once the payment has been processed, you can print a receipt online.
Q: What form of payment can I use?
A: Credit card or check. Mailed payments can only be paid by check.
Q: Can I pay the charter dues with an AACN gift certificate?
A: Yes. An AACN gift certificate can be used to pay your charter dues; however, it can only be used for payments made by phone or by mail.
If the certificate value is less than $120, the remainder can be paid by check or credit card.
If the certificate value is more than $120, the dues amount will be subtracted from the certificate amount, and the remaining credit can be used for another purchase.


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* Prices may differ from that shownMore Offers
I absolutely loved this product. For first time parents it made sterilising bottles very quick and easy! The instructions are very easy to follow and once you have completed one cycle, you know exactly what you're doing! Over the time we used this steriliser there was only one microwave that we were unable to fit it in, so it does seem to fit in most. Obviously before buying
the product double check the specifications!
We managed to pick ours up from mothercare whilst it was on offer for £13.00. Even when it is not on offer this product is very reasonably priced and when considering all the costs for a new baby that is very helpful! We used this product alongside the avent bottles and never had an issue with it.
There are two clips on the side of the steriliser, these are a helpful aid when taking it out of the microwave and don't get seem to get too hot so you don't burn yourself. When taking the lid off be careful to keep hands away from the rising steam if you do not have time to allow the bottles to cool down!
The tool included is very useful to avoid touching the freshly sterilised teats. There is also space to sterlise dummies in each cycle, which we found very useful if in a rush to get several things done at once! As mentioned previously each cycle does not take very long, again really handy if you're in a rush!
The Philips Avent Microwave Steriliser is a lifesaver. We didn't want to buy a great big steriliser that needed the tablets or one which boiled the bottles for hours so read a few reviews on the microwave versions. We couldn't decide between the Tommie tippee one (of which we had the bottles) or the avent one. In the end we opted for the Philips avent as this was half price at the time at Argos. Costing £12.99 as opposed to £25.99.
We checked and found out that this steriliser would adequately for the Tommie Tippee bottles we had. We purchased the avent steriliser and took it home. With the pack came the steriliser, a free avent bottle, a pair of tongs and a measuring jug.
The steriliser says it will easily fit 4 bottles but we have found it easily hold 5 of our TT bottles. To use you simply pop the washed up bottles into the steriliser facing down and taken apart so the teat and lid are settles separately. Then simply add 200mm of cold clean water, clip the two plastic clips at either side to hold the lid secure and pop in the microwave. Depending on your microwave wattage the bottles will sterilise from 2 minutes. It is 2 minutes at 1100-1850 Watt, 4 minutes at 850-1000 Watt, 6 minutes at 500-850 Watt. If the steriliser is kept shut then the contents stay sterile for 24 hours.
The two side clips also work well as handles to lift the steriliser out once it's done its cycle as these remain cool.
The design of the steriliser is simple. It has a white plastic base, into which the water goes into. A blue rack that slots into the base, above the water line to hold the bottles. This also has slots to exactly fit the avent bottles. The steriliser fits easily into our small microwave and is compact enough to be great for taking on holiday.
The fact it also only using natural steam also means no chemicals are being used and the sterilisation is 100% natural
The steriliser easily fits our larger Tommie tippee bottles and sippy cups so you don't have to use the matching avent bottles.
This really is a great steriliser and takes such a lot off hassle out of the making up of babies bottles!
Before I had my daughter I had chose to use advent bottles as this seemed to be the best and most praised bottles on the market so while in the process of purchasing bottles I decided this steriliser also manufactured by advent appeared such a great idea to have clean & sterile bottles within minutes with only adding water.
I bought this steriliser for around £15 online and had shopped around and this seemed to be best deal I could get for it. Steriliser came with with a handy instruction booklet to ensure you place the separate parts of bottles in correct slots, pretty straightforward and simple that instruction booklet isn't really needed but does come in handy, the box also had some avent tongs included which were use to pull the teats through main bottle lid so you do not touch with your hands.
Steriliser is pretty simple to use, you separate your bottles and place them into correct places, fill with 200ml of water and then put lid on and put in your microwave for uptown 6 minutes depending on your type of microwave. Once sterilised the bottles remain sterile for up to 24 hours if lid is not open.
Another great thing about this product is if you need to replace any part, you can online from the avent website for great prices, I felt when I had used the product for long I would like to replace the tongs etc so just went on their website and ordered them and had free delivery within next couple of days.
Personally I would recommend this product to anyone out there looking for a steriliser for their children's bottles, it's ideal as doesn't take a lot of time setting up and only a small amount of time to steriliser bottles, also it's durable, had mine for over 18 months before stopping used it and never done me wrong in that time. Fits in most microwaves, I've never had one or at family members where it doesn't fit.
Even though I've predominantly breastfed my little one from the get go, there came an occasion where I tried to go to the cinema one night and didn't even get into the screen before I got called home to deal with a hungry crying baby. Following this he has had a bottle of milk every night. Only recently has this changed to formula rather than expressed milk so I had to make sure that both bottles and breast pump was sterilised daily.
It is a circular tub with a clip on on lid that goes into your microwave. I have a normal sized microwave and find this a bit of a farce to put in and take out as it is as wide as the microwave plate, especially not good when taking it out as it is hot!
The base of this comes with a plastic tray with various indentations to hold bottles and breast pumps. This is blue in colour and covered in holes to allow the steam to rise through. Underneath this is a space of about 1.5cm where you pour 200ml fresh water which once heated in the microwave, provides the sterilising steam.
Once you have filled the steriliser you then microwave for 6 minutes. The bottles inside then stay sterile until opened or up to 24 hours whichever is sooner. I found this plenty of time because I had minimal equipment that I needed to sterilise.
As I said I only ever needed this for one bottle and one manual breast pump at a time. These fit easily. There is room for 4 bottle or for 2 breast pumps though an average newborn feeds anywhere up to 6 times a day (if you go by routines, I demand fed which felt like some days I was feeding 20+ times!) which is more bottles than the steriliser will hold, I imagine this is very inconvenient to have to re-sterilse bottles in the day. It serves its purpose wonderfully for irregular bottle feeders though.
Aside from the obvious, I have got a bit excited when cleaning some of his toys and thought to put them in the steriliser to make sure any germs were killed, I can safely say that water filled soft rubber teething rings burst, rattles lose their rattle and anything that has a mirror on it, well the mirror will bubble and buckle. Stick to bottles and dummies!
You'll be able to fit other bottles in here, but only wide necked bottles will fit in the indentations. Obviously being an Avent brand they are designed with Avent bottles in mind!
We bought this for £24.99 in Asda as I was getting close to having my little one with no steriliser (at this point we didn't know if I would be able to breast feed or not) we choose this because it was the cheapest available an matched the bottle set we had bought. However if I was bottle feeding full time I would have gone out nd bought another!
We still use this now, most days, just for the bottle (no more pumping yippee!) though when I'm feeling lazy the dishwasher also acts as a steriliser at the high temperature and the steam produced.
It is big so if you have a small kitchen its probably not the best. We currently store ours on top of the icrowave, though to be honest a lot of the time it lived in the microwave until I needed the bottles!
For occasional use only, otherwise I'd look at the more expensive plug in steam sterilisers.
Despite exclusively breastfeeding all three of my sons, I still found myself needing a steriliser for weaning and breast pump equipment. I originally purchased an Avent microwave steriliser when I had my oldest son and bought the updated, improved version ready for my youngest son, which speaks volumes about my positive experience with both the brand and this item.
The microwave steriliser is, essentially, a sturdy plastic lidded bowl that stores a surprisingly large amount of bottles, teats, dummies and breast feeding paraphernalia. Once filled, 200ml fresh water is added to the base and the whole thing is then microwaved for between 2-6 minutes, depending on the wattage of the microwave.
I purchased this particular steriliser (twice) as I owned an Avent breast pump and this steriliser includes specific sections on the base rack to position all of the different elements to the pump evenly, which ensures that the steam is able to get around each part to sterilise them thoroughly, killing germs and bacteria. The lid to the bowl is high enough to fit various sizes and styles of feeding bottle whilst the whole unit still fits comfortably into my standard sized microwave.
I personally prefer this method to 'cold water' systems, involving chemicals and found that the system was ideal for occasional use, as it is very portable, inexpensive and could easily be stored away between uses. Little preparation or maintenance is needed, aside from drying and cleaning to avoid the build up of limescale.
The main drawback to this method is that the items inside only remain sterile until the lid is opened, so this isn't the best system for using single bottles at a time. It also takes several minutes for the unit to be cool enough for handling and opening, due to the hot steam inside, so some planning is needed to ensure that bottles are ready well in advance of baby's next feed. The safety clips fitted to the latest version are a massive improvement and do help to avoid nasty steam burns when removing the lid.
I would recommend this steriliser for mothers who are predominantly breastfeeding but want a straightforward and chemical free method of sterilising occasionally used equipment, rather than parents exclusively bottle feeding.
This is currently available for just £10 from Amazon, making this a very inexpensive purchase that offers reassurance for parents of babies and toddlers.
My sister purchased the Avent microwave sterilizer in April 2011 as a gift just before my son was born. It has proved to be a godsend. I didn't find out I was pregnant with my son until 2 weeks before I gave birth, so with everthing becoming a mad rush the idea of breast feeding just wasn't an option for me at the time.
The Avent sterilizer was bought as part of a set which came complete with 2 bottles (1 4oz and 1 8oz) alongside a breast pump, baby teether and a dummy. This was an extremely useful set to recieve. The only downside being that the Avent bottles are certainly not of the lower price range at approximately £4 each, which if you are tight for money may not be an option for you. However, some other bottles will fit the sterilizer, but they need to be the dumpier wide neck varieties.
The item itself is quite compact and easily stored on the kitchen worktop or inside the microwave. The actual sterilization process takes only a couple of minutes, and the only additional equipment required is a couple of hundred ml of tap water. Before placing the bottles in the sterilizer, simply was them out and dismantle the lid from the bottle. There are clearly defined bottle holes to keep the bottles upright and in place whilst sterilization takes place in the microwave.
The bottles can then be used right away, or if unopened they will stay sterile for 24 hours.
The sterilizer also comes in very handy for other products such as teething rings and dummies which babies are always dropping on the floor, and breast pumps if you use them. Even if breast feeding is your preference I would still highly recommend a microwave sterilizer as it is certainly not just bottles that will require the extra sterile clean it provides.
Overall I would highly recommend this product for it's ease of use, fast sterilization time and its compact size. I am continuing the use of mine 2 years after purchase in order to sterilize my newborn sons bottles etc. and the sterilizer is showing little to no signs of wear and tear despite it's heavy usage.
Microwave steam steriliser
When I was 37 weeks pregnant with our first child, I received a present from a friend of my husband: this Avent microwave bottle steriliser. Clearly she was unaware that I was a die-hard pro-breastfeeding advocate who would never need such a thing.
How wrong I was! This steriliser helped preserve our sanity!
For various reasons I needed to breastfeed our daughter every 3 hours for the first 6 weeks of her life, in addition to expressing (pumping) in order to maintain my supply.
Although designed for Avent products, we used this item to sterilise Dr Brown's bottles (easily fits four at a time) and various Medela expressing accoutrements.
The company website explains that the steriliser is made from BPA-free material, and the dimensions (166 (H), 280 (W), 280 (L) mm mean that it is suitable for most microwave ovens.
Just add enough water until the level marker is reached, load and place in the microwave for as little as 2 minutes. The exact length of the cycle will depend on the wattage of your microwave. After "microwaving", you then let the full sterilizer "rest" for 2 minutes.
The microwave steriliser has clips on the side for extra safety. The clips close the lid securely so hot water cannot easily escape when you take the steriliser out of the microwave. The side grips have also been designed to stay cooler to help you handle the steriliser safely.
Contents stay sterile for 24 hours if the lid is unopened. It can be stashed away in the microwave oven, or left on the bench - it's compact enough to be unobstrusive.
We are really fortunate to have received this as an unexpected gift. I note that at time of writing (April 2013) the steriliser is available for just GBP11.50 and free delivery via Amazon Prime, compared to its usual GBP26.
Ultimately, we used this sterilizer at least twice a day for nearly two years....and it's still going strong!
Highly recommended.
I chose this steriliser when pregnant with my first child. I had looked at the usual steam sterilisers but they seemed bulky and took, what I considered, a long time to sterilise. Most sat on the worktop and I didn't have a lot of worktop space in my kitchen.
This steriliser used in the microwave. There are several advantages to this. After use it can be 'stored' in the microwave until the bottles have cooled, or until you need to use the microwave. This frees up your worktop space. It is quicker, taking only 6 minutes to run a steam cycle on full power. It is much more portable than other sterilisers, although not much use if you go somewhere without a microwave! If you are on a water meter like me, it only uses 200ml of water each cycle, keeping your water bills lower than cold water or larger steam sterilisers would, since they use more water.
Contents are considered sterile for 24 hours if the steriliser is unopened, which is advantageous if you run it last thing at night, ready for the morning. Since it is Philips it fits the Avent bottle range, but the Avent breast pump can also be sterilised. The instruction sheet gives you guidance on how to place the items to ensure efficient sterilisation.
What are its disadvantages? It can be easy to knock over the contents if you don't carry it carefully, which is very irritating if you then need to reload them. We all forget to sterilise sometimes and although it is quick, you need to factor in cooling time to avoid getting burnt by the steam.
I managed to lose the instructions between having my two children, but found it easy to google and download another free copy of the instruction booklet. There is a sticker on the front stating the volume of liquid to be used, so that information at least, is always available.
I have used it for two children and consider it one of my best purchases. It is quick, easy to use and portable. I don't know if any other makes of bottle fit it since I have only used Philips Avent for both of my children. Keep an eye out at baby events in the major supermarkets you can often find this steriliser on offer.
The Avent microwave steriliser is a simple but fast way to sterilise your bottles/feeding equipment effectively.
I have tried the Avent electric steriliser but I found it too big, cumbersome, slow and takes too much countertop space and with the amount of feeding bits and bobs i decided to go for something different.
The Avent microwave steriliser is a fast way to make sure all the nasties are gone and within 6mins, whatever you are sterilising is good to go. It isn't the smallest of things but its small enough to store and easy enough to clean, but make sure you do give it a good scrub especially if your in a hard water area because with like any item with continual use with water can build up limescale.
It can take about 6 standard size Philips bottles (200ml) and 6 teats/covers etc or any microwave compatible feeding equipment (be sure that anything you put in you are able to put in the microwave, made the mistake of putting a feeding plate which melted..)
It is a lot cheaper than an electric steriliser, usually priced around £22 but at the moment mothercare, mamas and papas, and Amazon are selling it for £12 a real bargain.
I planned to breastfeed my daughter to six months, but from six to twelve months my health visitor recommended we sterilise bottles for follow on milk, too. I also needed a steriliser for my breast pump, travel bottles and storage cups, so it made sense to buy a steriliser whilst I was pregnant to take the stress out of needing one after baby was born and having to struggle out to the shops.
**The Avent Microwave Steriliser**
Avent is a brand I'm comfortable with being the Philips brand of baby care, and my breast pump was Avent as well as my first stage bottles, so I wanted to keep to the brand as I knew it would fit together.
The Avent Microwave Steriliser makes sterilising bottles and equipment easy - just 200ml of water (about a baby bottle full) steams your stuff clean in only ten minutes. It means no fiddly electric steriliser, or the worry of using a chemical steriliser incorrectly.
**Price and Availability**
I've seen the price vary wildly and the average price seems to be around £15, though I've seen it at £25 as well so my advice would be to shop around. I was so lucky, I bought mine during an Asda baby event for only a fiver! It was amazing value and it's worth easily twice or three times that thanks to the convenience.
**A word of Warning!**
Make sure it fits in your microwave! It's bigger than an average dinner plate, don't do what my friend did and buy one, never try it, then when baby arrives, come to use it and it doesn't fit!
Also - you can't steam sterilise water filled teethers. They'll explode! You need to chemically sterilise these if you need to sterilise them.
**What's in the Box**
You get the steriliser which comprises of a white base, blue insert (which you sit the items upon) and a frosted lid, along with an instructional manual and warranty card.
**Using the Avent Microwave Steam Steriliser**
Obviously, you still have to wash your bottles, pump and so on, and you can also sterilise dummies in here, what I do is wash them then use the steriliser with the lid off to place the things on so there is no possibility of them getting dirty. Then you measure out 200ml of cold tap water and pour into the base. Click the lid on and pop in the microwave for 10 minutes (check the instructions however - I have a very powerful microwave).
Then you need to remove the steriliser and leave it to cool down - the contents are HOT and you can't use them straight away. When you do come to use them, use an antibacterial hand pump beforehand, otherwise you'll ruin all the sterilising work!
Avent bottles ended up not suiting my little girl, as they gave her colic and after trying a few bottles we ended up using Asda's own brand as the teat suited her (and we spent a fortune finding that out!), but the steam steriliser fits all bottles we tried - MAM, Dr Brown, Avent and Asda, as it fits full sized as well as first size bottles.
There is a small 'clip' every few spaces (if you imagine it set out like a clock) in which you can clip the teats so they get an even sterilise. The rest you just upturn and fit in. I found I could get in my breast pump (minus the electric part, obviously!) and all it's parts, or it will do five first size bottles, rings, lids and teats.
I don't use the Avent Microwave Steam Steriliser any more as my daughter is 18 months old (and if she'll put a stone from the garden in her mouth there's not much point sterilising her drinking cups!!), but after goodness knows how many uses over the 12 months I used it, it's still as good as new and has been packed away for baby no2.
It's so convenient and easy to steam sterilise, that I'll always do it and I highly recommend this to anyone - I managed to get a great deal for a fiver, but to be honest if you can get it anywhere around £10 - £15 it's still well worth the money.
A very well deserved 5/5 stars.
We bought this steriliser before our daughter was born, mainly because it was on offer at the time and we didn't really have a clue as to what equipment we would need as I was planning on breastfeeding.
Unfortunately, breastfeeding didn't work out and I expressed milk and fed by bottle. This meant that we have used this steriliser 8 times a day or more! We have certainly got our money's worth out of it.
It is very quick and easy to use, just wash your items in hot, soapy water and rinse, then place on the rack. It is designed for Avent items to slot into place, but I have been using it for the breast pump components and Dr Brown's bottles just fine. The cycle takes 4 mins in the microwave, and is very hot when it has finished, so it is probably best if you leave it for a good 20 minutes afterwards if you can to cool down a bit.
This was the first steriliser we bought when my first daughter was born. It cost £10 at the time from the Asda baby event-although they normally cost in the region of £20.
This steriliser can steam up to six Avent bottles at any one time. All you have to do is wash the bottles through, take them to pieces and place them in the spaces provided in the removable blue tray. Using one of the bottles, you fill it to the 80ml mark and place the lid back on, ensuring it has clipped on properly. You then need to microwave it for 2-6 minutes depending on your microwave wattage.
Microwaves with a wattage of 1100-1850 needs heating for 2 minutes, 850-1000 for 4 minutes or 500-800 for six minutes. It's as simple as that.
The bottles stay sterile for up to 24 hours, providing the lid is still in place.
I think this steriliser is easy to use, particularly for beginners. I don't think it's very good if you have a lot of bottles to wash as it obviously creates a lot of steam in your microwave, but as a start or for small amounts it's faultless.
The Philips Avent microwave steriliser comes with a 125ml durable bottle, newborn teat, measuring cup and tongs, which all fit neatly inside the steriliser when not in use.
I would recommend this steriliser as it is really affordable in comparison to the electric ones. It can also wash most other types of bottles, although they're obviously not as perfect a fit. If you're thinking of purchasing one of these, double check it actually fits in your microwave, as until my mother swapped with us, ours didn't. For anybody needing to check the measurements before purchasing they are:
H 27cm, W 16cm and D 27cm
The product also comes with a 2 year guarantee-though I doubt you'll need it!!
- Why I Bought -
I knew I was going to be breast feeding my baby but I wanted to be able to express milk to give him in a bottle therefore I needed a steriliser to ensure that the breast pump and bottles were 100% clean. I hadn't put much thought into which steriliser to go for. I came across the Philips Avent Microwave Steriliser in Asda at a discounted price as it was part of a baby event. This seemed ideal as we had already bought Avent bottles. Also the box stated 'simple, fast and portable' which sounded good.
- Why Sterilise? -
If items such as bottles aren't sterilised bacteria can form which can make babies ill. Babies are particularly vulnerable during the first year of life so it is important that during this period feeding equipment is sterilised to reduce the risk of illness. Bacteria from milk can be particularly unpleasant.
- The Packaging -
The steriliser comes in a cardboard box which indicates the Philips Avent brand name and what the piece of equipment is inside. There is a photo of the steriliser filled with bottles and teats. The box states that this can hold six bottles, sterilisation can be completed in two minutes, and then the bottles are sterile for 24 hours. There are testimonials on the box from a 'Baby Feeding Expert' and three parents all raving about the steriliser. The box outlines the steps involved in using the steriliser. There is an instruction manual inside but I think the box tells you all the important information too.
- The Steriliser -
The steriliser is compact and lightweight so it should fit most microwaves. It has fit in the three microwaves I have used it in and one was quite a small one. However, if possible it would be a good idea to measure your microwave before purchasing the steriliser. The steriliser consists of three parts. First there is a round white plastic base. Second there is a lid that attaches onto the base. This is transparent plastic with two light blue plastic clips for attaching it onto the base and the Philips Avent brand name on top. Third there is a slight blue plastic tray that sits inside the base. This has 12 sections where each can hold a bottle or teat. The tray is covered with little holes. In the middle there is a plastic tube that sticks up which can be used as a handle to take the tray out of the base. It is very simple to put the three sections together. All parts of the steriliser are dishwasher proof.
With the steriliser you also get a small measuring jug for the water and a pair of plastic tongs so that sterilised bottles can be removed from the steriliser without being contaminated by your fingers. There is also a free 125ml Avent bottle with a newborn teat. This was great for us as these were the bottles we used for expressed milk.
- Sterilising -
This is a very simple process. First using the measuring jug you add 200ml of water to the base of the steriliser. Then you put in the tray and load it with whatever it is you want to sterilise. I usually used it for sterilising the breast pump attachments, bottles and dummies. The Phililips Avent bottles fit in well as you would expect but I think most brands of bottle will fit in too. I quickly found it didn't really matter how you placed the items as long as you can close the lid. It is important to take the bottles apart because otherwise the pressure could cause them to crack or even explode! Once the items are placed inside you clip the lid onto the base and put it in the microwave. The box states that it only takes two minutes, this is true if you microwave the steriliser on 1100-1850W. Some microwaves aren't so powerful so if you are microwaving it on 850-1000W then do it for four minutes or at 500-800W do it for six minutes. The steriliser works because the microwave heats up the water at the bottom which becomes boiling therefore killing any bacteria, very simple. Be careful when you remove it from the microwave as the steriliser will be quite hot. It is best to leave it for a couple of minutes before removing the lid as the steam could burn you. Once the steriliser has cooled a bit you can use the tongs to remove what you need. If the steriliser is not opened the contents will stay sterile for 24 hours, otherwise I think items will stay sterile for up to three hours. It is important to remember than feeding equipment needs to be thoroughly washed before being sterilised as the steriliser won't clean the items.
I have always found the steriliser very easy to use as have many of our friends who own one and have used it more frequently than us due to bottle feeding rather than breast feeding. It is lightweight so it can be taken with you when staying away from home. I definitely prefer this to chemical sterilisation which can leave bottles with a chemical smell and taste. My son is now 13 months old so doesn't need his beakers sterilised but I still put them all in the steriliser every so often and up until he was one I used this regularly. I would definitely regard it as an essential piece of equipment for anyone bottle feeding or giving expressed milk to their baby.
- Price and Availability -
This steriliser is available from large supermarkets, Boots, Argos, John Lewis, Amazon and many other places too. They range in price from around £15-£25 so it is definitely worth shopping around. We paid £10 for ours in Asda. Even the top end price is considerably cheaper than most plug in sterilisers so it is definitely a more affordable option to go with.
- Would I Recommend? -
I would definitely recommend this steriliser as we have found it very useful and easy to use. Just remember to shop around as prices vary.
When it came to buy a steriliser for Jayden's bottles I had not idea what I was looking for there seemed to be so many different types to choose from. We decided to have a look on the John Lewis website as we had vouchers to use, we didn't want anything too expensive but we wanted something that was going to last. After browsing through the website we came across the Philips Avent Microwave Steriliser, at the time we were planning on using Avent bottles so thought this would be ideal, however we have since moved on to Dr Brown bottles and the steriliser works just as well with these.
We purchased out Avent Microwave Steriliser online, it came in a square cardboard box which was just a little bit bigger than the steriliser, inside the box the steriliser was inside a clear plastic bag for extra protection. I cannot remember exactly what the packaging was like as we got rid of this several weeks ago, however from what I can remember it had pictures of the steraliser on it along with the name of the product and various facts about it. There was also an instruction leaflet inside the box as well.
The Steriliser
The Avent Steriliser from the outside looks like a large Tupperware container, it comes in two halves consisting of a white round tray which is the bottom of the steriliser and a large dome lid, the lid sits on top of the tray and is held in place with two blue plastic clips, these are attached to the lid and clip onto the base to keep the two halves together.
The words Philips Avent are written on the top in the same style that they appear on the bottles which is blue writing with coloured blocks between the letters. Inside the steriliser is a blue tray, this has round dips and raised areas which is where you sit the various parts of the bottles you wish to sterilise, the tray has holes in it to allow the steam to flow through. In the centre of the tray is a handle which allows you lift the blue tray out of the base. The style of the Avent Microwave Steriliser is actually quite simple as it only consists of 3 parts, there was nothing to assemble it was literally ready to go. With this steriliser you also got a 125ml Avent feeding bottle, a pair of plastic tongs for removing items from the steriliser and a small measuring jug to measure out the correct amount of water for sterilising.
Using the Steriliser
Before we purchased the Avent Microwave Steriliser I thought it was going to be quite complicated and long winded sterilising Jayden's bottles, however with this steriliser it couldn't be easier. You simply put all of the parts of the bottles onto the blue tray inside the steriliser, it doesn't really matter how you stack things you just have to have a fiddle around to see what is the best way for them to fit in. Once all parts are in the steriliser you remove the blue tray containing the bottles then pour 200ml of water into the base and replace the tray, you then clip the lid in place and put the whole thing into the microwave for 4 to 6 minutes depending on your microwave, we always put ours in for 6 minutes. Once complete you then need to leave the steriliser for 2 minutes before opening. When you have finished sterilising you do need to take care when removing things from it as the steam inside remains very hot for a long while after the steralising has finished, the items inside are also extremely hot so it is advised you use the tongs to remove items from it.
Price and Availability
I purchased the Avent Microwave Steriliser from the John Lewis website, to be honest I haven't actually seen this steriliser anywhere else, although I should imagine it is available from shops such as Boots who also sell Avent products. From John Lewis the steriliser cost £24.00, I was pleasantly surprised at the price as I imagined that this sort of product would be a lot more expensive. Personally I would say that this is excellent value for money, the steriliser is well made and also strong and durable. A Steriliser isn't an essential as you can buy other products such as tablets and liquids to sterilise your bottles however it does make life a bit easier and this particular one is extremely affordable.
My Opinion
Our Avent Steriliser gets used at least a couple of times a day and has done since Jayden came home from hospital. We no longer use the Avent bottles as you may have seen from a previous review, however the Dr Brown bottles which we now use fit in here perfectly, the sterilise will fit pretty much any bottles you just need to have a fiddle around to see what way is best to stack them.
Using the Avent Steriliser is very quick and easy, on occasions we have realised we do not have a bottle sterilised for Jayden's next feed and with this Steriliser we can quickly have a bottle ready for him in minutes.
It is a little bulky and if you have a small microwave it would not fit inside, it is a bit of a tight fit getting it into our microwave, however once it is in there this is not a problem, so it is worth checking the size of your microwave before you buy one of these sterilisers. The whole thing is made from a tough and strong durable plastic so it cannot be broken easily. This is definitely product I would recommend.
Its very daunting being a first time Mummy, with just about every invention being on the market I really didn't even know where to start when buying anything for my soon to arrive little bundle of joy.
-Why did I buy the Avent Microwave Steam Sterilizer?-
To begin with I went out and purchased a plug in electric steam sterilizer which when my little girl arrived in to the world, I thought it was the bee's knees! I used to wash her bottles and dummies in hot soapy water and stick them all in, press the big button and away we go. I could trust that my little girl wouldn't be getting any tummy bugs from her bottles, Brilliant!...Little did I think about travelling or going on holiday this is when I realised it just wasn't as practical as I imagined. So off I sent my partner with orders to spend no more than £20 to get me some sort of travel sterilizer that we could just load with enough bottles to keep my little girl going for the day and small enough to pack into the car when we were going away for a few days. A few hours later he return with the 'Avent Microwave Steam Sterilizer'. At first I was worried as we owned 'Dr. Browns' bottles which are a lot larger than the Avent ones and I didn't think that they would fit into the sterilizer.
-Whats inside the box?-
Inside the box is the circular sterilizer with the clip on lid, a pair of tongs, a measuring jug and a 125ml Avent bottle- which for the price we paid I thought this was very good value for money.
-So how do I use it?-
You unclip the lid, lift out the blue bottle holding tray, fill the bottom with 200ml of cold water from the tap, place your washed bottles onto the blue tray (if you own big bottles like the dr browns ones you will fit 4 bottles in at a time, if you own the avent ones you will fit 6 in which is enough to get you through a day!), clip the lid back on and pop the sterilizer into the microwave for roughly between 4-6 minutes depending on the wattage of your microwave, you will have to reffer to your instructions manual for the correct times. Once the cycle has finished you can remove the sterilizer from the microwave, or if I can offer you any advice leave it for 5 minutes or you will burn your fingers as it gets boiling hot, also be careful when opening the lid (open it away from you otherwise the steam will come towards you which is as hot as kettle water). If you open the sterilizer the bottles will stay sterile for upto 4 hours or if you leave them in there without opening they will stay sterile for 24 hours.
-How does it stay clean?-
It is reccomended that you descale a sterilizer every 4-6 weeks, but to be honest I wipe clean the sterilizer after every use and i've never found the need to descale it.
-How much is it and where can I purchase it from?-
We paid £10 for this from Mothercare, it usually retails from anything up to £25 and can be brought from a number of places such as Boots, Mothercare, Asda, Tesco, Amazon and many more. If I can offer any advice here, shop around. You may even be able to pick one up second hand in good condition.
-Advantages and Disadvantages-
Brilliant value, small enough to take away yet big enough to use every day at home.My only few bad points- Since buying the sterilizer and after my little girl got over her spell of colic, I have purchased the Avent bottles as they fit in the sterilizer much better and it means I have 6 clean bottles on the go instead of 4 which is much more cost effective and practical. Also some microwaves are rather compact meaning the sterilizer sits rather snug inside and can sometimes take some twisting and turning to get it out again, But I have never had it completely stuck.
Quick and easy cleaning. Designed to fit most microwave ovens, this steriliser turns 200ml of water into steam for thoroughly clean bottles.


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Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in 'Racing' started by Anders Green, Sep 26, 2012.
...I'm in. Guess I need to learn how to ride semi fast in the sand.
How was Fiji Braden??
Sweet! You mean this year I actually get to pig out and watch the Superbowl? Yay!
Even better
At least we have an extra month to learn...
Dawn: I have a few practice sections I'll share with you and Mike.
Excellent! Thanks, Jack.
Fiji was amazing. Caught my first wave in the lagoon at the resort.
Our next bonus trip is in April so I should be able to do all three RallyMoto events next year.
Don't worry about learning to ride in the sand. Just show up and try it! It'll be old hat by the end of the day!
Brilliant!!! simply Brilliant, better weather, right before bike week, I've missed a few and time to get back on the buffalo and ring the snot out of it. Sandblast is a special event, where else can you get fatback and frog legs?
Doug: I've missed a few also, hope to see you there. Let's hope it works out for both of us.
Hey Doug, can I borrow the Buffalo for the shakedown stage I really wanna try one!
So the riders (me) still don't have to wear underwear though eh.
Are you Scottish?
Sir are you hitting on me??? Take a look up my ye old kilt
Little Irish and Scottish if that turns your crank....shaft
This has been on my list for a few years now but didn't have the right bike. Thought about running the GS but schedules allowed me to chicken out
Schedule looks much better this year and there is a new to me 530 in the garage... so no excuses
Can someone point me to the noob waiting area
haha that's what i'm sayin. i'll be taking a stab at this on my 500 exc.
Can I rent a bike?
I am going to be right there with you on this. Been wanting to try rally for awhile now and just haven't had time, but this year I will be there one way or another! Keep an eye out for two guys from VA on 1200GS's, we will be the ones way in the back.
PS: Whats the word on tires for the big bikes?
We prefer the round ones that use air
Save a spot back there for a 650 from NY :)
I think this is the hot ticket for a 17 "knobby" but I'll have to check the rule book....
More details here:


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The Postal Solution Suite – one for all sales channels
The former "point of sale" has become a "point of service", especially for postal operators. The challenge lies in offering the right services using the most effective sales channels – and doing this consistently but flexibly, with the customer at the center of all business activities.
That's why flexible IT has become an integral part of most new branch business strategies. But the success of an innovative IT solution depends on the optimal mix of its individual components.
Wincor Nixdorf's Postal Solution Suite, a modular software package, covers applications for the postal counter, self-service kiosks and the mobile channel on the front end, and central branch management applications for all sales channels, the back end and headquarters.
Postal Solutions – Channel Delivery
With the Postal Solution Suite, Wincor Nixdorf provides solutions for postal counters and the self-service channel.
Postal Solutions – Management & Optimization
With the administration and analysis tools in this category, the systems connected within the sales channels can be centrally controlled.
Postal Solutions – Security
Wincor Nixdorf's security solutions are based on a holistic security strategy and protect postal organizations' IT systems and networks.
Postal Solutions – Business Enabling
This category offers add-on solutions that help when setting up new sales and service processes in postal organizations' retail networks.
Industry Solutions


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MBR: Steven Peck, on Mormon fiction and A Short Stay in Hell
Episode 32 of The Mormon Book Review features Latter-day Saint author and evolutionary ecologist Steven Peck speaking about his existentialist horror novella A Short Stay in Hell. Kirk Caudle explores Peck's thoughts on exploring other faith traditions, how to find religious truth through fictional literature, and the dizzying vastness of eternity.
Peck is an evolutionary ecologist who teaches history, philosophy of science, and bioethics at Brigham Young University. He has published articles in American Naturalist, Newsweek, Evolution, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, Biological Theory, Agriculture and Human Values, and Biology & Philosophy, and has also edited a volume on environmental stewardship. His other books and short stories include The Scholar of Moab (Torrey House Press) and a young adult novel about warrior squirrels called Rifts of Ryme (Cedar Fort Press). Earlier this week, Peck announced that A Short Stay in Hell has been picked up by indie film director David Spaltro for a film adaptation (see here).
*The audio quality for this episode is poor. You can download this episode by right clicking here and selecting "Save as."
You can subscribe to the Maxwell Institute Podcast through iTunes. The podcatcher RSS feed is mi.byu.edu/feed/podcast. Send questions or comments about this and other episodes to firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Welcome, Guest!
As per the Internet Bill of Rights, you have access to most of the forums here, but MPC is a BLM-designated white privilege zone and you must become white to have a voice. Once you respond to the registration email, someone--no one knows who--must approve your new account. You will then become "white" and your privilege will be instantly assaulted.
Amazon Prime will soon deliver your AIDS medicine using drones
The bigots better get used to it: Amazon Prime drones are going to deliver life-saving HIV medicine directly to gay people. And for every Amazon Prime free trial sign-up, MPC gets $$$pAiD$$$.
Already have Amazoid Prime? You can still give back to this gay-friendly cyberpunk samizdat forum by visiting Amazon using this referral link to buy video games and Lego sculptures (THEY'RE LEARNING TOOLS, DAD).
If you want to directly reward the hassling of Kevin Williamson through inappropriate Twitter accounts and forged emails from his dad, consider donating directly to MPC using one of several anti-bigotry techniques detailed at the link.
Community Status Updates
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what would "Earth-Ball" mean to a dog or a cat? Nothing - they don't even have awareness there on a ball/planet.Feb 17 2017 06:43 AM
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text: I get frustrated, as a volunteer, when I can't connect what I do (give time, expertise, money, etc) to a measurable impact. I understand that this is sometimes rightly the way it is, but my volunteering "profile" is to want to work in organizations where I can see results. That's the sweetest thing about working with Sweet Dreamzzz. Every week during the school year, I see our mission in action. That mission is to improve the health, well-being and academic performance of at-risk children and their families by providing sleep education and bedtime essentials. Science has determined that lack of adequate sleep is a key contributor to many of the issues affecting children today: difficulty learning and paying attention; physical, mental and emotional health, obesity and others. The Sweet Dreamzzz volunteer 'sleeper teachers' deliver the message directly to elementary school kids (and often their teachers and parents) in a fun and memorable way. Follow up studies now in progress are showing that kids and families are changing behaviors. "Sleep fitness," as we call it, is a low-cost, painless and effective antidote that has a life-long impact on the child, their family and the community as a whole. And best of all, the smiles we see when the kids get their sleeping bag, shirt, book, and hygiene essentials, says it all. Visit sweetdreamzzz.org to see for yourself. Like and share our link, and call us if you want us to bring sleep fitness into one of your community schools! Kids will get more As and Bs by getting more ZZZs!


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Barnhart and Buehler never experienced playing for an NCAA title, but the former Cardinal All-Americans each own an Olympic gold medal for their participation with Team USA at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
O'Hara would love to be on the victory stand, receiving her own gold medal later this summer in London. First she has to help the Americans qualify.
"Winning the gold medal," she says in her NIKE commercial, "it would be nice."
The journey begins for the reigning Olympic champion U.S. on Friday when it opens the CONCACAF tournament against the Dominican Republic, in a match to be broadcast on Universal Sports Network, CONCACAF.com, and universalsports.com at 7:30 p.m.
Stanford senior Teresa Noyola and junior Alina Garciamendez play for Mexico, which has a Group B showdown Tuesday against the United States, also to be aired by Universal Sports Network, CONCACAF.com, and universalsports.com at 7:30 p.m.
The top two finishers in the eight-team tournament qualify for the 2012 Olympics in London.
Nineteen of the 20 players chosen by head coach Pia Sundhage were on the USA's 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup team with 21-year-old forward Sydney Leroux, a Canadian by birth, the only player on the roster not in Germany.
"The players made it hard for us to choose the 20 for Canada," said Sundhage. "We had a great camp in December and this past week in Los Angeles. I'm excited that we have a new player in the mix who wasn't in the World Cup (Leroux) and that will change the environment a bit in a positive way. As always, we are excited to play the next game and we will be prepared."
O'Hara was named to the World Cup roster only because of an injury to Lindsay Tarpley. This year she was named on her own merits.
"The main thing for me over the past year or so has been becoming comfortable with the team and getting confident with myself at this level, which I think I lacked at the beginning," O'Hara told the U.S. soccer website. "Now, I'm starting to feel comfortable and confident and I think that allows me to play up to my abilities."
She joins a team that does not lack for experience. Forward Abby Wambach has 125 career goals; Hope Solo was named the best goalkeeper at the Women's World Cup; and team captain Christie Rampone has 244 career caps.
After Friday's match, the U.S. continues first-round action against Guatemala on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. before its match with Mexico on Tuesday.
The group winners and runners-up will meet in the semifinals on Jan. 27, with the winners qualifying for the Olympics. The championship game will be played on Sunday, Jan. 29.
All of the players who scored for the USA last summer in Germany were named to the roster, which includes Buehler, midfielders Heather O'Reilly, Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd and forwards Lauren Cheney and Alex Morgan.
O'Hara, who won the Hermann Trophy for Stanford as college soccer's top player in 2009, was Stanford's most prolific scorer by the time she graduated. She has experience as a forward and midfielder and has been practicing at left back, which increases her chances of playing in Canada.
The U.S. is attempting to qualify for a fifth consecutive Olympic Games and win the CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying a third consecutive time.
Nine teams have already qualified for the 12-team Olympic Football Tournament: host Great Britain; Japan and Korea DPR from Asia; Cameroon and South Africa from Africa; Brazil and Colombia from South America; and Sweden and France from Europe. New Zealand, with Stanford grad Ali Riley on board, will likely earn Oceania's lone berth, which leaves just the CONCACAF entrants to be decided..
This story contains 700 words.
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Among the projects identified ahead of the official announcement—many through the offices of congressional representatives by press release—are two rail station rehabilitation projects. Sacramento, Calif., receives $15 million to restore the Sacramento Valley Station, while Rochester, N.Y., secured $15 million to construct the Rochester Intermodal Transportation Center, projected to cost $37.7 million, to replace a prototype "Amshack" that has been in place for decades.
Medford, Ore.-based Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad will be awarded $7 million to finance repairs needed to reopen the Siskiyou rail route, linking Medford and Weed, Calif. Total costs are estimated at $9.49 million, with the short line covering part of the expenditure.
SEPTA will receive $12.8 million for its Wayne Junction Substation and Infrastructure project.
Chicagoland's CREATE (Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency) program receives $10.4 million addressing 15 local projects. Within Chicago itself, Chicago Transit Authority will receive $20 million ito be applied to CTA's 95th Street Terminal Improvement Project.
Washington State will receive $10 million for the North Spokane Corridor project, which includes plans to relocate 7.5 miles of BNSF right-of-way.
The state of Vermont receives $7.9 million to finish infrastructure upgrades, including 19 miles of track improvement, from St. Albans to the Canadian border.
As for new rail starts, the Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Wave Streetcar Project (depicted at left) was awarded $18 million to fund initial work for a proposed 2.7-mile streetcar route in the city's downtown.
The 2012 TIGER IV program received 703 grant applications requesting a total of about $10.2 billion, generated by all 50 states, various U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. The first three TIGER programs received nearly 2,250 applications requesting more than $95 billion.


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Nice pic, Carlton.
LOL at the spear, but I do like the old-time Jets green tie.
I went to the Sagamore once a long time ago for a sales meeting at my old company. They were trying to save money (the next year we went to the Breakers in Palm Beach). I don't remember much of the week there, bunch of meetings interspersed with nights drinking with co-workers.
You used to be able to come by boat but they stopped that a few years ago. The best boat bar is the Algonquin in Bolton and the Boathouse near LG village.
We used to do a MLK ski weekend at Gore every year with a bunch of families in our neighborhood and stay at the Sagamore but they started closing it in winter around 2 years ago.
Last edited by THE_SOOTHSAYER; 09-04-2012 at 11:00 AM.


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Q&A with the Rays' J.P. Howell
Lefty reliever talks about his mentality coming out of the 'pen
Left-hander J.P. Howell was an integral part of a revamped bullpen for the AL East champion Rays, posting a 2.22 ERA and a 6-1 record over 64 games in relief this season. After working as a starter in 2005 with the Royals and from 2006-07 with Tampa, Howell switched to the bullpen heading into the '08 season and he struck out 92 batters in 89 1/3 innings. He recently answered some questions from MLBPLAYERS.com.
MLBPLAYERS.com: You switched from starter to reliever prior to the start of this season. Can you talk about this new role?
Howell: My role as a reliever is one that I understand a bit more than that of a starter. When I was a starting pitcher, it was an uphill battle for me to go seven innings. If I wasn't able to go those seven innings, I felt that I was hurting the team and especially the bullpen. As a reliever I can come in and eat some innings up or come in to get a lefty out. I like having a definite role.
MLBPLAYERS.com: Can you talk about the success you have enjoyed as a reliever?
Howell: I think that in the past, the first three innings of a start I was only giving up a couple of hits here and there. I would run in to some trouble in the fourth or fifth inning by giving up several runs. I think they noticed that I was solid in the beginning and would fall apart in the middle. I believe a lot of that has to do with my approach to the game. As I get older and more experienced, I learn from that. I've learned from both my experiences and my failures. Whenever I pitched this season, I took something from each appearance.
MLBPLAYERS.com: Is working out of the bullpen something you envision yourself doing for quite a bit of time?
Howell: There's no doubt in my mind that I want to be coming out of the bullpen down the line. I love the situations I come into. The intensity is something that can't really be explained. It's short situations with instant gratification -- if you get the job done. As a starter, I think I would lose focus around the fourth and fifth inning, which ultimately was my downfall. I love the mental aspect of coming out of the bullpen. I wouldn't change it for anything.
MLBPLAYERS.com: What it is like to be down in the 'pen for nine innings a night?
Howell: It's a bonding experience for me. They've taught me so much out there. Dan Wheeler, who used to be the long guy for the Mets, came in and gave me a ton of information. It's been an easy transition for me. I can sit back, watch the game, and pick apart the opposing hitters.
MLBPLAYERS.com: Going back to when you started playing this game, have you always been a pitcher?
Howell: I was never a standout hitter. I usually hit around .300 in high school. I knew growing up that if I was going to succeed, not only in high school but in the Majors as well, that it would be with my arm and not my bat. It's something that I've always loved and always wanted to do. I would rather throw than be the hitter.
MLBPLAYERS.com: What do you like to do when you are not playing baseball during the season?
Howell: I like to enjoy the clear water at the beaches in Tampa. I try to relax and enjoy life. There's a lot of stuff to do there and I just like to take it one day at a time. Tampa reminds me a lot of California, where I'm originally from. It's been an easy transition for me to move there and get comfortable.
MLBPLAYERS.com: Where do you live over the winter and what is a typical day like?
Howell: I make my home in Sacramento in the offseason. I usually wake up around 7:30 in the morning and go lift weights for a few hours. I like to hang out with my mom and have lunch with her. My girlfriend is really busy, so I try to make as much time for her as I can. I love playing video games and spending time with my friends from high school whenever I can. Sometimes I'll wait until they get off from work and go shoot some pool with them.
MLBPLAYERS.com: What is your favorite video game?
Howell: Right now it's Call of Duty 4. All my friends and I get on-line together and have a blast. It's a team bonding type of thing.
MLBPLAYERS.com: Seeing that you are from Sacramento, are you a big Kings fan?
Howell: Yeah, I'm a huge Sacramento Kings fan. I hate the Lakers even though I rooted for them during the NBA Finals because I wanted a West Coast team to win. I had hoped that they would have pulled if off. The Lakers, though, killed me in that series against the Kings when Robert Horry hit that huge 3-pointer. We also have some cowbells at Tropicana Field like we do at Arco Arena, so it's kind of funny.
MLBPLAYERS.com: Have you ever been called by your given name of James Phillips?
Howell: It's always been J.P. On my mom's side we have Uncle Dave and Little Dave. We have Uncle Paul and Little Paul. Instead of giving me one of those monikers they gave me J.P. since I was the second. I suppose I could have been Little James but I like J.P. better.
Jeff Moeller is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Smog problems off almost 50% in 2009
If you think there's less smog this year, you are probably right.
Thanks in large part to cooler temperatures and more rain, the number of dirty-air days for smog nationwide has dropped by almost half in 2009 compared to last year, according to a survey by the non-profit Clean Air Watch.
The survey by Clean Air Watch volunteers is the first comprehensive snapshot of smog in the United States in 2009. It found that the national health standard for smog, technically ozone, was breached more than 2,600 times through August 31 at monitoring stations in 37 states and the District of Columbia.
During the same period last year, there were more than 5,000 such events, known in the jargon of the bureaucracy as "exceedences."
There were several key factors in the smog drop, according to Frank O'Donnell, president of Clean Air Watch: cooler, wetter weather, less use of coal-burning electric power plants to run air conditioners, the general decline in the economy, and the continuing turnover of cars and trucks to new models that meet tougher clean-air requirements.
"Despite the improvement, we can't afford to drop our efforts to reduce smog-forming pollution," O'Donnell said. "We can't count on rain to wash the pollution away. Scientists warn that global warming could make it harder to achieve clean-air standards in the future. And, obviously, a sick economy is not the right cure for dirty air."
Article continues: http://cleanairwatchpressroom.blogspot.com/2009/09/smog-shocker-smog-problems-off-almost.html


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Katy Perry is engaged to Russell Brand, her rep officially confirmed to Access Hollywood.
According to the rep, who first confirmed the news to Glamour magazine, the British comedian proposed in a tent at the foot of a mountain, while the couple was vacationing in India over the holiday period.
Although the couple wasn't engaged when Katy sat down with the mag for their February 2010 cover story, Glamour managed to ask the "Waking Up In Vegas" singer what it would take to get her to settle down.
"When I find a partner who is my teammate," Katy said. "I'm not going to play by any rules, I'm just going to go with my heart. Why wait? I just wrote a song [that goes], 'They say it's hard to meet your match, gotta find my other half so we can make a perfect shape.'"
And she opened up too about Russell, who she met at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2009, and who she quickly fell for.
"When he was filming [his upcoming movie] 'Get Him to the Greek,' I did a cameo with him. My scene called for me to make out with him. And on the way down the stairs after the scene, I was hopping like a bunny. I hop like a bunny when I'm happy — I get a bit childlike," she laughed. "He gives me the Christmas Eve jitters."
When asked what she meant by that, Katy revealed her beau makes her giddy.
"That feeling you had as a child. You're wiggling your feet underneath the covers because something exciting is going to happen tomorrow," she said.
And one of the many things she loves about Russell is his way with words.
"He could slay anybody with the things that he says," she said. "He doesn't even need his fists. "
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: See Hot Shots Of Katy Perry
PLAY IT NOW: Russell Brand Back For More At 2009 VMAs
PLAY IT NOW: Music Video: Katy Perry - 'Waking Up In Vegas'
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Katy Perry - Russell Brand - Couples - Engagements - Brits


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I always wear a vented jkt. here in Az.. The rain/thermal liners I wear unattached. Never could see zipping/snapping them in and out.
Seems to work just as well too.
For added heat or rain protection I carry a pair of BMG Ezeon pants and an old fisherman's rain jkt. for any downpours.
This works for me when using any of the various brand armored jkts that I wear.