text:
(Adopted May 7, 1976)(Amended September 2, 1977)(Amended March 3, 1978)
(Amended July 6, 1979)(Amended March 5, 1982)(Amended December 15, 2000)
(a) Purpose
The purpose of this rule is to reduce emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from VOC-containing materials or equipment not subject to the VOC limits in any Regulation XI rule.
(b) Applicability
This rule applies to any person using VOC-containing materials or equipment that emit Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and are not subject to VOC limits in any Regulation XI rule. VOC-containing materials include, but are not limited to, coatings, resins, adhesives, inks, solvents, thinners, diluents, mold seal and release compounds, lubricants, cutting oils and quenching oils. Equipment and materials include, but are not limited to, coating, adhesive, and ink application equipment, metal forming, casting, or forging operations.
(c) Definitions
For the purpose of this rule, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) AEROSOL PRODUCT is a hand held, non-refillable container that expels pressurized materials by means of a propellant-induced force.
(2) FACILITY means any source or group of sources or other air contaminant-emitting activities which are located on one or more contiguous properties within the District, in actual physical contact or separated solely by a public roadway or other public right-of-way, and are owned or operated by the same person (or by persons under common control), or an outer continental shelf (OCS) source as determined in 40 CFR Section 55.2. Such above-described groups, if noncontiguous, but connected only by land carrying a pipeline, shall not be considered one facility. Sources or installations involved in crude oil and gas production in Southern California Coastal or OCS Waters and transport of such crude oil and gas in Southern California Coastal or OCS Waters shall be included in the same facility which is under the same ownership or use entitlement as the crude oil and gas production facility on-shore.
(3) VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND (VOC) is as defined in Rule 102.
(4) VOC-CONTAINING MATERIAL is any VOC-containing product including, but not limited to, coatings, resins, adhesives, inks, solvents, thinners, diluents, mold seal and release compounds, lubricants, cutting and quenching oils.
(5) SOLVENT means ORGANIC SOLVENT as defined in Rule 102.
(d) Requirements
(1) On or before December 31, 2002, a person shall not discharge organic materials into the atmosphere from equipment in which organic solvents or materials containing organic solvents are used, unless such emissions have been reduced by at least 85 percent or to the following:
(A) Organic materials that come into contact with flame or are baked, heat cured or heat polymerized, are limited to not to exceed 6.5 kilograms (14.3 pounds) per day.
(B) Organic materials emitted into the atmosphere from the use of photochemically reactive solvents are limited to 18 kilograms (39.6 pounds) per day, except as provided in subparagraph (d)(1)(A).
(C) Organic materials emitted into the atmosphere from the use of non-photochemically reactive solvents are limited to 272 kilograms (600 pounds) per day except as provided in subparagraph (d)(1)(A).
(2) Effective January 1, 2003, a person shall not emit VOCs to the atmosphere from all VOC-containing materials, equipment or processes subject to this rule, in excess of 833 pounds per month per facility. Emissions may be reduced through the use of the following:
(A) Product reformulation or substitution, process changes, improvement of operational efficiency, and/or the development of innovative technology; or
(B) Any combination of emission control device and subparagraph (d)(2)(A) provided that the operator submits an Alternative Compliance Plan that is approved by the Executive Officer. The Executive Officer shall not approve an alternative compliance plan, unless the plan has demonstrated real, quantifiable, and verifiable emission reductions.
(3) In lieu of paragraph (d)(2), a person may install an emission control device operated in accordance with subdivision (e).
(e) Control Equipment
A person may comply with paragraphs (d)(1) or (d)(2) by using a VOC emission collection and control system that reduces overall emissions by 85 percent as follows:
(1) the emission collection and control system shall capture at least 90 percent, by weight, of the emissions generated by the equipment, material, or operation and
(A) have a destruction efficiency of at least 95 percent, by weight, or
(B) have an output of less than 50 parts per million (PPM) calculated as carbon with no dilution.
(f) Test Methods
For the purpose of this rule, the following test methods shall be used, or any other test methods approved by the California Air Resources Board, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the District.
(1) Determination of VOC Content in Solvent-containing materials
The VOC content of VOC-containing materials subject to the provisions of this rule shall be determined by the following methods:
(A) United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Reference Method 24 (Code of Federal Regulations, Title 40, Part 60, Appendix A). The exempt compounds' content shall be determined by the South Coast Air Quality Management District's (SCAQMD) Method 303 (Determination of Exempt Compounds) contained in the SCAQMD "Laboratory Methods of Analysis for Enforcement Samples" manual; or,
(B) SCAQMD Method 304 [Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) in Various Materials] contained in the SCAQMD "Laboratory Methods of Analysis for Enforcement Samples" manual.
(C) Exempt Perfluorocarbon Compounds
The following classes of compounds: cyclic, branched, or linear, completely fluorinated alkanes; cyclic, branched, or linear, completely fluorinated ethers with no unsaturations; cyclic, branched, or linear, completely fluorinated tertiary amines with no unsaturations; and sulfur-containing perfluorocarbons with no unsaturations and with sulfur bonds only to carbon and fluorine, will be analyzed as exempt compounds for compliance with subdivision (d), only when manufacturers specify which individual compounds are used in the solvent formulation and identify the United States Environmental Protection Agency, California Air Resources Board, and the District approved test methods used to quantify the amount of each exempt compound.
(2) Determination of Presence of VOC in Clean-up Materials
The presence of VOC in the headspace over the cleaning material shall be determined by SCAQMD Method 313 [Determination of Presence of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) in a Headspace] contained in the SCAQMD "Laboratory Methods of Analysis for Enforcement Samples" manual.
(3) Determination of Efficiency of Emission Control Systems
(A) The capture efficiency of the capture system for purposes of determining overall efficiency shall be determined by verifying the use of a Permanent Total Enclosure (PTE) and 100% capture efficiency as defined by U.S. EPA Method 204, "Criteria for and Verification of a Permanent or Temporary Total Enclosure." Alternatively, if a US EPA Method 204 defined PTE is not employed, capture efficiency shall be determined using a minimum of three sampling runs subject to data quality criteria presented in the US EPA technical guidance document "Guidelines for Determining Capture Efficiency, January 9, 1995." Individual capture efficiency test runs subject to the US EPA technical guidelines shall be determined by:
(i) The Temporary Total Enclosure (TTE) approach of US EPA Methods 204 through 204F; or
(ii) The District "Protocol for Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) Capture Efficiency."
(B) The control device efficiency of an emission control system on a mass emissions basis and the VOC concentrations in the exhaust gases, measured and calculated as carbon, shall be determined by US EPA Test Methods 25, 25A, District Method 25.1 - Determination of Total Gaseous Non-Methane Organic Emissions as Carbon, or District Method 25.3 Determination of Low Concentration Non-Methane Non-Ethane Organic Compound Emissions from Clean Fueled Combustion Sources, as applicable. US EPA Test Method 18 or ARB Method 422 shall be used to determine emissions of exempt compounds.
(C) The overall efficiency of an emission collection and control system shall be determined using the following equation (all efficiencies expressed in percent):
Overall Efficiency = (Capture Efficiency) x (Control Device Efficiency) / 100
(3) Multiple Test Methods
When more than one test method or set of test methods are specified for any testing, the application of these methods to a specific set of test conditions is subject to approval by the Executive Officer. In addition, a violation of any requirement of this rule established by any one of the specified test methods or set of test methods shall constitute a violation of the rule.
(4) All test methods referenced in this section shall be the most recent version as approved by the USEPA.
(g) Recordkeeping Requirements
Usage records for all VOC-containing materials subject to this rule shall be maintained pursuant to Rule 109. Such records shall be retained for two years and shall be made available at the request of the Executive Officer or his representative. A person who complies with the requirement of (d)(2) before January 1, 2003 may keep daily or monthly records in accordance with Rule 109.
(h) Storage and Disposal
All VOC-containing materials subject to this rule, whether in its form for intended use or as a waste or used product, shall be stored in non-absorbent, non-leaking containers which shall be kept closed at all times, except when filling or emptying, and disposed of in a manner to prevent evaporation of VOCs into the atmosphere at the facility.
(i) Exemptions
(1) The provisions of this rule shall not apply to:
(A) The manufacture, transport, or storage of organic solvents, or the transport or storage of materials containing organic solvents.
(B) The emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from VOC-containing materials or equipment which are subject to other Regulation IV rules (excluding Rule 481 - Spray Coating Operations) or which are exempt from air pollution control requirements by said rules.
(C) The use of pesticides, including insecticides, rodenticides, or herbicides.
(D) Aerosol products.


text:
That was one of the worst major league at-bats you'll ever see.
That was quite a bad inning of offensive baseball.
Why di I giggle every time they show bald marty
He looks better bald. He had the Doc Brown, wild-haired scientist look going before.
Homer doesn't look to sharp
another hit for harrison.
Come on Homer, lets take care of the sub .250 hitters a la everyone besides McCutchen and Walker
bailey falling behind.
Glad to see both teams playing baseball and not concentrating on the extracurricular stuff.
The umpiring dating back to the Colorado series has been awful
2 on 1 out.
Mccutchen is going to straighten one of those out
bailey can't find the strikezone.
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I've been giving this a bit of thought recently, and I think it's time to change a few of our rules for SPEW applicants.
The fifty posts in the Hospital Wing rule seems a bit outdated to me, and I'm considering changing it to either 50 or 75 posts on the boards altogether. Originally, the rule was in place to make sure that the applicants were involved with other sections of the boards, but since there are so many other forums it seems a bit silly to keep it with just posts in the Hospital Wing.
Also, I think I'd like to raise the 4 review application to 5, just because it will help to show a little more variety - it's difficult to get an idea of a reviewer's style sometimes when two application reviews are for the same fic.
So those are my two suggestions. I would put it to a poll, but there's two questions (and I'm lazy, tbh). So please post in this thread to tell me what you think of these two proposals. I want it to be a fair decision, so at least the majority of SPEW has to agree.
And I'm going to make this an open thread about rule changes - if you have any issues with the current rules or have found something that you think should be changed, then bring it up here and we'll discuss it. I won't bite you.


text:
COURSE: 81-496 Rights, Civil-Liability and Administrative Actions (3)
The purposes of this course is to understand the liabilities that may attach to the police and their respective departments when officers engage in improper conduct, and to understand various lawsuits that may be filed against a police officer for misconduct. These suits include actions of officers that are intentional, as well as those that are negligent. Students learn why proper training, supervision and department rules and regulations are so important.


text:
searching can be risky business. Usually the results that come
up are legitimate pages. But sometimes a handful of the results
are carefully crafted attack pages which probe and try to exploit
vulnerabilities in your browser, in an attempt to install malware on
your computer. Other sites try to lure users into phishing
schemes or get them to reveal their emails so they can spam
them.McAfee, whose acquisition
by Intel was announced yesterday, maintains a yearly
list of what stars and starlets have the most dangerous page
results. The yearly project uses stats from the company's free
software SiteAdvisor,
which advises you about whether websites pose a threat.Last
year Jessica
Biel topped the list of the celebs most likely to give your
computer a virus. This she's been bumped off by Cameron Diaz.
Users searching for "Cameron Diaz" apparently facing a
whopping 19 percent chance of landing on a dangerous site.
Picture or download searches for Diaz had a 10 percent chance of
landing on a malicious site.Biel was bumped to third, with
Julia Roberts surging to second. Models Adriana Lima (6th) and
Gisele Bundchen (4th) were the only non-actors to make the top 10.
Brad Pitt (5th) and Tom Cruise (8th) were the only males to make the
top 10. Despite his popular infidelity scandal, pro-golfer
Tiger Woods was only 33rd. U.S. President Barack Obama (49th),
meanwhile, was chilling with Sarah Palin (50th) at the back end of
the list.Dmitri Alperovitch, McAfee's vice president of
threat research comments,
"It's sort of a little bit of rivalry from the traditional world
going to the cyber world. It's fascinating how cyber criminals
can be so in tune with the popularity of various actresses and
models. …They're actually a fantastic barometer of their
popularity. "[Diaz has] been in the spotlight
recently with a number of blockbuster movies, "Knight and Day,"
of course, with Tom Cruise. What we see is that we people who
are in the news recently… they tend to be at the top of the list
because they're on peoples' minds. People tend to go on Google and
Bing and search for them after they've watched their movies. Cyber
criminals realize that very well and target people when they do
this."Mr. Alperovitch warns customers, in particular, to
avoid looking for screensavers or ringtones, which often lead to
infected pages.


text:
Related quotes
"There's nothing you can really do to prepare to rock. Do you prepare to eat a delicious meal? Are you hungry? Then you're gonna eat it."
"No dreams, no visions, no delicious fantasies, no castles in the air, with which, as the old song so truly says, "hearts are broken, heads are turned"."
"One of life's primal situations; the game of hide and seek. Oh, the delicious thrill of hiding while the others come looking for you, the delicious terror of being discovered, but what panic when, after a long search, the others abandon you! You mustn't hide too well. You mustn't be too good at the game. The player must never be bigger than the game itself."
"Critics complained it wasn't opera, it wasn't a musical. You give someone something delicious to eat and they complain because they have no name for it."
"Here I stand before you - brown.
Color of the mountains
Colossal as the earth
Wrapped so deliciously within my own joy and misery
Feathers of my wings paralyzed by the distance of my mind
Here I stand before you, the color of the night
Frozen by the potential of me"


text:
Payroll Cards Spark Legal Action
A petition and complaint from a Pennsylvania credit union member has helped launch increased regulatory interest in re-loadable prepaid cards that are being used to pay employees.
Natalie Gunshannon, a resident of Dallas Township, Pennsylvania, began a petition on change.org urging her then-employer, a local McDonald's franchise owner, to pay her through direct deposit to her credit union account and not by direct deposit onto a payroll card issued by JP Morgan Chase.
The card carried significant fees to access her money, Gunshannon complained. She noted that her credit union account and its debit card did not carry fees.
"These cards come with a lot of fees; from fees for cash withdrawals to balance inquiries to lost or stolen cards to overdrafts and even inactivity fees," Gunshannon wrote in the petition. "The federal government has helped reduce fees on credit and debit cards that most consumers use, but those protections don't apply to the kinds of cards companies like McDonald's are using to pay employees. In the end, I feared that once all of the fees from getting my own hard-earned wages through this card were taken out, my pay would go below minimum wage."
Gunshannon said she is a member of Service 1st Federal Credit Union, a 22,000-member, $219 million credit union headquartered in Danville, Pa., that she joined about 15 years ago because her mother was a member.
Gunshannon wrote that she left the McDonald's "not because I didn't like the people but because I think it's only fair I get paid for all of my work there."
Gunshannon's addressed the petition to the CEO of McDonald's and other McDonald's executives. The petition reached its 300,000 goal on July 22, but has been left on the site with a goal of an additional 200,000 signatures.
Re-loadable cards that accept directly deposited wages have been one of the fastest growing segments of the prepaid card industry as employers and financial institutions sought ways to use ACH as the predominant means of payment.
Employees with deposit accounts at financial institutions are relatively easily moved away from checks, but employees without such accounts used to have to get paychecks, which are both more expensive for the employer and considered dangerous for the employee because it left them holding large amounts of cash. Re-loadable cards, dubbed payroll cards, were offered as mechanism to improve the situation for both employers and employees.
Gunshannon has filed a class action lawsuit against the franchise owners, the Albert and Carol Mueller LP, and the company has abandoned the practice. The partnership owns 16 McDonalds restaurants in Northeastern Pennsylvania and issued a statement.
"An important part of our value system has always been to provide our employees with convenient, free and immediate access to their pay," Christina Mueller-Curran, spokeswoman for the franchisee, said in a statement."By expanding the options our employees have to receive their wages they will be better able to meet their individual financial needs and preferences."
Despite the change in policy, Gunshannon said the petition will continue because said the practice of both forcing employees to accept payment through payroll cards and then charging fees for the cards appears to be spreading, in her view. She wrote that she has heard of employees of McDonald's franchises as far away as Milwaukee have been facing similar issues.
Meanwhile, the complaint and litigation had drawn the attention of state officials and federal legislators.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has launched an investigation into how large employers are paying hourly employees with payroll cards and has sent letters inquiring about their policies to 20 large employers in the state, according to the business consulting firm Ballard Spahr.
The firm reported that Schneiderman is concerned that the card's fees might not be fully disclosed or excessive.
The attorney general's office declined to comment on the report.
In addition, sixteen U.S. Senators, all Democrats, have written the CFPB and Department of Labor asking the agencies to investigate whether the use of high fee payroll cards, after fees, prevents lower income workers from making a minimum wage. The legislators also asked Cordray look into whether some employers have been getting paid for the numbers of employees that they steer onto the cards.


text:
3/19/2011 6:27pm, #1
UK Military developing solar-powered army uniforms that generate electricity
UK Military developing solar-powered army uniforms that generate electricity
Scientists across the United Kingdom are working on a solar-powered kit that could lighten the load of soldiersand, more important, increase their mobilityby up to 50 percent. Developed by the University of Glasgow with Loughborough, Strathclyde, Leeds, Reading, and Brunel Universities, and funded by both the Ministry of Defense and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the new uniform will comprise photovoltaic cells to harness the suns energy, as well as thermoelectric devices that turn temperature differentials into electricity (see: Seebeck Effect).
Apparently "The U.K. project is the first to marry thermoelectric devices with solar cells to generate power without interruption, 24/7."
Pretty cool, I'm hoping this can done for the masses for regular consumption at a affordable rate sooner, rather than laterSurfing Facebook at work? Spread the good word by adding us on Facebook today! https://www.facebook.com/Bullshido


text:
Behind-The-Scenes at the NJ101.5 Morning Show (PHOTOS)
My alarm goes off at 3:15am...and I'm stumbling around in the dark, Thursday and Friday morning. Justin (Jim's producer) is off, and I'm stepping in. I'm not a morning person...never have been. Jim Gearhart, and company, has been doing this for more than 20 years! Come along with me and my camera!


text:
Backfired! R. Kelly Starts #AskRKelly On Twitter And The Jokes Won't Stop!
- By Bossip Staff
18 of 18
Twitter Responds To #AskRKelly Hashtag
These celebrities are going to learn one day. Robert Kelly, he of ALLEGEDLY peeing on teenagers, went on Twitter today and asked people to join the #AskRKelly hashtag to ask him questions and get ready for his album release. As you can imagine, Twitter went all the way in. Buckle up.


text:
Tashi delek,
About Awareness or self awareness / Rang Rig our Lopon Lak gives here some usefull explanations.
Mutsog Marro
Question: What is Awareness
Answer: by Lopon
Usually Awareness means knowing something by your own conciousness and knowledge but in the Teachings and particularly in Dzogchen, it is important to know what awareness means and to distinguish it from normal understanding.
Normally Awareness means knowing something with conciousness and there needs to be a subject and an object. But in Dzogchen there is no subject and object.
We give an example of lighting up a lamp.
It is self-aware. It is not the normal understanding. You have to understand this separately. There is n o need of any consciousness to be aware. That is not easy to understand. Nature is itself aware of itself without any object or subject.
Usually the word awareness always means that we depend on consciousness to be aware of something. But here it is like a mirror which takes reflections. The mirror is like Nture which can take reflections and the mirror and reflections are not separate.
The reflections are clear to the mirror, so it looks a though the mirror is aware or knows the reflections, they are not separate. Otherwise there is no explanation which uses subject or object.
In the Teachings of Nyamgyud it is that:
Awareness is Empty Nature
Empty Nature is Awareness.
(Nyam Gyud is the Experiential Transmission and Teachings from the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyud)
There is here no separation on Nature's side; we use the words clarity and awareness. So when misunderstood you might think that Awareness is something separate or is like consciousness.
We often make use of the of the words Awareness, self-awareness, Rigpa in Tibetan or Rang rig.
We only use these terms to explain the text, but you must understand them with the meaning of Nature itself.
Nature has 3 qualities namely:
1) Emptiness
2) Unification
3) Clarity
Awareness has also these 3 above mentioned qualities, it is the same thing, we just make use of only different words.
There are 2 words,
Rig pa – awareness
Rang rig – self Awareness
and they go back to the same Nature, there is here no separation, no object and no subject.
Many Tibetan schools make use of the above mentioned 2 words Rig pa and Rang rig and these words are very popular, but these schools or Traditions have each their different understanding of the term, so they are not dealing or talking about the same thing.
It is quite hard to come into understanding because Nature is self-aware, and this aware doesn't have the same meaning as usual. It looks like it is self-clear, but it is not possible to explain what is clear.
Question and answers - Awareness
Discussion of the fifth religious tradition of Tibet.
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text:
Hudson confident in returning this year
Righty excited about progress, looking at August return
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com
"I feel really good about where I'm at right now," Hudson said. "I haven't thrown breaking balls, splits or changeups or anything like that. But how I feel right now, it's hard to think that it's going to take me three months to get ready to pitch in a game."
Attempting to return from the Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery that he underwent on Aug. 8, Hudson labored through his Spring Training throwing program. But the opportunity to rest in April has provided the 33-year-old right-hander the chance to spend the past couple of weeks throwing with the feel of a new arm.
"In Spring Training, I was able to throw and do all of my stuff," Hudson said. "It would feel OK, but I could tell that I had surgery. It was one of those things where it was a little sensitive. Now when I throw, it feels like a normal elbow. I haven't aired it out yet at all. I've got to build it up."
Hudson will complete a 20-pitch bullpen session when his throwing program returns to the mound in San Francisco on Monday. Over the course of the following two weeks, he'll steadily increase his volume and reach a point where he's able to test his arm with breaking balls and offspeed pitches.
While understanding that he still has some hurdles to overcome during the rehab process, Hudson truly believes that he could rejoin the Atlanta rotation during the latter portion of August. Recognizing the slim possibility that the Braves won't have a need to add him to the rotation, he believes he could return to as a reliever as soon as the first week of August.
"Obviously, I want to start," Hudson said. "I feel like I'm a No. 1 starter still. It's just one of those things where I want to help our club, and whatever is the best for the club is what I want to do."
With Derek Lowe, Javier Vazquez and Jair Jurrjens, the Braves feel good about the front part of a rotation that will add Kris Medlen on Thursday and top prospect Tommy Hanson in the near future. Tom Glavine could also find himself as part of the rotation mix within the next couple of weeks.
Looking toward the 2010 season, the Braves' projected rotation will most likely include Lowe, Jurrjens and Hanson. During the first year of his three-year, $23 million contract, Kenshin Kawakami hasn't provided much reason to be confident about his future.
As for Medlen, his long-range future may be to serve as a reliever. But he could certainly alter that projection while serving in the rotation over the next couple of weeks.
With this in mind, the Braves could choose to keep both Vazquez, who will cost $11.5 million, and Hudson, who has a $12 million option with a $1 million buyout for the 2010 season. Or because of their pitching depth, they may choose to free up some salary by parting ways with one of the right-handers.
Understanding this possibility and possessing a desire to continue pitching in Atlanta, Hudson understands the importance of being able to pitch in impressive fashion when he returns.
"Obviously, everybody knows about the pitching that we have around here and the pitching that we have in the Minors," Hudson said. "I'm not numb to that. I know that we're pretty stocked. I just want to help us win, and the quicker that I can get back out there to help us win, I think the better we're going to be."
Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Samuels, then a vice president at NS, now retired, drew several bell curves. The horizontal axis of the graph reflected stress and strength, while the vertical axis showed frequency of occurrence. One series of curves represented the stress caused by equipment of different weights, and another curve represented the strength of the track. Ideally, the curve for track strength should be further out on the X-axis than the curve for equipment-induced stress. Track degradation and risk of derailment increase when the stress curve overlaps the strength curve (in other words, when the track is stressed beyond its strength). This can happen when wheels or trucks are worn, tie condition degrades, rail profiles wear to less than optimum contact, or lubrication and top-of-rail friction control (TOR) are out of adjustment.
"We are on a mission to reduce the wheel/rail forces, particularly in curving, that contribute to poor fuel economy, worn wheels and, most importantly to engineering folks, degraded track," says Brad Kerchof, director research and tests at Norfolk Southern. "We are employing a number of strategies to accomplish this goal."
"When applying these strategies, we have found that our approach needs to be balanced, for, like many things with the railroad, changing one factor can affect other things," says Kevin Conn, research engineer at NS.
One of those factors is friction management. NS wants to control the coefficient of friction at the wheel/rail interface to be between 0.30 and 0.35.
"We want the coefficient of friction low enough to reduce the lateral curving forces," says Conn, "but high enough to maintain locomotive adhesion and preserve the steering moment generated between the wheel and rail."
Conn notes this can be done with two different types of friction modifier: One achieves the desired friction by controlling the amount of friction modifier that is applied. The other achieves its effectiveness due to its material properties (and the amount applied is less important).
Two other big factors are the wheel and rail profiles.
"Rail profile is important, but so is the wheel profile," says Walter Rosenberger, research engineer at NS. "I think everybody in the industry knows that you have to manage carefully the shape of the rail profile for metallurgical damage. But it is also important to maintain a profile to govern the wheel's interaction with the rail. Curving forces are a function of where the contact patch is on the rail, which in turn is a function of the rail profile and the wheel profile."
Rosenberger also points out that wheel profiles vary. Three profiles that are frequently observed in the field are new wheel, stable worn, and hollow worn, and each performs differently. Each pair of wheel profiles generates a different rolling radius differential as it contacts a given pair of rail profiles. Rolling radius differential is critically important, because that is what steers the truck through a curve.
Relying on good rail profile
While wheel profiles are difficult to manage (though NS does has a wheel profile detector initiative that is intended to address this challenge), rail profiles can be managed more easily, through rail grinding.
"Our grinding objective on tangent track is a profile that carries the wheels in the center third of the head. In curves, we're looking for the high side rail to carry the wheels on the gauge third of the head, which matches up nicely with the part of the wheel that has the larger rolling radius. On the low side, we want contact in the middle third, similar to tangent track. If you manage your rail profiles on a curve properly, you allow wheels to steer around that curve, taking advantage of the conical shape of the wheel and the differential rolling radius. The high wheel, rolling on the fatter part, travels further than the low wheel, which if rolling on the middle part of the tread has a smaller diameter," says Kerchof.
Adds Rosenberger, "We have found that very small changes in contact patch location can have a dramatic impact on rolling radius differential and thus on curving performance."
NS performs regular inspections to help monitor some of these factors. NS's geometry cars use a laser-optic system that saves a digital profile of both rails every 10 feet. The system reports the amount of wear on the rail, the orientation (cant) of the rail, and its shape. The digital profiles can be used in vehicle dynamics software to simulate curving performance, including lateral forces and wear rates.
The railroad's grinding contractor uses a similar system to determine what combination of grinding passes and patterns are needed in order to achieve the desired rail profile. A pre-grind inspection defines the existing rail profiles using a high-rail truck equipped with the same laser-optic system used on the geometry cars. A software program then determines which grinding patterns and how many grinding passes are needed to reshape the rail head to the desired profile. Another laser-optic system on the grinder serves to confirm that the desired profile was obtained.
Concerning grinding away rolling contact fatigue (RCF), the industry's detection is only skin deep. "We know quantitatively what the profile of our rail looks like, but in terms of the amount of surface damage, our assessment is only qualitative. We can see the cracks on the rail head, but we really don't know how deep they are. As a result, we are looking at technology that can tell us how deep the cracks are so that we can grind them out while balancing this with the desired rail profile," says Conn. "We talk about the magnitude of forces that go into the rail and wheel, but we do not necessarily talk about where on the rail or the wheel these forces are occurring. We're learning that in order to understand what is happening at the rail/wheel interface, we need to talk about both."
In addition to identifying the extent of RCF and the point of contact force, where, how, and under what conditions rail cant is measured is another issue the industry will need to look into, Rosenberger says. "Everybody is measuring cant, but I think we as an industry are trying to figure out what cant value is meaningful under various load conditions and how cant relates to the risk of rail roll-over. We're into the classic physics lab case where you're trying to measure something and the act of measuring it has an effect on it. How do you determine what the legitimate, reliable and sensible way to measure rail cant is? And, having measured it, what is an appropriate alarm criteria on the geometry car? And we need to agree on an industry standard for the reference plane that defines zero cant: either the rail tilting 1:40 inward or vertical. Railroads currently use both."
Dynamic test site
The rail industry has studied the larger wheel/rail dynamic category for a number of years. Across North America, there are dozens of wayside detectors measuring the force that equipment puts into the track. Each railroad also has the means to measure the strength and condition of its track. But to focus on the interaction between the two, NS established a test site at Wills, W.Va., in April, specifically to study the relationships between wheel/rail forces, rail profiles, rail deflections (lateral and rotational) and friction control.
"The purpose of our test site is to measure force levels and rail displacement under a number of maintenance conditions. The conditions include worn rail profiles, improved rail profiles after grinding, with and without TOR friction control, in a canted orientation and finally, in an upright orientation behind a rail gang," says Kerchof.
"We're satisfied, based on our field observations, that rails do cant out dynamically under trains. At our test site, we have already measured rail force and displacement in both the pre- and post-grind conditions and with and without TOR. Our next step is to have a rail gang address the open gauge and high-side rail cant. We're going to remove the existing rail, adze the ties to eliminate any tie-plate cutting and set the rail back down in its original 1:40 inward cant. The combination of rail profile and rail orientation determines the wheel/rail contact point. Setting the rail upright, and holding it there with liquid spike-hole filler and new spikes, can move the wheel/rail contact point from the gauge corner toward the field side. Our mission is to answer this question: Does any of this work adversely affect axle steering such that it increases wheel/rail lateral forces? If so, is the magnitude of the increase enough to cause a loss of rail stability? In other words, does any of this work increase the likelihood that the rail will roll over?" says Kerchof.
As far as a timeline for the research, Kerchof sees it lasting through mid-June. Whatever the results, Kerchof says the information learned will not be proprietary. "This is important, safety-related research. We intend to share our findings with the rest of the industry."


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Special to The Courier
Russellville's Lady Cyclones returned to the win column in a big way Thursday afternoon at Hickey Park, besting Little Rock Central, 11-2.
After several frustrating outings, it was the Lady Cyclones' turn to have some fun at the plate, where they collected 12 hits and stole six bases.
The win pushes Russellville's record to 8-16, 3-6 in 7-A Central play.
Cyia Oliver and Sarah Taylor scored three runs apiece for the Lady Cyclones with Taylor also recording an extra-base hit. Jessica Mabry picked up her first win of the season, striking out 11. She also helped her cause by driving in three runs.
Russellville scored eight runs in the first two innings and were never threatened.
With two outs in the first inning, Cora Johnson got the ball rolling, earning a walk. After Johnson stole second, Oliver singled to left, plating Johnson. Oliver, who also stole second base, scored when Taylor's shot caromed off the shortstop into left field for a double. Mabry was then hit by a pitch and replaced by courtesy runner Larissa Gipson. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Taylor scored after a second wild pitch, with Gipson moving to third. Following an Ashley Gee walk, Gipson scampered home during a double steal.
The Lady Cyclones racked up four more runs in the second frame. With one out, Lauren Sisson was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on Johnson's single to right center. Sisson was forced at third off of Oliver's ground ball, then Taylor walked to load the bases. Mabry's long single to left-center drove in Johnson and Oliver, with Taylor advancing to third. Gipson, running again for Mabry, stole second and Taylor scored because of an error on the play. Gee's base hit to centerfield scored Gipson.
The Lady Tigers clawed back for two runs in the third. Whitney Parks singled down the leftfield line and advanced all the way to third on two errors during a pick-off attempt. Parks scored on Kendall Jenkins' infield hit. After Jenkins went to second on a wild pitch, Jennifer Steele sent her home with a double to left center.
With two outs in the fifth, Kelsey White put Russellville in business with a base hit back up the middle. After White swiped second, Teryn Laseter plated her with a nice hit to left to put the Lady Cyclones ahead, 9-2.
Johnson beat out an infield hit in the sixth, but was caught stealing. Oliver also had an infield hit and Taylor walked, and Russellville was putting itself in position for the knockout blow. Mabry's single down the left field line drove in Oliver, with Taylor going to third and Mabry second on the throw. Gee's sacrifice fly to left brought Taylor home. Cassidy McCollum reached on infield hit, but a pop-up ended the inning.
McCollum also singled and stole second in the first and Oliver reached on an error in the fourth.
Mabry (1-8) scattered five Central hits and did not walk a batter. One of her runs was earned. Krystina Barner was charged with the loss for the Lady Tigers. She allowed six hits, eight runs (five earned) and walked three in two innings of work. Steele also gave up six hits, three earned runs and a walk in four innings of relief. Steele also struck out two.
The Lady Cyclones were charged with three errors to Central's two. Russellville stranded seven base runners while the Lady Tigers left three.
North Little Rock 11,
Russellville 1
North Little Rock's Charging Lady Wildcats scored early and often in downing the Russellville Lady Cyclones 11-1 Wednesday at Burns Park. North Little Rock, who had downed the Lady Cyclones 7-0 in early March, swept the season series.
Keneshia Phillips had three hits for North Little Rock, including a double, and Jessica Sheldon pitched four innings of no-hit ball before giving way to relief help. Nine different players scored for the Lady Wildcats.
The Lady Wildcats six runs in the first five innings, two of them unearned.
In the North Little Rock first, two base hits and a two-base, two-out error led to Brittany Williams and Farron Wright scoring for North Little Rock.
A double and two infield singles in the second scored Phillips and Brittany Duncan.
Bridgett Pitchford added a run in the third following a walk and two singles. Williams was pushed across again in the fourth after a walk and a double.
Russellville got on the board in the fifth inning against North Little Rock relief pitcher Emily Guess. Taylor, who had a fly ball caught against the right field fence in the second, dropped one at the base of the fence in right-center for a double. Gee advanced Taylor with a long fly ball and Mabry picked up an RBI with a sacrifice fly to center that scored Taylor and closed the gap to 6-1.
The Lady Wildcats broke the game open in the sixth with five unearned runs. After a three-base error and a double, Lady Cyclone starter Mabry was relieved by Emily Keener. What followed was a scorekeepers dream (or nightmare). The rest of the inning included a hit batter, an infield fly, another multi-base error, three singles, a fielder's choice and a wild pitch. The game was called with two outs in the sixth because of the ten-run rule.
Sisson walked and stole second for Russellville in the first and Laseter reached on an infield hit and stole second in the sixth.
The loss, the fifth consecutive and fourth straight in conference play, dropped the Lady Cyclones to 7-16 and 2-6.
Sheldon allowed only a walk and struck out six for North Little Rock. Guess gave up two hits and stuck out three in her two innings of work. Mabry was charged with the loss. She was touched for 10 hits, walked three and struck out one. Four of her eight runs were unearned. Keener allowed three hits and three unearned runs in her 2/3 innings.
North Little Rock left six runners on base while Russellville stranded two. The Lady Wildcats were error-free .
Russellville travels to Bryant for a 5 p.m. game Tuesday, before returning to Hickey Park at 5 p.m. Thursday for a tilt with Pine Bluff.


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Last edited by ghostridery2k; 09-30-2008 at 11:00 PM.
Just back from Gillette. Wyo.and the BMW Rally. 3444 miles in 9 days - drove in Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois. Highest atitude ridden was 10,974 feet, amidst snow fields and blooming wildflowers - highest speed was 117MPH - open range encounters with herds of cattle and flocks of sheep... fortunately not at 117 MPH.
Broke a clutch cable and rode across 60 miles of high desert highways in 4th and 5th gears before finally killing the bike in Little America, Wyo. (Only in Wyoming can you go that far without stopping)
Fortunately Bob's BMW came through with a new cable the next day.
I-80 sucks at night with a 45 MPH Southerly cross wind, trust me on this.
Last edited by ghostridery2k; 09-30-2008 at 10:55 PM.
I am back with a BMW 00' R1100RT $3000 below KBB.
Yes it needs a bath BAD.
Last edited by OU812; 07-29-2008 at 10:45 PM.
We have to talk. That's a beautiful bike, mind if I take a test ride someday?
No problem. I have a problem but it is mine!
Last edited by Beemer01; 07-26-2008 at 03:46 PM.
Ten days, 3444 miles and 59.5 hours in the saddle.
Last edited by ghostridery2k; 09-30-2008 at 10:58 PM.


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DJ Khaled first got the keys to success. Now he's got the keys to the mansion. Not the one in Miami he's made famous on social media — another one.
The prolific hip-hop impresario and larger-than-life Snapchat personality has purchased a $9.9 million mansion in the exclusive Mulholland Estates neighborhood above Beverly Hills from British pop singer Robbie Williams, according to multiple reports.
The extravagant four-story, French Normandy-style estate offers an array of options for entertaining, with panoramic views of the city, canyon and mountains. A tranquil backyard includes a pool, spa, lush lawn, an outdoor kitchen and two terraced patios.
Arriving home, a set of oversized double doors lead to a grand, two-story entry way with a winding staircase. Ample natural light, high ceilings and sizable rooms give the interiors an airy and spacious feel. Upstairs, the master suite boasts its own patio. If DJ Khaled is worn out from running on the elliptical in the home gym, he can ride the elevator to any floor. In all, there are seven bedrooms and 11 full bathrooms. The listing agents were Jeff Kohl and Mauricio Umansky of the Agency.
DJ Khaled, born Khaled Mohamed Khaled, and fiancee Nicole Tuck recently welcomed their first child — a baby boy they named Asahd Tuck Khaled. The 41-year-old, Grammy-nominated music producer's most recent album, titled "Major Key," was released last summer.
Don't play yourself. Check out Khaled's new crib.


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ACParadise Network: American Cosplay Paradise American Cosplay Experience American Cosplay Snapshots
Hi there ^_^ My name's Carrie and I've only been cosplaying for about a year now. My first con was Dragon*Con of 2004. I've been to a few, and this year is when I finally started sewing! Yay! ^_^ I love dressing up and stuffies!
Ahh, I don't really know what else to say right now.. Kinda on the spot ^-^; That's all for now!
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What If I Never Speed?John Dowland / arr. Russell Robinson - Carl Fischer LLC
Middle school choirs benefit greatly from exposure to madrigal literature, and this arrangement of Dowland's expressive work will fit your three-part mixed or SSA ensemble perfectly. Largely homophonic, the selection also has some characteristic "echo" passages that add interest and color to the presentation.
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I thought it might be interesting to see how the ballpark design has evolved. At top is the current proposal. On the bottom (from left to right) is a series of proposed designs from March 2007, May 2007, November 2007 and February 2008.
The deep black line in the bottom row is where the current seawall location is. The original concept called for filling in 2.55 acres of the bay and would have filled in the entire channel between the main land and Demens Landing. (You can click on the bottom row to get a better look). Now only .4 acres of fill will be needed to build the proposed stadium, which should help the Enviormental aspects of the construction.
Trivia Fact of the Night:
Ebbets Field organist Gladys Gooding earned her stripes the second day on the job (May 9,1942. As umpires Bill Stewart,Ziggy Sears,and Tom Dunn strolled on the field for the game. Gooding played the classic,"Three Blind Mice."
I am again going to shelf "The Good,The Bad,and The Ugly" format and just write my opinions and views again on my hometown Rays. I have been looking for a formative setup for almost 6 months to accompany my Rays coverage, but the Good,The Bad and the Ugly can sometime sometimes be too one-sided during losing and winning streaks.
Thus, from today on, I am just going to report the things I see, and what I know about the stats and adventure of our favorite team.
I do not know what it is about miscommunication in our outfields. Are our Rays outfielders and infielders a bit too timid at times in voicing their dominating position on flyballs in the game. Twice in Sunday's contest there were play where the Rays players did not communicate with each other and a hit resulted in each situation. In one situation, between shortstop Jason Bartlett and leftfielder Carl Crawford, the ball ended up costing the Rays a run in the inning. The next batter, German Duran hit a 2-run homer to deep center.
Another play happened between centerfielder B J Upton and rightfielder Gabe Gross. By the video, Gross had a better bead on the ball and was about to make the catch when B J Upton came into his eyesight and prompted Gross to take his eye off the ball, which fell to the turf. Upton recieved an error on the play, but all could have been prevented if Upton would have just backed-up Gross instead of trying to make the play himself.
BJ Upton and Jason Bartlett do alot to bring this team up to a higher level, but it is the same things that also bring the team down a notch at time becuase of costly errors or mistakes. Boith made critical errors again in the game both on defense and on the basepaths.
Jason Bartlett actually had a bit of a bad hop at short that prompted his error tonight, but he still did not get the ball in play to try and prevent the hit.
B J Upton again was caught stealing second in the first inning and ended the inning by being tagged out. B J might be 7th in the AL in steals with 20, but he is also tied for 2nd in the AL leader in being caught stealing 7 times this year. Baserunning is a hit or miss situation most night, for Upton, it is more miss right now.
Now on a positive note, B J made an awesome play in center to rob the Rangers' Frank Cattalanatto of a basehit. Upton has been impressive in his only his second season in the outfield making a boatload of showstopping play this year. But his errors and misplays unfortunately are the play that are being seen around the league. B J is currently tied for 2nd with 7 outfield assists this year.
Let's stay on the positive track for a minute here. Evan Longoria made an awesome grab of a short foul pop-up from the bat of Bobby Boggs in the 1st inning. Evan laid out in foul territory and took the ball inches fron the turf for the out.
That is only one of the play that will make this Rookie one of the best defensive third baseman in the teams' history. I personally have seen my idol, Brooks Robinson make those kind of plays, and he did very well for himself in the game.
Rays starter Matt Garza went to the mound today undefeated against the Texas Rangers. Garza was 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA before today's start.
Garza never seemed to have his susal stuff today in the game. At one point, during a called pitchout by Dioner Navarro, Garza threw the ball to the backstop for a Wild Pitch. He never seemed to be in a groove and the frustration came to a head in the bottom of the 4th inning.
Dioner Navarro, being the new club house leader for the Rays, came out to try and calm Garza down after the incident. Garza was visibly aggitated and fumed with his catcher on the mound. As Navarro turned to go back to the plat, Rays pitching coach, Jim Hickey came out to try and get Garza's head back into the game.
All seemed back to normal as Garza got David Murphy to ground out to second for the third out of the inning.
"[Garza is] an emotional guy out there on the mound and I was just trying to basically encourage him to channel his emotions more toward the task at hand versus just kind of wasting it out there," Hickey said. "And I thought he did a pretty good job after that, because it was a pretty heated situation out there. I believe he retired the next two guys."
In the dugout, Garza renewed his venom at Navarro and the two battery mates had to be restrained by the players and staff in the tunnel area of the dugout. That cued the end of Garza's game as he gave up 3 runs on 6 hits for the night. After the game, both players and manager Joe Maddon said the tussle was just frustration and was getting worked out between each other.
"Really, you guys, just describe what you saw," manager Joe Maddon said. "Write what you saw. It's something we're going to take care of. And we're going to take care of it soon.
Just heat of passion," Garza said. "We're both competitors. Whatever happened, we'll just keep it here and we'll fix it. … This is a great bunch of guys and everybody is on each other's side. We can fix it."
Navarro said the problem was "just something that happened in the game."
"It happens in the family," he said. "I think everybody is going to be fine from this point on. It was really nothing."
When asked if he was "square" with Garza, Navarro replied: "Yeah, we're fine. We're a whole family here. [Little] brother fights against older brother, stuff like that. Everything's straight now."
Let's hope for Garza's sake it is all water under the bridge. the talented righty does not need to develop a strained relationship with his starting catcher.
I have to make an observation here, and tell me if I am wrong people. But is the umpiring this season a bit below par so far this season, or am I imagining bad calls against our team. The Rays have had a recent history of getting shafted by the men in blue, but some of the called pitched tonight were a bit wild to say the least. TV replays showed the pitches to be low and outside and one player was sure to voice is concerning with the set strike zone.
Eric Hinske, the Rays DH today, decided to question the umpire on a called third strike to him in the 6th inning. Replays showed by reading his lips that Hinske did not use vulgar or obusive language to the umpire, so the ejection is questionable at best here.
A few innings later, Akinora Iwamura also got a bad called third strike and did his Ichiro imitation and just looked at the umpire with a puzzled look.
Jason Hamel, of all the Rays relievers right now, you might be the one Joe Maddon is counting on in this suspension situation for a spot start. You did not help yourself by giving up 3 runs in 3.1 innings tonight against Texas. With that, and the upcoming roster moves because of Troy Percival coming off the DL on Friday, you did not set yourself above the group of "maybe" guys.
I am thiknig that a pitcher will be the guy to go on Friday. There are several guys who are totally safe here, Dan Wheeler, Trever Miller, Grant Balfour, and J P Howell.
Guys who might need to show a bit more on the mound are: Hamel, Al Reyes, and Gary Glover. My pick is Glover, not becuase of bad outings, I just do not see him in the futre of this ballclub and it might be to his best interest to get on with a club who could use his services every other nightl.
Okay all, that is it for tonight. Remember, to vote for Evan Longoria as the Pepsi Clutch Performer of the Month on MLB.com.
Also he is a Write-In candidate for the MLB All-Star ballot at third base. He will get to alot more All-Star games in the future, but this is a chance to get his name out there for nest years' honor.
I want to Thank Brenton here on MLBlogs.Com for mentioning by Blog on his in the last few days.
Rays fans are coming out of the closet and walking onto the bandwagon in alarming rates. It is great to see another veteran of the lean wins years on this site promoting the ballclub. I siot in Section 138 at the bottom every game, come on down and say hello anytime.
Here is a link to his blog for all my fellow Rays supporter to check out another great Rays writer:


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Empowering deserving military families with educational support and opportunities.
John Senden took home the Valspar Championship with a final round one under par 70 to win by one stroke over fellow FJ Staffer, Kevin Na. Senden shot up the leaderboard thanks to a third round 64 that left him two shy of the 54 hole lead. Senden's Sunday chase began with a birdie on the opening hole. Conditions, then, toughened as the winds picked up making scoring even more difficult across the brutal Copperhead course. But out in one under par 34, Senden had a chance to take home the title. To heighten his chances at victory, he birdied two of the three difficult holes that make up the course's "Snake Pit". Adding a long two putt for par at the last gave Senden the lead in the clubhouse that sustained despite the players still on the course.
No player could match the seven under par total giving John Senden his first PGA Tour Victory since 2006. "If I could just stay in the moment, I knew I was swinging well enough to give it a shake," Senden said of his chances to win. The Australian relied on FJ Icon golf shoes and the Pure Touch Limited glove en route to victory. Valspar Championship Shoe CountFJ - 57%Nearest Competitor - 20%Glove CountFJ - 35%Nearest Competitor - 14%
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McCormack Readies for Retirement: Onsite Coverage
HERSHEY, Pa. — Jim McCormack has been a force to be reckoned with for more than 40 years in the credit union community, but he has announced that he will retire this year from his post as CEO of the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association.
"The marketplace has change so much in 40-plus years, and the economy has changed," McCormack observed in an interview with Credit Union Times at the PCUA's Pennsylvania Credit Union Association CONNECT Conference, held Thursday and Friday in Hershey.
McCormack noted that he had traveled to Erie, Pa. the night before. The town used to be bustling with manufacturing plants, but now they've all closed down. Still the credit unions there have survived by merging and are thriving.
McCormack worked closely with former U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-Pa.) on what eventually became H.R. 1151, the legislation that granted credit unions community charters in the wake of their loss in the U.S. Supreme Court to the bankers.
While stating that the legislation was necessary at the time, McCormack added, "It's not that we haven't had a couple of setbacks with that legislation, such as member business lending." At the time, he explained, it was a small price to pay.
Lobbying is fundamental to credit unions' future success to ensure they get the authorities that they need to prosper, according to McCormack. "It's the number one priority of the trades. We have to educate our federal and state legislators. There's been large turnover recently."
As for his retirement, McCormack wants to relax and get healthy. McCormack recently suffered a stroke. "These are tough jobs to stay healthy in," he said.
He also plans to increase his exercising and travel. While he's traveled to many places in the world and all over the United States, there are some places he said he simply "needs to see" with his wife, Joan. Peru and New Zealand are his top priorities, in addition to a train trip through the Southwest.
McCormack shared his chief concern for credit unions in the future. "As they get larger, they still must adhere to 'people helping people,'" he said. The size of the credit union is not a problem if they continue to do just that, he added.
Right now, McCormack said the median size credit union in Pennsylvania is $14 million in assets, but he expects that could reach $100 million median in the next five years. "Unfortunately [the smaller credit unions] will get gobbled up, not through their own fault, but through the economy," he explained.
McCormack said the smaller credit unions are particularly adept at living the "people helping people" philosophy "but they don't have the tools the members need."
However, McCormack is very optimistic about the future of credit unions. "By continuing the job they're doing, I think they're going to double their market share in the next five years," he predicted.
He continued, "The biggest differentiator going forward in the future is marketing. And iBelong (PCUA's cooperative advertising campaign) addresses just that. Everyone has access to the same technology."
McCormack's daughter, Elizabeth, will continue to carry the credit union flag in the family. She is employed at Members 1st FCU of Mechanicsburg, Pa.
Dollar Associates, headed by the former NCUA Chairman Dennis Dollar, is performing the CEO search. A decision on a successor has not yet been made.
McCormack has been with the PCUA for 32 years. He began his credit union career in 1971, holding various positions with CUNA Mutual Group.


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Epiphone Limited Edition Wilshire Pro Electric Guitar TV Silver
(TV Silver)
Sku #H82688000001000
Solid Body Electric Guitars
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A cool-looking solidbody with upgraded pickups and electronics.
In 1957 Gibson purchased New Yorks Epiphone Guitar Company and moved production to Kalamazoo, Michigan. With plans to expand retail distribution by differentiating Epiphone dealers from Gibson dealers, Gibson began production of a new line of œKalamazoo-made and designed Epiphones in 1959. For over a decade, Epiphone solid body guitars and basses were produced right alongside Gibsons. These Epiphone guitars represented some of the highest quality and best sounding instruments of their generation. They provided unique shapes, pickup arrangements, and tonal signatures not seen on comparable Gibson models of the day. Under appreciated at the time of their release, numerous artists through the years have recognized the unique appeal of these guitars. Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Paul Gilbert and Steve Marriot are but a few of the artists that have embraced the tone and build quality of these Kalamazoo built Epiphones. One such Epiphone instrument was the Wilshire.
Like an SG guitar, the Wilshires double cutaway mahogany body with a glued-in mahogany neck that joins the body at the 22nd fret gives you ultimate upper fret access. Lightweight and comfortable, the Wilshire has excellent resonance and natural acoustic tone " even unplugged. Featuring Epiphones LockTone tune-o-matic/stopbar combination, the transfer of string vibration is improved even more giving this guitar excellent sustain and clarity. Case sold separately.
PRO Electronics
Utilizing Epiphone's 4-wire humbuckers, each volume control is a push/pull potentiometer that allows you to coil-tap each pickup seperately for more twangy "single-coil" sound and a wide range of different tonal combinations.
While 1960's early Wilshires were fitted with Epiphone's own mini-humbuckers, the new Wilshire PRO harkens back to Wilshires made in the 1970's and features full size humbuckers. The neck pickup is Epiphone's Alnico Classic that provides warm and subtle tone with a full, even response that doesn't hold back when you need that classic humbucker crunch. An Alnico Classic Plus, which is the perfect companion to the Classic, is overwound for a slighter higher output without sacrificing its rich, vintage tone. Both feature Alnico-II magnets, enamel wire and are double vacuum waxed.
Retro Looks
Also unique, the Wilshire features Epiphones own œbatwing headstock. A classic design that improves tuning ease and accuracy by offering a straight string-pull design, the headstock is adorned like the original with the vintage œEpiphone logo in gold. Other features include a 1960s SlimTaper neck profile with rosewood fingerboard, premium 14:1 die-cast tuners and individual Volume and Tone controls for each pickup.
- Mahogany body
- Mahogany neck
- 1960's SlimTaper neck
- Glued-in neck joint
- Adjustable truss rod
- 24.75" scale
- Rosewood fingerboard with pearloid block inlays
- Alnico Classic Plus humbucker bridge pickup
- Alnico Classic Humbucker neck pickup
- Bridge Volume with Push/Pull Coil-Tapping controls
- Neck Volume with Push/Pull Coil-Tapping
- Bridge tone
- Neck tone
- 3-way pickup selector (toggle)
- 14" fingerboard radius
- 22 medium-jumbo frets
- Case sold separately
Get your mojo right here. Order today.
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- Fun To Play
- Good Feel
- Good Pick Up
- Good Tone
- Nice fretboard
- Smooth neck
- Solid Electronics
- Poor Quality Craftsmanship
Best Uses
Comments about Epiphone Limited Edition Wilshire Pro Electric Guitar:
Everything about it was great. Good neck and pickups. The only problem was that the neck joint is not sturdy enough so the guitar would go in and out of tune if I applied a slight force on the neck with my fretting hand, almost to the same effect as a tremolo bar. I couldn't deal with this so I had to send it back.
- Fun To Play
- Good Feel
- Good Pick Up
- Good Tone
- Solid Electronics
- No Complaints
- None
Best Uses
- Jamming
- Practicing
Comments about Epiphone Limited Edition Wilshire Pro Electric Guitar:
After setup and my preferred strings, I really couldn't be more pleased. The guitar sounds great, plays great and looks great. It stays in tune like a champ. The coil tapping feature allows you to produce a variety of tones. I find it very comfortable to play. The neck is a bit think, so don't be fooled by the word "slim" in "60s SlimTaper Neck". I love the look. The bat wing headstock looks great. The block inlays and bound neck are a nice touch and almost unheard of on a guitar in this price range.


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EldiS wrote:Ok, I found some software for lightscribe design, so I hope I will back soon with Mint lightscribe labels...
normaly you don't need any special software for creating lightscribe "pictures", the most burning-programms support lightscribing from normal pictures, the only work to make a picture better for lightscribing would be a greyscale-version with high contrasts and lesser gradients (i hope this word fits), cause colortrends are looking a bit bad on lightscribed dvds.
@ topic, realy great work would there be also a KDE_version in Blue? XD
~ Leit


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Mount Sinai Hospital's Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program is committed to providing a nurturing environment for residents to excel in the competencies suggested by the ACGME. Medical students who rotate from the Chicago Medical School consistently give their experience high marks.
Brief Overview of Program
The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago is a rapidly growing, community-based program with the distinct advantage of having medical students. Because volume is increasing, we now offer 24-hour support, with two attending physicians on call at all times. We provide our residents with guaranteed learning opportunities to create the hands-on experience that gives graduates confidence to practice in any setting.


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20 Mixed Twitter Reactions To Eminem's 'The Monster' Feat. Rihanna
Eminem and Rihanna make a good team. You'll be hearing their latest concoction endlessly for the next few months so get used to it. Consider "The Monster" another guaranteed radio/chart smash off Em's upcoming Marshall Mathers LP 2. Either that or another generic pop song. Check out Twitter's early first impressions of the song.


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About a year ago I was exploring the desert east of Joshua Tree National Park, looking for a good spot to hold a desert camping meetup for readers of Coyote Crossing, and I stopped at a little open spot not far from a mature desert ironwood tree.
It had rained a week or so beforehand, catastrophically so in some places. The storm series that came through closed major roads through the park for some months afterward. Where I stopped there was about a ten-foot earthen flood-control berm put in place to protect the (LA) Metropolitan Water District's buried aqueduct from storm damage, and a flash flood had taken a slice out of that ten-foot berm that was as straight-sided as if it was a cake recently attacked by a knife.
The ground had recently been very wet, in other words. And when the desert soil gets wet in the late summer, interesting things happen. Winter rains are more predictable, and after a wet winter you can predictably get a pretty damn nice bloom across the desert; yellow primroses and pink desert verbena and white ghost flower covering entire bajadas that are usually shades of brown desert varnish.
But summer rains are sporadic, unpredictable, and usually very localized. A given valley in the desert might go fifty years without a good summer rain. When that valley does get a summer rain, annual plants that have been waiting in the soil seed bank for decades can come up within a few days, flower within a couple weeks, set seed and disperse that seed and die back within a month and a half. My desert botanist friends watch the weather carefully in summer, ready to plan trips out into the backcountry with the plant presses within two weeks of the drop of a hat.
The North American deserts are essentially terra incognita for botanists. There are a few things that are quite well known, because they grow and bloom during the more comfortable parts of the year within a few miles of pavement. And then there are the valleys that are a difficult day's hike from the hearest two-rut 4WD road, and we generally don't know what blooms there when it's 115°F during the day because botanists are not that much more insane than the rest of us. That's true of herpetologists and entomologists as well, and so we don't really know some of the smaller fauna of the remote parts all that thoroughly either.
Jim André of the Sweeney Granite Mountains Desert Research Center in the Mojave Preserve tells me that if you look out at a typical Mojave Desert landscape, 10% or more of the species in your field of view aren't known to science. He says that just about every time he goes out in the field he finds either a species or subspecies not formerly known to lie in that area, or even new to science. I've been in places relatively easy to get to, the California Black Hills for example, and noted plants that had not been recorded by any botanist whose records are available to the Calflora database: this tiny little cactus being one inconspicuous example:
But you find totally expected things too, like for instance on that day on which I was scouting out possible meetup campsites. A week or so after a drenching rain, in an area in which a mature ironwood tree had been dropping its leguminous seeds for some centuries, it wasn't at all surprising to find that a couple had sprouted.
I don't know how long the seeds had lain there before sprouting. Unlike a lot of other hard-coated desert tree seeds, ironwoods will sprout without scarification — without scratching the seed coats to let moisture in. They might have been there for six months or a century, waiting.
Ironwoods are likely my second favorite desert tree, possibly third if you count saguaros as trees. They fix nitrogen, always in short supply in the desert. They grow slowly, When they die, the wood they leave behind is — in the words of Phillips and Comus' A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert,"rich in toxic chemicals and essentially non-biodegradable." It's supposed to be the second densest wood known after lignum vitae, and it's a gorgeous chocolate color when carved and polished, which trait southwestern gift shops use to their full advantage. (The Seri Indians pioneered the art of ironwood carving using fallen wood, but the art proved so popular that others appropriated it and started cutting live trees to meet demand.)
It was a little hard to imagine that these tiny seedlings, first true leaves just starting to peek out from between the waxy cotyledons, might within a few months become some of the toughest, most enduring organisms the desert knows.
It's been a year: I'll have to go back and check on them.


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Event Date: August 27, 2013Only
Improving the efficiency of your engagements even further is possible! Join thought leader Scott Roush, CPA as he shares time saving best practices for audit and tax engagements. From this session, you'll learn:
- Tips & tricks to easier engagement management
- Integration that produces ROI and improved client service
- How to effortlessly overcome common pain points with the help of ProSystem fx® Engagement
Scott D. Roush, CPA
Hill, Barth & King LLC
Scott is a Principal in the Boardman, Ohio office of Hill, Barth & King LLC (HbK) and has been with the firm since 2005. He began his career in public accounting in 1990.
Scott has served clients extensively in the areas of accounting, auditing and financial reporting. Over his career he has also consulted a variety of clients with mergers/acquisitions, public/private debt and equity offerings, restructuring improvement initiatives and numerous other technical accounting matters.
Scott serves on the HbK Assurance Practice Committee and is one of HbK's Quality Control Principals, providing secondary review services as well as research and counsel on complex accounting issues.
Brian Siet
Technology Sales with CCH
Brian Siet has a Bachelor of Science Degree Cum Laude in Business Administration concentration in Accounting from Northeastern University in Boston. Brian is a CPA and worked for CBIZ Tofias for 8 years in the A&A department and Tax department. During this time Brian was instrumental in implementing policies and procedures with the firms work paper management system, ProSystem Engagement, as well as other A&A and Tax solutions. Brian joined CCH in 2005, conducting quality accounting, auditing and tax presentations for a variety of audiences. Over the past 7 years, he has performed many speaking engagements at firm user groups and state societies on both A&A and tax workflow.
|Program Level
|Advance Preparation Needed
|Delivery Method
|Group-Internet Based
|Recommended CPE Credit
|1 credit per 50-minute session*
|Registration Instructions
|register online
|Complaint Resolution
|[email protected]
Sift Media is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.learningmarket.org.
* To obtain CPE credit, the live session must be attended. The recording does not qualify for credit.


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COURSE: 15-370 Modern Philosophy (3)
This course provides a study of the development of Western philosophy from the end of the Middle Ages to the 19th century. Among the philosophers studied are Hobbes, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Kant. Prerequisite: 15-110 Introduction to Philosophy or the consent of the instructor.


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Madewell had us at hello, with its effortlessly cool separates and easy dresses. We just checked out the Spring collection and as expected, it's another winner showing lots of colors (think reds, blues, and greens), its signature penchant for cool prints and, new to the table, a workwear-inspired denim heritage collection. We especially loved how designer Kin Ying Lee took stripes to a whole new level with pieces like a pair of polished, ultraflattering, diagonal-striped trousers and a silky sleeveless dress with a varying pattern. Madewell amped up its shoe collection for next season, offering up colorful point-toe flats, ankle-strap sandals, and, our favorite, suede ankle boots — perfect for pairing with floral dresses and denim jackets. Needless to say, we want it all. If you do too, just click the slideshow to see more shots of Madewell's super-cute Spring preview.
Join The Conversation
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Was $249.95 NOW $199.95
This is the official Star Wars collector's watch with the hallmark colors and design motifs of the most popular droid in any galaxy, R2-D2. Evoking Artoo's iconic optical lenses, the feisty droid tells the time by pointing a red-tipped hand to the hour on an outer dial while a yellow-tipped hand counts off the minutes on an inner dial. The watch's bezel turns by hand to mimic the spinning of the droid's dome while making a winding sound. The 3/4" white leather wristband with blue trim completes the R2-D2 look. The little droid keeps precise time thanks to an accurate Japanese quartz movement. The stainless steel case is splash resistant. The watch is presented in a collector's box that includes a numbered certificate of authenticity, signifying that it has been officially licensed by LucasFilm. Face: 1 3/4" H x 1 3/4" W x 5/8" D. (11 oz.)
Lifetime Guarantee
The R2-D2 Wristwatch comes with The Hammacher Schlemmer Lifetime Guarantee. If this product ever disappoints you, for any reason, you may return your Hammacher Schlemmer purchase for exchange, credit, or refund.
Should you have any questions, we are available seven days a week (8:00 am – midnight EST). Please call 1-800-321-1484 to speak with a specialist or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com to receive a response within three business hours or less.
Sale item quantities are limited — please order soon.
May we recommend:
COPYRIGHT © 2018 HAMMACHER SCHLEMMER & COMPANY, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. W103147 E. 57th ST • NEW YORK, NY • 10022 • 1-800-_321-1484


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This promises to be a very special evening with 2 top headline acts for the price of one! First up: Paris-based singer China Moses, the daughter of Jazz legend Dee Dee Bridgewater, her mother's talent has rubbed off on her threefold. China has been described as having a magically... find out more Tap to see more
Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4... find out more Tap to see more
Doors open 6pm, £8 on the door/£6 with flyer ( http://www.facebook.com/tvnights ) Music starts at 7:30 PM TV NIGHTS - £8 on the door / £6 with flyer Over the years, acts of the like of To Kill A King, Ryan Keen and Alex Vargas have held residencies,... find out more Tap to see more


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I got it too, can i update with root or should i restore 4.4.2 ?
Enviado desde mi XT1032 mediante Tapatalk
After updating it still rooted but i don't know if you can root it after updating.
Yup. My xt1032 just got a notification for the 4.4.3 update. I don't know if it will still work because I have a custom recovery.
So i assume you were root before updating, thats good to know, will try as soon as i back home
Enviado desde mi XT1032 mediante Tapatalk
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Boris Becker and his wife Lilly make their way through the Miami airport with their son Amadeus.
Kids with cancer treated to an unforgettable prom. (Celebrity Baby Scoop)
Get Kristin Cavallari's maternity style. (Celebrity Babies – People)
Is tighter better in maternity fashion? (Lil Sugar)
Which funnyman is hosting the Tony's? (SheKnows Entertainment)
Audra McDonald is modeling good behavior for her daughter. (BlackCelebKids)
OH those Teen Dads are a responsible bunch. (Hollybaby)
Christina Milian gets a night off from mommy duty. (I'm Not Obsessed)
Get ready to ditch those minivans, ladies! (Lady & the Blog)
Who was the worst dressed at the KCA's?
Photos by Fameflynet
BabyRazzi on Facebook and Twitter


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"Live by Night is Crime Noir 101, as taught by the best of its current practitioners ... a sentence-by-sentence pleasure. You are in the hands of an expert. And you'll know it."NYTimes
"[Dennis] Lehane's novel carves its own unique place in the Prohibition landscape.... This is an utterly magnetic novel on every level, a reimagining of the great themes of popular fictioncrime, family, passion, betrayalset against an exquisitely rendered historical backdrop."Booklist (starred review)


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"Kristen was so into it, into the whole vibe of doing this," Jett reports. "I think she felt a weight and a responsibility to interpret it correctly. She was really serious about it and was watching me and asking me all sorts of question, from speech aspects to watching my body language, watching where I stood, watching my guitar playing. She really worked hard to get it right."Read the article at Billboard.
Thanks, Allison (a.k.a. Undercover TCA)


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Past Features
October 11, 2005 (Vol. 2, No. 3)
Online CPE Tutorial Now Available
The tutorial is designed to prepare students to take and pass the exam through writing and study tips, online practice and reference materials. A comprehensive review explains the purpose of the exam, steps to be taken leading up to the exam and gives information on how to find a tutor and register for the exam.
All faculty, staff and students can access the tutorial using their Lehman College e-mail and password. Visit the tutorial's welcome page to gain access to the guide.
Links to the tutorial are found on the Testing and Scholarship, ISSP and eSims websites.


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Tony Gwynn Jr.'s voice isn't the only thing about him that reminds you of his Hall of Fame dad. The 24-year-old reserve outfielder seems to be contributing to the first-place Brewers with his left-handed bat whenever he gets an opportunity. Gwynn, who's batting .356 through his first 34 games this season, recently answered some questions from MLBPLAYERS.com.
MLBPLAYERS.com: This current road trip takes you to San Diego for the first time in your big-league career. How much are you looking forward to that?
Gwynn: It's most definitely something that I'm very much looking forward to. I have so much family and so many friends there. It's going to be a real nice homecoming.
MLBPLAYERS.com: You've already begun to experience some success at this level. What's been the key?
Gwynn: I'm swinging pretty good and I feel like I'm getting into a groove at the plate. I'm seeing the ball well and my mechanics are sound. When those two things are going, you will put together some good ABs.
MLBPLAYERS.com: How have you handled staying sharp in a reserve role?
Gwynn: You can look at it one of two ways. On the positive, I know that when I get my opportunity, I will try and make something of it to help the team. You can also look at it on the negative side, which I choose not to do. I try to always be positive and I think that is a big reason for the success I've had so far. My job is to do what I'm asked to do, and that is to play good defense, maybe steal a bag or two, or pinch-hit. I'm trying to make each of my at-bats productive in order to help the team.
MLBPLAYERS.com: You made your debut last year. Even though you've been around professional baseball your whole life, what did you gain from it?
Gwynn: Last year was such a valuable experience for me. You never really know the feeling of being a Major League Baseball player until you walk in and see your jersey hanging up and it has your name and your number. When you step between the lines, it's pretty much everything you dream of as a young child. I will never forget my first game and it is something I will cherish my whole life. Not only that, but last year was a stepping-stone for me and it helped prepare me for this year.
MLBPLAYERS.com: You wear No. 22. Why did you choose that number?
Gwynn: Because Bill Hall was No. 2. They gave me No. 22 and turned out to be the next best thing. I like the way it looks and I'm happy to have it.
MLBPLAYERS.com: Last year, in addition to your time with the Brewers, you hit .300 with four home runs and 42 RBIs at Triple-A Nashville. How do you describe yourself as a player to somebody who has not yet seen you play?
Gwynn: I'm a guy who puts the bat on the ball and a guy who causes havoc on the base paths when I do get on. I have a pretty good eye, I don't swing at a lot of bad pitches, I'm always going to put the ball in play, I will play good defense and I will get on base in multiple ways. I can also bunt, take my walks, hit some line drives -- including some doubles and triples -- but mainly I'm a guy who will cause havoc on the base paths.
MLBPLAYERS.com: You started in right field the other night. Where have you primarily played defensively?
Gwynn: I played almost exclusively in center field up until this year. I enjoy playing defense and I feel that is my relaxation point as it relates to this game. When I'm on the defensive end, and regardless of how I'm doing at the plate, I always know I can make a difference with my glove. I feel confident out there, but the good thing about this year is that I'm feeling the same about my offense right now as well.
MLBPLAYERS.com: You also hit in the second spot the other night. Do you see yourself as a top-of-the-order type of guy?
Gwynn: Definitely. I always hit one or two coming up the Minor League ladder. I'm real comfortable in those spots, but I have also hit seventh or eighth this year and I was comfortable there as well. I'm ideal for those four spots.
MLBPLAYERS.com: Off the field, you are a big basketball fan. As the NBA gets close to naming a new champion, is this a fun time for you?
Gwynn: It would be if my Lakers were still in it. It's not as fun, but anytime you get to watch a playoff basketball game on TV -- and like you said, I'm a huge basketball fan -- it's still enjoyable. But I would much prefer watching Kobe and the Lakers right now, though.
MLBPLAYERS.com: You grew up in San Diego. What is it about the Lakers that drew you to them?
Gwynn: I started with the "Showtime" era and my dad and my mom were both big Lakers fans. That's how I became a Lakers fan. It progressed to the Kobe generation now and I'm hoping and praying for some big offseason moves like bringing "KG," Kevin Garnett, to town. I would love to see him in a Lakers uniform.
MLBPLAYERS.com: The Clippers of the NBA drafted your dad and you were a standout prep basketball player. Are you better at basketball than your dad?
Gwynn: I think I was better than him and better than my uncle on the hoops court. I have a better jumper than he has, but he could always hang with me because he was quick. We would go head-to-head and I remember the first time I beat him while I was growing up. He has always told me, though, that I was a better basketball player than he was or his brother.
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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Does anyone else agree that Ben's power is like the Avatars? A lot of us came up with that on the OAL....
*laughs* He can bend stuff! And he's a vamp, therefore, way cooler than Ang.
And Ben's so indepedent, its plain awesome!
Garrett made me laugh.
Kate: I was like WOW. She's cool.
Tanya: I couldn't help but think "HO" but I still like her. Shes so loyal! ...... To Carlisle, at least.
The Romanians: I agree with Jake. "Creeptacular!"
The Irish: They're Irish. They're awesome. I wish we had moer of Maggie, she sounds fun!


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"Some of us have been waiting a long time for a good, up-to-date book on Portuguese gardens, and here it is at last. Helena Atlee's text is a lively balance of historical information and telling anecdotes, somewhat lighter in tone than her book on Italian gardens of a few years ago. Photographer John Ferro Sims makes the most of those gardens that are well looked after, and is kind and clever when it comes to those (an alarmingly high proportion) which are a little ragged round the edges."Daily Telegraph (London)
"How many of you know much about the historic gardens of Portugal? Perhaps you have seen a few at Sintra in its unusually favorable climate for trees and hedging. My mental image of them amounted to a few painted tiles behind stone benches and dazzling bougainvilleas between the gardens and hideous, encroaching modernity. I have been completely wrong but it has taken an excellent new book to open my eyes. As its author, Helena Attlee, aptly observes: 'Thousands of visitors are drawn to Portugal each year but few of them visit its gardens. Their loss is your gain.'... Her Gardens of Portugal is the essential companion, not least because she gives the addresses of the many good gardens open only by appointment. I hope their owners do not live to regret her generous research."Financial Times (London)


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In 1969, Elmer Towns published The 10 Largest Sunday Schools And What Makes Them Grow. Over 40 years later, most of those churches have disappeared from the lists highlighting the largest churches in America. Why is that?
Often times, as a church grows larger the tendency grows to focus on maintaining and servicing what is already there. Internal ministries overwhelm outward mission. This is not strictly a large church phenomenon. Any church can be overwhelmed with by this temptation.
1 Peter 4:10 (HCSB) says, "Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God." The key word is each one. Each and every church member. But unfortunately, there is a huge chasm between this verse and what happens on a regular basis in our churches.
According to the research from the book I co-authored with Thom Rainer, Transformational Church, the majority of people in the majority of churches are unengaged in meaningful ministry and mission. There's this passage in 1 Peter, but then there's the practice in our churches.
So, how can we avoid having a church full of customers rather than a church full of co-laborers in the Gospel–develop a culture and implement a structure.
Churches need a culture that encourages and a structure that enables people to move from passivity to activity, from being passive spectators to active participants in the mission of God.
Today, I want to focus on developing the culture. Here are three steps to develop a missional culture within the megachurch environment: instill it, repeat it, and celebrate it.
Instill it
A pastor I know put it in a way I thought was really helpful. He said they see four categories of people that come to their church – three categories that they want and one they do not.
• Category one: The visitor or seeker
• Category two: The mature serving disciple
• Category three: The growing disciple beginning to take steps
• Category four: The person who thinks they're mature but is unengaged and serving no one.
And here's what he said to those in the last category: "We need your seat for some of the other three categories." Having that expectation of attendees, they are either serving or in the process of becoming a servant, that is creating a culture in your church.
The sooner you place this mentality into the DNA of your church the better, because as you reach new individuals you want to bring them into a place where service is the norm. A person will become what the majority of your people already are.
You can help develop this within your church. As Mike Dodson and I found in our book Comeback Churches, the primary factor for the revitalization of a church is the leadership. The same is true of developing a missional culture. The leaders, including, but not limited to the pastor and staff, must work to intentionally engraft the right mindset in the body. How can they do that? By repeating the values of the culture you want to instill.


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Dan Savage, the foul-mouthed, openly gay, syndicated sex columnist and Chicago native, could be getting his own HBO series if all goes well.
Savage has been in L.A. all month working on a pilot episode based on his "Savage Love" column, that most Chicagoans know from its weekly spot in the Reader.
The show will "focus on current events and cultural trends with sex as the filter."
"I'm hoping to bring a new kind of conversation to TV about sex--an honest conversation, one that's informed without being (too) wonky, funny without being (too) cruel, sexy without being (too) cheesy. Basically, my sex-advice column--but on the teevee!" Savage wrote on his blog, the Slog.
HBO confirmed that Savage will shoot the pilot on August 27.
The pilot topic: male chastity belts.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer blog, which follows Savage because that's where he writes from, noticed an ad on Craigslist:
"'Savage Love' hosted by Dan Savage is looking for people who use the CB6000 (or any model) to talk about their experiences using the device. We're interested in hearing about your reasons for using the device and the lifestyle in general," the ad stated.


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Some of you may or may not know about the battle going on between the EPA and everyone else over sand dunes and land recreation. If you ride, or feel us riders have a right to this land also (i hate how they call it their land wtf) then please take a brief moment to view/sign this.
Thank you.


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I promised a friend I would post this in my bio because she felt it was the most telling and honest thing I had ever written about myself.
Hello, my name is Rachel and I am a functioning addict.
In my head a chorus rings out in unison, Hello Rachel. If memory serves me right, next you are asked to display your shortcomings for all to see. I can only go from what I have seen on television, having never really been in a twelve step program. I start my story off by stating the facts. I have never used drugs. I only drink maybe twice a year. Although I have a healthy sex life I am far from a nymphomaniac. The extent of my gambling is a heavy loss of jellybeans to my daughter while teaching her poker. Having listed most of the common addictions, most would wonder what has such a strangle hold on my life. At the moment my brain is all consumed by The Boy that lived. Even though J.K. Rowlings amazing series has inspired millions of our youths to turn off the TV and read, mine is a fanatical obsession. From daily hits on Mugglenet to becoming a devout mugglecast listener, I have let my newest obsession take over too many aspects of my life.
My life seems to be a succession of obsessions. I remember being as young as 5, obsessed with Annie the musical. So obsessed, I might add that I tried out for the part of an orphan. Thank god I can actually sing because that really could have been embarrassing. From Annie, it became Duran Duran and a line of others too long to list. What is it about me that I need to go from admirer of talent to superfan? Then one day it dawned on me. I have an obsessive personality. I am an addict, addicted to the high I get from these obsessions. Be it upbringing or moral fiber I never went down the windy road of the classic addictions. I had found a functional form of addiction. I could live my life day to day and function in normal society. Some of my close family and friends might have to deal with excessive rants about my chosen obsession but are tolerant out of love. In no other way does it outwardly appear that I am addicted. I care for my children well; I feed my husband a homemade meal every evening. I know it is cliché but I really am Suzy homemaker. I portray this façade to everyone, except those who are just like me.
Now it may be hard to believe but I get a physical high off of whatever passing fancy or celebrity I obsessing over. When I had the opportunity to get together with others who felt as I did, there was a heightened euphoria. One of my stronger obsessions was with the show Roswell. I traveled to Los Angeles by myself and met with friends I had connected with over the internet. Even though I had known these people for only a short amount of time the connection was instantaneous. We felt a sense of belonging with each other. One friend outside of my obsession referred to them as my drug buddies. These were people who my friend felt facilitated the high and even add to its intensity.
Having felt like a mental outsider, finding others who either share my interests or understand them is a rare find. This fan event it was like finding a Mecca to which my brain could travel to. As I write this I realize how odd that might sound to some. When your brain is in a constant state of multiple thoughts, you tend to need a vacation from yourself. Your life becomes a routine in which your body follows the actions it requires to live. Your mind however is entangled in so much that your frenzied synapses require a constant thought to focus all your mental energy. That generally becomes the obsession.
After much soul searching and deliberation, I have now decided that it is best to follow the obsession as long as it is not harmful to anyone else. As long as you have a firm grasp on reality and there have been no restraining orders issued, who are you harming? I have walked away from some of my forays into fandom with friends I would never trade for the world and who have become part of my life. At worst I lose the time and energy I devote to my obsession. At best this obsession provides me the mental escape I need to function through daily living.
I know in 12 step groups they end with the serenity prayer. It here seems appropriate too.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Which HP Kid Are You?