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This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.
American Representation Study, 1958: Candidates (ICPSR 7226)
Principal Investigator(s): Miller, Warren E.; Stokes, Donald E.
This dataset belongs to a three-part study on American representation conducted shortly before and after the 1958 congressional election (see also AMERICAN REPRESENTATION STUDY, 1958: CANDIDATE AND CONSTITUENT, PARTY [ICPSR 7292] and ICPSR AMERICAN REPRESENTATION STUDY, 1958: CANDIDATE AND CONSTITUENT, INCUMBENCY [7293]). This data collection concentrates on the candidates and includes interviews with 251 candidates -- both incumbents and their opponents -- from 146 districts. The questions were designed to elicit information on what the candidates considered to be the most important issues of the campaign, their views on these issues, and their perceptions of the positions of their constituents. The candidates were also asked what influenced them and what they felt influenced the outcome of the campaign. Derived measures calculate 85th Congress roll-call scores on social welfare, foreign involvement, and civil rights issues. Roll-call data and information on committee activities of the congressmen are also provided. The two combined candidate and constituent files (ICPSR 7292 and 7293) contain the same candidate information as this collection, but are structured around the district as the unit of analysis. Demographic information on candidates includes sex, race, year of birth, size of birthplace, highest graduate degree, prior occupations, public offices previously held, several indices of spatial mobility, religious preference, and ethnic background.
Access Notes
Data in this collection are available only to users at ICPSR member institutions. Please log in so we can determine if you are with a member institution and have access to these data files.
ASCII + SAS Setup SPSS Setup
Study Description
Miller, Warren E., and Donald E. Stokes. AMERICAN REPRESENTATION STUDY, 1958: CANDIDATES. Conducted by University of Michigan, Survey Research Center. ICPSR ed. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [producer and distributor], 197?. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR07226.v1
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR07226.v1
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Scope of Study
Subject Terms: campaign issues, campaign strategies, candidates, civil rights, communication, congressional candidates, congressional districts, congressional elections (US House), decision making, demographic characteristics, election districts, electoral behavior, foreign policy, government elites, legislators, national elections, perceptions, party membership, political affiliation, political elites, political ideologies, political issues, political partisanship, political perceptions, political representation, politicians, roll call data, social welfare, United States Congress, United States House of Representatives, voting behavior
Geographic Coverage: United States
- 1958
- 1958-11--1959-03
Universe: Incumbents to the 85th United States House of Representatives, their opponents, and any third candidates associated with the 1958 congressional elections.
1) Sixty-five districts from self-representing primary statistical units (PSUs) and six from non-self-representing PSUs were weighted four times. The remaining 80 districts, all from non-self-representing PSUs, were weighted seven times. The weights produce a sample reflecting the distribution of congressmen and congressional candidates throughout the United States. The 251 respondents included in the present study were weighted to 1,364. 2)The codebook is provided by ICPSR as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file. The PDF file format was developed by Adobe Systems Incorporated and can be accessed using PDF reader software, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader. Information on how to obtain a copy of the Acrobat Reader is provided on the ICPSR Web site.
Sample: The sample was drawn from the 187 districts partly or entirely included in the Survey Research Center's sampling frame for AMERICAN NATIONAL ELECTION STUDY, 1958 (ICPSR 7215). From multiple stratification within self-representing and non-self-representing primary sampling units, a total of 151 districts and 285 candidates were selected for inclusion in this study. For a response rate of 88 percent, 251 individuals from 146 districts were actually interviewed and are included in the candidates file.
personal interviews
Extent of Processing: ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:
- Standardized missing values.
Original ICPSR Release: 1984-06-29
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UFC 149 "Submission of the Night" winner Matt Riddle (7-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) that his callout of Dan Hardy was nothing personal.
"I heard about some Twitter things he wrote," he said. "I didn't mean anything by it."
But that doesn't change Riddle's feelings about a potential fight with the onetime title challenger, who is currently scheduled to fight Amir Sadollah at UFC on FUEL TV 5.
"I know Dan was saying there's no point for me to fight him, it's a lose-lose for him," Riddle said. "And you know what, it is a lose-lose for him, but it's a win-win for me."
Riddle has never trained with Hardy, who like him is a Las Vegas transplant, but he can understand why the Brit wouldn't want to fight him.
"I would destroy him," Riddle said. "He knows it. He knows it's a bad matchup for him, and I'd probably strike with him, put him on his back occasionally, and probably hurt him with some really nasty elbows."
Or perhaps lock in the kind of submission that Riddle recently employed. After two rounds with striker Chris Clements (11-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC), he locked in a standing arm triangle and pushed them to the mat, where Clements could not escape. Riddle won an extra $65,000 for the finishing move.
The fight perhaps should have been done in the first round when Riddle landed a body kick that was mistaken for a groin kick by referee Josh Rosenthal. But Riddle said he's not angry, and the the veteran official apologized.
"He apologized to me probably about 30 or 40 times, and I was just like, 'Honestly, man, no worries,'" Riddle said.
Riddle is less relaxed when it comes to the behavior of the MMA crowd, or more particularly, the behavior of crowds in the U.K. After a "butter-toothed Brit" spat directly into his mouth on his walk out to the cage at UFC 95, there's no love lost between Riddle and British fans.
But the 26-year-old fighter said he's not trying to attack Hardy. He just wants a fight.
"I'm just telling you that's how it played out in Manchester when I fought there," Riddle said. "It was the worst experience of my life, to be completely honest. He took it personally. It's whatever."
For more on UFC 149, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.
MMAjunkie.com Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino's Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by "Gorgeous" George Garcia, MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Brian "Goze" Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

subset: commoncrawl


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How to Save 100 Hours, See a Beautiful City, and Expand Your Horizons
By Judy Davis
Those of us fortunate enough to have travel budgets have probably attended the AALL Annual Meeting at least once, so we know what to expect—lots of programming, some more and some less relevant to our needs, but all of it related to some facet of law librarianship. So what happens when you send a law librarian to a conference that has nothing to do with law librarianship? In my case, after some initial trepidation about being out of my element, I learned something that saved my staff more than 100 hours of time, discovered a new world of information outside my comfort zone, and managed to have a little fun in the process.
New Conferences, New Lessons
I recently had the opportunity to attend a conference for the customers of my library's integrated software system. At first, I was apprehensive about what this experience would entail. Even after I arrived at the conference—the annual meeting of the Innovative Users Group—in beautiful, spring-weather Chicago, I felt a bit out of my element. Who were all these people? Were they going to spend the entire three days of the conference trying to sell me more of their products?
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that not only was this not a thinly disguised sales pitch, but there were a number of educational programs, poster sessions, new product demonstrations, and other useful events—just like at my familiar AALL conference. It turns out that the Innovative Users Group is an association of libraries that use Innovative's products and is independent of the vendor company. The organization works to influence the development of the company's products for the benefit of those who use them. A conference hosted by a group of libraries—this was definitely something I could do.
The conference was still different from those I had attended in the past, however. Of course the program offerings did not center on law librarianship. But another key difference was that since all the attendees used the same library management software, some of the educational sessions could be quite narrowly focused and still remain useful for many people. It was that element of the conference that allowed me to find a tidbit of information that ultimately saved my library tons of time.
A poster session presented by a fellow librarian outlined a procedure for uploading patron records into the library's database by using an Excel spreadsheet obtained from the school admissions office. Of course it is possible to upload patron records into your database—many libraries, especially academic libraries that receive large numbers of new patrons all at once, do this on a regular basis. As far as I knew, however, this was accomplished with complicated and expensive software to which my library did not have access. So instead, we passed out a paper form to each and every new student during fall orientation. Each student would complete a form, we would collect the forms, and then my department—the Access Services Department at the University of Southern California Law Library—would begin the tedious process of typing each record into our database.
I've told you by way of this article's title that I saved 100 hours of time. I have to admit now that that's not exactly true. I've actually saved much more, and the amount grows every year. Between first-year law students, LLM students, and others, we have about 400 new patrons a year. I estimate that between printing, passing out and retrieving forms, and inputting the records, it takes library staff about 15 minutes to process each new record. And that is not counting the many impromptu departmental meetings to decipher students' handwriting. My notes from such meetings often include observations like, "Name looks like 'Devil's Felony'??" Later, after many intuitive conjectures, this particular student was deemed to be Daniel Kelly, though I am still not sure about this since he has not yet checked out a book, according to his record as of today. (Student names have been altered to protect the innocent and the scribblers.)
Not counting the Devil's Felony debate and others like it, my staff has saved about 100 hours that can now be used for other projects. Add to that another 33 hours—five minutes or so per student—required to fill out each form to begin with, and we have saved much more than 100 hours . . . for each year that we have incoming students. Did I mention we have incoming students every year?
For me, the Innovative Users Group conference was more than worth the time and money spent. Could I have found the record loading information if I had searched the product's user guide? Most likely. But I didn't, because I didn't know to do that. I had no idea that such an elegant, simple function existed, and had I not stumbled across that poster session, I still would not know. Instead of writing this article right now, I would be trying to decide whether the sheet in front of me said "1043 West Catalina Boulevard" or "love Wildcats in a Bowl of lard."
That's the beauty of a conference—you never know what you are going to stumble across and how much it is going to improve your ability to do your job. I stumble across all kinds of fantastic material every year at AALL. I'm a veritable klutz of information discovery. But even though I am a law librarian, law librarianship is not the sum total of my job. I am also a manager, a technology user, a systems platform client, a public services worker, a teacher, and, always, a student. So why would I limit my learning to one facet of my job? Why should you?
Your library may not use a platform like those supplied by Innovative, and you may not need to upload patron records. But there is a conference out there somewhere that can teach you something—probably quite a few conferences, in fact. If you teach, consider a focused group like Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction. They have an annual Conference for Law School Computing. If this is too specific for your liking, then maybe you want to go big. I've already begun taking my own advice and attended a bit of the ALA Annual Conference this year. It was less than an hour's drive away from me in sunny Anaheim, so it was hard to pass up.
I originally thought that a convention as large as ALA might be too generalized to be useful to me, but I found the opposite was true. With so many attendees (about 25,000), a vendor or program presenter can afford to focus on a relatively small segment of the market or audience because the high number of attendees ensures that there will be sufficient interest in a given product or topic. I actually found a tailored, inexpensive product that may help make my interlibrary loan department more efficient. It is an easy-to-remove label that saves time in determining which book is reserved for which patron. I know I will have a hard time beating the 100 hours (and counting) of savings I've already managed, but I'm willing to try.
Taking Chances
So go find a new conference. If you are one of the lucky ones and have a travel budget that allows multiple conferences in the same year, make your "other" conference something out of the ordinary. If you have more frugal means, this might be an even better opportunity for you. If the AALL Annual Meeting is too far away to be affordable for you during a particular year, take a look at conferences you might not otherwise have considered. There may be some nearby ones that are less expensive. In any case, take a chance! Dip your toes into something a little different. You will learn something. You will see a beautiful city, even if it is your own. And you might even save a few hundred hours of your time.
Judy Davis (firstname.lastname@example.com) is a law librarian and head of access services at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law in Los Angeles.
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eGov Services • 1300 Perdido St, New Orleans, LA 70112 • (504) 658-4000
Home » Boards & Commissions » New Orleans Mosquito, Termite & Rodent Control Board
The New Orleans Mosquito, Termite & Rodent Control Board administers and evaluates pest control activities. The board aims to decrease the incidence of disease transmission, economic loss and medical emergencies caused by pests by managing pest populations through a series of integrated approaches including surveillance, source reduction, biological control, sanitation, community education and adult/larval abatement operations.
Ten members.
Six years; Ex-officio members serve terms concurrent with time in respective office.
(Created by: La. R.S. 33:7721; City Charter Sec. 4-2101, et seq.)
Last updated: 10/13/2016 4:40:22 PM


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Goss asks for miracle for mum
Matt Goss has issued a plea for support, asking fans to pray for a miracle for his mother Carol.
The former Bros singer's Twitter post, which saw him reaching out to his followers, was retweeted by his twin brother Matt as well as their friend, presenter Melanie Sykes.
" I am asking for everyone for ONLY this: pray for rapid healing for my mum Carol NOW please," he wrote, adding: "We need a miracle please pray for her NOW."
Melanie added: "My dear friends @LukeGoss & @mattgoss and me are praying for a miracle. Their beautiful mother Carol is very ill. Such sad news."
In February, Matt - who has not revealed or offered details of his mother's current status - said she had undergone chemotherapy for cancer and had been given the all-clear before Christmas.
"We've got the next five years to get through but I was ecstatic when we got that news," he said.
"My mum handled the illness with so much grace and composure - I didn't think it was possible for me to love her any more than I did already but how she dealt with it was very inspiring."


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Symptoms may not be present in early stages of MDS, but will appear as the disease progresses. If you experience any of these symptoms, do not assume it is due to MDS. Many of these symptoms can be caused by other conditions, like an iron deficiency or infection. It is still important to discuss these symptoms with your doctor. Early detection and treatment improve outcomes for both MDS and other health conditions.
Symptoms Related to Decreases in Normal Blood Cells
Symptoms are mainly related to the low numbers of a particular blood cell. Each blood cell has a specific function in the body, so if they are not in a range that is considered normal, symptoms will appear.
The most common complication is anemia. It is because of a drop in the number of normal red blood cells, which decrease the body's ability to bring oxygen to body tissue. Symptoms of anemia may include:
- Weakness and fatigue
- Pale skin
- Lightheadedness
- Rapid heart beat
- Shortness of breath
- Headache
- Mood changes
In people with coronary artery disease, anemia may cause:
- Angina—Lack of blood flow to the heart muscle causes a feeling of squeezing or pressure in the chest.
- Heart failure—Fluid pools in the liver, lungs, and other parts of the body because the heart cannot pump the necessary amount of blood through the body. The first signs include swelling in the feet, ankles, and legs.
In people with a history of blood vessel problems in the brain, anemia may increase the risk of:
- Transient ischemic attacks (TIA)—Temporary brain dysfunction due to a shortage of blood and oxygen. Even though symptoms resolve, it is important to follow up with your doctor. TIA increases the risk of a stroke.
- Stroke or stroke-like symptoms—This may include weakness or numbness on one side of the body, lightheadedness, difficulty swallowing, and mental confusion
A drop in the number of normal white blood cells makes it harder for the body to fight infection. Symptoms may include:
- Persistent fever that is not specific to another condition
- Frequent infections like colds or sinus infections
- Flu-like symptoms
- Slow healing of minor cuts
A drop in the number of normal platelet cells makes it harder for blood to clot properly. Without clotting, even small injuries can lead to severe bleeding. Symptoms may include:
- Bleeding or bruising easily
- Nosebleeds
- Bleeding gums
- Tiny red spots under the skin
- Heavy menstruation
Revision Information
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board Mohei Abouzied, MD, FACP
- Review Date: 06/2017 -
- Update Date: 06/22/2016 -


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Our next giveaway comes to you from Scout by Bungalow Tote Bags. This is a MUST SEE company who sells bags, totes, bins and other items that help to keep you organized. However, these are not your run of the mill storage items, these are fun and original!
Scout by Bungalow was started in 2004. They began with 4 bags and 4 designs and have grown to more than 400 items including totes, storage containers, insulated items, travel and flooring. They have the most gorgeous colors and designs available. The one thing I instantly noticed was that you can find patterns from whimsical to contemporary. No matter your design taste, there is something for everyone! I was super excited when I received a few Scout by Bungalow Tote Bags to try out for myself!!
After receiving my Scout Organizing Totes, I knew immediately what I wanted to do. We had an old Baker's Rack behind the garage, and I knew I could bring it to life with a little spray paint. I will share the DIY project on Friday, but until then…
These organizing storage totes are the most sturdy and definitely the cutest I have seen. I received 2 Hang 10 for hanging folders, 2 Mightah {mini} storage totes and 2 magazine holders. I love being organized, it just makes life so much easier.
One lucky Hoosier Homemade reader will receive Storage Bin package,{same as pictured above, you can choose your own design} valued at $110 from Scout by Bungalow Tote Bags.
Entry is simple! You just need to answer the question below by leaving a comment on this site! You can even gain up to 3 bonus entries for doing each additional item listed (just make sure that you leave one entry for each one — up to a total of 4 comments). As a reminder, comments left on Facebook, Twitter or other posts will not be included.
- Visit Scout by Bungalow Tote Bags and checkout all of the totes, bags, bins and their patterns. Then come back here and and leave a comment on which is your favorite!
- Subscribe to Cupcake Chronicles or Hoosier Homemade
- Follow Hoosier Homemade on Facebook or Twitter
- Follow Scout by Bungalow Tote Bags on Facebook.
This giveaway will remain open until 11:59 p.m. EST, Friday, April 15th. Any comments left after this cut-off will not be counted. The winner will be selected randomly and will be notified via email within 48 hours after the close of the contest.
This giveaway is part of the Grateful Giveaways Event being hosted by myself and 11 other bloggers. You can increase your chances of winning this prize (as well as all of the others on this site), by visiting each of them and entering the same way as you did here. You have plenty of time to get to all of them, since the contest will be open for five full days.
EACH of the 12 participating blogs has their own prizes to give away so make sure to enter on each blog for the best chances to win! Use this Spreadsheet to keep track of your entries!
As one final reminder, you will want to check out the terms of the giveaway by visiting the Grateful Giveaways: Celebrating a Season of Giving Facebook page. Just click on the TERMS tab at the top of the page. (Note that by entering this contest, you agree that you have read the terms and are eligible to enter this contest).
Disclosure: I received the same gift package that the winner will be receiving to facilitate my review. I did not receive any compensation to write this post. The opinions are 100% my own.


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CodePlexProject Hosting for Open Source Software
Project Description
Turtle SQL is a free tool designed to generate the SQL Server 2005/2008 and 2012 documentation.
It supports, export of documentation generated to Excel, Pdf and XML.
Last edited Nov 23, 2012 at 9:03 AM by TheBetpet, version 6
This is brilliant - exactly what is needed to document databases
This thing rocks. Been looking for a tool like it for a long time. Works fine!


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Welcome to the Newcastle Emlyn vets page, We have listed many Veterinary Clinics in Newcastle Emlyn as we could find. If you know of an Vets in Newcastle Emlyn that we missed please submit it to our Add Listing Page.
All the listings below are for the Newcastle Emlyn area only. The vets will offer a variaty of services in Newcastle Emlyn including pet toys, pet food, general pet advice and of course Veterinary services for many different types of animals.
If you find a vet below in the Newcastle Emlyn area and you would like to know more simply click on the link to view more information on the Newcastle Emlyn vet including contact details, address and further information such as which services they off in the Newcastle Emlyn practise that have.
Vets near you is first for Vets and Veterinary services in Newcastle Emlyn.


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We've all been there, been stuck with a computer error that seems to be exclusive to our machines. We consult support forums, publications, friends and other computers to no avail and then resort to pulling our hair out and generally being mad that our exspensive computer has flat out died in some small way.
Well for the past week this has been me, and to make it worse it has been an issue with a mac, a system I am not extensively experienced with. For no reason at all iTunes would crash within a minute of opening, and it was the only piece of software experiencing this issue. I consulted another mac in our house, and it had no problems, so finally I resorted to drawing straws.
I tried rebooting with no positive results, looked at re-installing iTunes on top of the existing install and it didn't change a thing. I even removed iTunes entirely and installed it again without it helping things. That is when I effectively gave up because I was out of ideas.
That is until it ocurred to me to try an old Windows trick, I copied the iTunes library files to the desktop and deleted them and fired up iTunes, and boom it worked. I am not sure why this helped but I don't care.
So if you have an issue with iTunes don't fret and as a last resort no matter the OS, kill the library and restart the program, then paste back in the library so you don't lose your library and hopefully you will be back in action.


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A FRIEND of one of Fusilier Lee Rigby's murderers will be sentenced today for terror offences.
Ibrahim Hassan, 29, also known as Abu Nusaybah, was arrested after an interview with the BBC's Newsnight during which he claimed Michael Adebolajo had been offered a job by MI5.
Hassan and co-defendant Shah Hussain, 31, will be sentenced at the Old Bailey after pleading guilty to the dissemination of a terrorist publication on or before May 24 last year - two days after Fusilier Rigby's murder.
The pair, who are in custody, also admitted separate charges of encouraging terrorism.
At a sentencing hearing last month, prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones said Hassan and Hussain had previously been involved with the now-banned Islamic extremist group al-Muhajiroun, led by Anjem Choudary.
Hassan, a married father of two, had expressed his belief in Sharia law and claimed the British justice system was too soft on criminals, in a monologue shown on Channel 4, the lawyer said.
A video recovered from Hussain's home showed him and his wife joking about their baby son chopping off the hands of former prime minister Tony Blair, she added.
The court heard that in November 2012, police discovered five audio files recorded by Hassan called In Pursuit Of Allah's Governance On Earth, which contained extremist Islamic material and had been uploaded to a file-sharing website.
The court also heard Hussain and Hassan ran a website which posted lectures, articles and videos by radical clerics including Abu Hamza and Abu Qatada.
The website's YouTube channel included a lecture by the late al Qaida propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki, the hearing was told.
Hassan was arrested after police became aware he was doing a pre-recorded interview with BBC Newsnight on May 24 last year, the court heard.
During the interview he claimed Fusilier Rigby's killer Adebolajo was tortured in Kenya and had been allegedly harassed by the secret services, Ms Karmy-Jones said.
Hassan admitted encouragement of terrorism on or before May 24 last year relating to the five audio files of the lectures entitled In Pursuit Of Allah's Governance On Earth.
The charge of disseminating a terrorist publication, which Hassan and Hussain admitted, related to the audio file entitled The Ruling On Insulting The Prophet of Anwar al-Awlaki delivering his The Dust Will Never Settle speech.
Hussain also pleaded guilty to the encouragement of terrorism relating to a video lecture entitled Signs Of A Good Death In Islam published on or before June 5 last year.
The court heard the pair were previously convicted in 2008 after delivering speeches at the Regent's Park Mosque in London in which they encouraged terrorist activity abroad.
Hassan, who was 19 at the time of the offence in 2004, spoke of assassinating Mr Blair and then-US president George Bush and called for Muslim ''brothers'' to obey Osama Bin Laden, the court heard.
Hussain, who was 24 at the time, said he would slaughter Mr Bush if he had a knife with him and called for support for ''Osama'', the hearing was told.
Following a trial, Hassan was jailed for two years for inciting terrorism, while Hussain was sentenced to two years for fundraising for terrorism abroad.
Hassan, of Carr Road, Walthamstow, east London, also has previous convictions for robbery in 2001, religiously aggravated harassment in 2005 and two counts of assaulting a police officer in 2007.
Hussain, of Cannon Street Road, Whitechapel, east London, was previously convicted of possessing an offensive weapon.
Earlier this year, Adebolajo, was handed a whole-life sentence with no chance of parole for the murder of Fusilier Rigby, while Michael Adebowale, was given life with a minimum term of 45 years.


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With a week left in the 2013-14 campaign, only the Montreal Canadiens are a reasonable bet to make the postseason, which means this will likely go down as the first time since 1973 that only one Canadian team makes the NHL playoffs.
Here is a look at the state of the seven Canadian franchises as the regular season draws to a close.
Vancouver Canucks
What's working: Not much. On paper, the Canucks have some top-tier names, the Sedin twins, Ryan Kesler, but this season has been one giant sinkhole. What should be working, but isn't, is perfectly encapsulated by a single number: one. That's the number of goals scored by Daniel Sedin in 27 games in 2014.
What's not: Pretty much everything. The best players are underperformers and a lack of depth means the likes of journeyman Shawn Matthias – arrived as part of the Roberto Luongo trade to Florida – is a suddenly a second-line centre. Injuries have hurt. The Canucks are hardly the worst off in the league but have been unable to absorb the loss of important players. It adds up to one of the worst records in the entire league in the season's second half.
Front office status: Stressed. The hiring of coach John Tortorella last year, a collective decision of owner Francesco Aquilini and team president Mike Gillis, is a failed experiment and the coach is the likeliest to pay the cost. But failure stains everyone. Gillis may hold on to his job but the pressure to salvage the situation is intense. And a decade-plus string of sellouts is in jeopardy, as fans lose interest. Still, the Canucks are a money-making machine and one of the most valuable teams in hockey.
What's next: The departure of the coach appears certain, most pundits agree. Who can fill the breech, and solve the problems, is unclear. The Sedins turns 34 in September and start a new four-year contract, coming off basically their worst season ever. A trade of Ryan Kesler will be a primary off-season story. There is good news, however. With Luongo's contract gone, and the salary cap rising, the Canucks will have a lot of money to play with, at least $10-million, if not a bunch more, so there is fiscal elbow room to quickly remake the team.
David Ebner
Edmonton Oilers
What's working: Hardly anything. After finally inching out of the NHL cellar last year, the Oilers dropped back to the bottom of the Western Conference again – for the third time in five years. Among their promising young talent, Taylor Hall is showing signs of evolving into a front-line NHL player and was averaging more than a point-per-game for the second year in a row.
What's not: So many of the young players identified as the Oilers' core group faltered, beginning with second-year pro Nail Yakupov, who led the team in goals with 17 during the lockout-shortened 48-game season, but became a marginal player under new coach Dallas Eakins. No. 1 centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was coming off off-season shoulder surgery and never really got it going. No. 2 centre Sam Gagner missed the first month recovering from a fractured jaw and started slowly as well. Defensively, the Oilers were young and mistake-prone all over the ice and their goaltending early on (Devan Dubnyk, Jason LaBarbera) was a disaster.
Front-office status: Coach Eakins didn't provide any immediate answers, after replacing Ralph Krueger, who replaced Tom Renney, who replaced Pat Quinn, who replaced Craig MacTavish, all in the past five seasons. That record of coaching instability suggests the Oilers dare not make another change in the offseason, meaning Eakins will almost certainly return next year.
What's next: Last September, the Oilers spoke optimistically that a turnaround might be at hand after all that patient rebuilding – and it wasn't. If anything, they were worse, not better. Sooner or later, their young talent will mature into prime-time NHL players. If they can develop defensive depth and get more consistent goaltending from newcomers Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth, a playoff spot is within reach in a year or two.
Eric Duhatschek
Calgary Flames
What's working: Expectations were significantly lowered for the Calgary Flames this season, after last year's purge that saw Jarome Iginla, Jay Bouwmeester and Alex Tanguay traded away and veteran netminder Miikka Kiprusoff retire. It was a transitional season for Calgary that went relatively well. Defenceman Mark Giordano, named captain to replace Iginla, broke into the upper echelon of NHL defencemen and Calgary's long-standing inability to develop a centre with size may have been corrected when they drafted Sean Monahan sixth overall. Monahan became the first teenage centre since Dan Quinn to score 20 goals for the Flames before his 20th birthday.
What's not: Goaltending remains a question mark, though the hope is that U.S. college prospect Jon Gillies may one day morph into a genuine No. 1. In the interim, they will test out of a pair of Europeans again, Karri Ramo and Joni Ortio, after trading away Reto Berra at the deadline.
Front office status: The Flames brought in Brian Burke as director of hockey operations and mid-year, Burke fired general manager Jay Feaster and assistant John Weisbrod. Burke is currently looking to bring in a full-time GM in the off-season. Calgary may be two or more years away from turning the corner, but they did a lot of good things under coach Bob Hartley, who seemed to earn another year behind the bench by providing the right atmosphere for the team's youngsters to develop in.What's next: Turnarounds don't happen overnight, so the small incremental steps in the rebound just need to continue. Mikael Backlund, a former first-rounder, showed signs of becoming a solid two-way centre, probably best suited to a third-line role, and their defence corps, beyond Giordano, is young, mobile and slowly improving.
Eric Duhatschek
Winnipeg Jets
What's working: Speedy Blake Wheeler is evolving into one of the more dynamic players in the game, while both Bryan Little and Andrew Ladd had good consistent seasons again. The Jets appear to have hit home runs at the draft table with a pair of first-rounders, defenceman Jacob Trouba, and centre Mark Scheifele, both of whom dealt with injury issues this year, but were effective players when healthy. Dustin Byfuglien made the switch from defence to forward in the second half and looks like a real weapon up-front, with his big-bodied presence.
What's not: Their goaltending has been up-and-down, with starter Ondrej Pavelec's GAA inching over 3.00 per game. It is unclear how that can be immediately remedied, given he is signed for another three years at a $3.9-million cap hit. Evander Kane, who has been playing mostly on the third line recently after scoring 30 goals in what looked to be a breakout year two seasons ago, hasn't been able to duplicate those numbers.
Front office status: Paul Maurice replaced Claude Noel behind the bench mid-season and he will need to decide whether he wants to make the interim position permanent. Otherwise, the Jets – a model of organizational stability – will stay with the crew that they have, led by general manager Kevin Chevaldayoff, who has overseen some quality draft classes in the past couple of years.What's next: Winnipeg is never likely to be a destination for premium free agents and after a lot of wasted drafts from their years in Atlanta, the Jets need time to build an organization, knowing that homegrown prospects are their best hope to annually make the playoffs. But the real pressing issue is to find the greater start-to-finish consistency needed to win in today's NHL.
Eric Duhatschek
Ottawa Senators
What's working: Not much. A year ago the "Pesky Sens" advanced farther than any team in the playoffs (two rounds) and this year they stand four slots out of the last spot. The five-year rebuilding plan is stalled. Plusses are a hard scratch, but Craig Anderson, at 32, remains a top goaltender even if not as good as last season. Centre Kyle Turris, 24, has been the team's best forward, winger Clarke MacArthur second best. Defenceman Erik Karlsson, 23, recovered from Achilles tendon surgery to lead all NHL defencemen in scoring. Rookie blueliner Cody Ceci, 20, shows promise. Trading deadline pickup Ales Hemsky may be the winger captain Jason Spezza has lacked.
What's not: 300-plus penalties. The third worst goal total in the league. Much-heralded young defenceman Jared Cowen, 23, had a rough season. Last summer's big trade brought in Bobby Ryan, who had moments but fizzled until surgery was required for a sports hernia. The team put together precious few 60-minute games.
What's Next: Selling hope. Sometimes it's firing a coach, sometimes a top pick – but the Senators lost theirs in the Ryan deal. A tough sell coming.
Roy MacGregor
Toronto Maple Leafs
What's working: The Leafs talents are obvious. They've got strong goaltending, a very good power play and two of the game's top 20 goal scorers in Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk, both of whom are 26 or under. They're a high event team, quick, dangerous and unpredictable when over their own blueline, which means they can capitalize on mistakes and quickly get the puck up the ice for odd-man rush situations.
What's not: The part when they're not over their own blueline. The Leafs have two glaring systemic issues, with their play in their own zone one of them and their play with leads the other. Toronto is dead last in the league with 2,800 shots allowed this season, a near-record pace that speaks to just how poor their possession and defensive game has become. Some of this is personnel, but a lot rests with the coaching staff, who have been unable to reverse the trend all season.
Front office status: The Leafs management team has essentially been entirely held over from Brian Burke's unsuccessful tenure with the team. GM Dave Nonis has been on staff since 2008, Dave Poulin since 2009 and Claude Loiselle since 2010, and their first off-season without Burke wasn't promising. While they added netminder Jonathan Bernier and some decent value buys, they were capped out in large part due to signing free agent David Clarkson, who has been an unmitigated bust. Rumours that they'll now throw a ton of money at Dave Bolland and part with young players like Nazem Kadri are also very concerning.
What's next: Toronto's playoff hopes hang by a thread as they hope Columbus stumbles to close the year, but the most likely outcome is the Leafs narrowly miss a playoff berth. While they have some nice young pieces like Morgan Rielly, their prospect base is not very deep and they continue to allocate too many dollars to players moving out of their prime. Even if Bernier continues to shine, they seem to be settling into mediocrity.
James Mirtle
Montreal Canadiens
What's working: It can be boiled down to one word. Goaltending. Carey Price is as good a goalie as there is in the NHL, and his play has often kept this team afloat. There's some good young veteran talent, led by all-world defenceman P.K. Subban and 30-goal winger Max Pacioretty. They've also got some enticing up-and-coming talent up front in Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher, and blue-line prospects Jarred Tinordi and Nathan Beaulieu. There are also several strong prospects in the pipeline as well, Swedish teenager Jacob de la Rose is perhaps the most NHL-ready, Finnish forward Artturi Lehkonen and home-grown forward Charles Hudon are dynamic offensive players.
What's not: The blueline is the clear weak point with this team, the Habs don't really have anyone who can keep up with Subban – reuniting him with Andrei Markov is tough because of the lack of depth. The problem can be described thusly: they have two legit top-pairing defencemen, and then a bunch of fourth and fifth d-men. They are also saddled with some unproductive veterans (Rene Bourque to name one) and there is a sense the progression of the younger players is stagnating. When it isn't regressing, that is.
Front office status: Marc Bergevin is finishing his second season at the helm, and has managed to retain all the front office personnel he came in with, the most important of them likely Rick Dudley, the eminence grise of the group. Bergevin has three years to go on his contract, and has demonstrated top-level trade deadline nous and canniness at the negotiating table. Whether he's as effective a judge of talent is still up for debate.
What's next: The Habs are a team in transition, but they should be able to contend for the Stanley Cup in fairly short order if the front office plays it right. To do that will likely require dealing or buying out Bourque, letting captain Brian Gionta walk when he becomes a free agent in summer, and clearing out the deadwood on defence – don't expect to see Douglas Murray and Francis Bouillon in Montreal next year. Then it's a question of developing their youngsters and adding a piece or two on the blue line. Subban is due a big payday this summer, and the Habs also have a decision to make on centre Lars Eller. Galchenyuk, Gallagher, Tinordi and Beaulieu will all hit restricted free agency in 2015, each will expect a raise.
Sean Gordon
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Emboldened by Iowa voters' removal of three state supreme court justices from the bench this week, the National Organization for Marriage is pushing forward on a constitutional amendment to overturn marriage equality in the state, despite strong opposition from Democratic leaders and a legislative process that would take years before such a measure could end up on the ballot.
Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, said his group will remain an active lobby in the state, where Republicans took control of the house and made gains in the senate. Terry Branstad, the state's incoming Republican governor, has said that voters should have the right to decide whether to limit marriage to heterosexual couples.
NOM is among several out-of-state groups that spent more than $1 million combined on the Iowa for Freedom campaign to oust Chief Justice Marsha Ternus and justices David Baker and Michael Streit.
"There's going to be a major push by activating folks to contact their legislators, and you're going to see a massive grassroots campaign to encourage legislators to listen to the people," Brown told The Advocate on Thursday. "The changes in Iowa were pretty dramatic. In the house, we're going to be successful, as well as in the senate. One of the primary effects of this victory is that — I won't say it's made it easy, but it's made it very clear that a constitutional amendment should be before Iowa voters."
Brown wouldn't specify whether NOM's long-term involvement in the state would include another judicial retention vote in 2012 — this time for Justice David S. Wiggins, one of seven state supreme court justices who in 2009 voted unanimously that denying marriage rights to same-sex couples is unconstitutional. He also declined to say whether NOM would favor an amendment that both overturns the supreme court's decision and bans civil unions or domestic partnerships.
"We're focusing only on the marriage issue," Brown said, though he asserted that "it's no secret that advocates for same-sex marriage use civil unions to force same-sex marriage on states."
NOM, which spent more than $600,000 in the Iowa campaign, is also focusing on two other states that saw big Republican gains and have not yet put marriage up for a popular vote: Minnesota, which has a statutory ban on gay marriage, and New Hampshire, where a pro–marriage equality law went into effect in January. NOM has been criticized by gay rights groups like Californians Against Hate and the Human Rights Campaign for a lack of donor transparency in their state battles, prompting investigations by state ethics commissions.
"NOM has boldly and consistently refused to disclose its donors, so much
so that they challenged campaign disclosure laws in several states,"
said Fred Sainz, HRC's vice-president of communications. "You don't
fight laws that everyone else has to follow unless you're hiding
For a constitutional amendment to be passed in
Iowa, both the state house and senate have to approve the measure by a
simple majority in two consecutive general assemblies, followed by a
simple majority of voters.
But Democratic state senate majority
leader Mike Gronstal remains steadfast in blocking such a vote. Though
Republicans may even the 50-seat senate makeup to a 25-25 split,
Gronstal said he would still have the power to render the issue a
"It's an anachronism," Gronstal said of the
backlash against marriage equality in his state. "I'm not going to
insert discrimination into the constitution of Iowa. It's as simple as
that. My father taught me, and his father taught him, that everyone's
equal before the law."
Gronstal successfully fought attempts for a
senate vote this year and argued that Tuesday's judicial retention vote
wasn't indicative of the people's dissatisfaction with marriage rights
for same-sex couples.
"Judges are always going to have 20% to
30% of voters against them regardless," Gronstal said. "Maybe a third of
Iowans voted against them because of the [marriage] issue, and a
quarter voted against them because they always vote against judges. I'm
not sure it's the clear mandate that some are trying to sell it as."
was joined by Iowa U.S. senator Tom Harkin, who condemned the votes as
harmful to an independent judiciary. "Iowa's justices shouldn't have to
look over their shoulders when applying the law," Harkin said in a
statement to The Advocate."This anti-retention effort, which was
largely funded by out-of-state interest groups, flies in the face of our
historical commitment to protecting Iowa's legal system from the whims
of politics. Substituting public opinion for legal opinion will not give
Iowans the fair, impartial judicial system they have come to expect."
the judicial ousting has also energized marriage equality-minded
citizens who are outraged by the specter of another Proposition 8
scenario, where fundamental rights are revoked by a simple majority
vote, said One Iowa executive director Carolyn Jenison.
"We have
heard from people from across the state and the country who realize the
impact this has," said Jenison, whose organization is also extensively
lobbying state legislators against a constitutional amendment. "We've
always been thoughtful and fair-minded in this state. This vote does not
reflect Iowa values. And it's going to leave a black mark on our


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Wheel of Frontier (バトルアリーナ!格闘対決!! The Battle Arena! Fighting Showdown!!) is the 4th episode of Pokémon: Battle Frontier.
Episode Plot
The gang has nearly reached the Battle Arena. Ash is prepared, while Scott greets them. Team Rocket is practicing with other students at an academy. Their plan is not to get attention, as they may have more chance at capturing Pikachu. A woman and a man tell them to get back to work. For their punishment, they have some bowls on their heads and shoulders while they crouch. This makes more aches and they fall down. The man comes to the woman, telling that Scott found a challenger for her to battle. Scott tells Ash the woman is Greta, a Frontier Brain. She uses Hariyama and Medicham, inspired by the Gym Leaders Brawly from Hoenn and Chuck from Johto region.
As they go out, Ash begins to think and realizes something, telling the others to go ahead. Later, they all came to the Battle Arena. Ash shouts, but Scott yells that they came to challenge, to which the doors open. They enter and Greta introduces herself as Arena Tycoon. Scott introduces Ash to her as the challenger. They want to begin already, so Greta tells him to spin the wheel, depending on how many Pokémon he will battle. Ash spins and the result is two - a 2-on-2 battle. Jessie and Meowth see the gang, so they plan to capture Pikachu, though James tells them they have to clean the place, so their plans will have to wait. The battle is about to start - Greta sends Hariyama and Medicham, while Ash his Grovyle, and surprisingly, Snorlax.
Greta decides to use Hariyama first, so Ash picks Grovyle. Grovyle starts with Quick Attack, so Hariyama charges with Arm Thrust. Grovyle evades and uses Bullet Seed, but Hariyama blocks with Arm Thrust. Hariyama charges again with Arm Thrust, but Grovyle dodges and counter-attacks with Bullet Seed, but misses. Grovyle goes to dodge, but Hariyama grabs and slam it to the ground then pounds it with Arm Thrust. Grovyle uses Quick Attack, so Hariyama decides to stop it, but with such speed, it misses, so Grovyle attacks with Leaf Blade. Grovyle goes to end with another Leaf Blade, but Hariyama uses Focus Punch, pushing Grovyle to the ceiling and defeating it. Greta compliments Ash on his tactics, but he tells her he just started the battle.
So, Ash sends Snorlax while Greta continues to use Hariyama. Hariyama starts with Arm Thrust, but it is not effective as Snrolax use Protect to defend itself. Hariyama uses Arm Thrust, but Snorlax evades and uses Headbutt, hitting Hariyama. Hariyama uses Focus Punch, and with the attack, it knocks Snorlax out, even if it use Protect. Hariyama uses Focus Punch, but Snrolax evades, with Hariyama's hand being hurt. Snorlax freezes and defeats Hariyama with Ice Punch. Greta sends her final Pokémon, Medicham. Jessie plans now to capture Pikachu, but Meowth tells James and her to wait for a little longer.
Medicham starts with Focus Punch, so Snorlax protects itself, though Snrolax is pushed away. Medicham uses Hi Jump Kick, attacking Snorlax. Snorlax stands up, though with little energy left inside it. Medicham uses Focus Punch, so Snorlax counters with Hyper Beam, but misses, so Medicham attacks it. Snorlax is knocked away onto Team Rocket, pushing them to the battle field and revealing them. After their motto, they charge to get Pikachu, but he blasts them off with Thunderbolt. Greta and Ash still continue their battle.
Medicham charges, so Snorlax uses Ice Punch, but Medicham uses the same move, so Snorlax is frozen. Snorlax using Rest inside the ice, restoring its energy, while Medicham uses Focus Punch to break the ice. After some time, Medicham has broken enough ice to free Snorlax's head. Medicham uses Hi Jump Kick, destroying the rest of the ice. Medicham uses Hi Jump Kick once more, but Snorlax wakes up and dodges. Snorlax uses Hyper Beam, but Medicham dodges and charges with Focus Punch, hitting it. Snorlax goes to use Hyper Beam, but cannot due to the effects of the attack it just used. Medicham pounds Snorlax with Focus Punches, hurting it badly. Medicham charges with a final Focus Punch, but Snorlax uses Hyper Beam on the ground and is pushed up and goes down, using Body Slam to defeat Medicham. Ash wins this battle.
At the end of the day, Scott and Greta compliment Ash's battle skills, while he tells them he hadn't had such fun for a long time. Greta gives him the Guts Symbol, a proof he fought in the Battle Arena. Scott gives Ash directions to the next Frontier Brain - he/she resides in Battle Dome, south of Lavender Town. Greta wants Ash to keep this battle fire, so he makes this promise.
This episode's name is a pun to "Wheel of Fortune".
- In the dub, Ash misspelled Medicham with a K.
- When Ash brought his Pokémon, he had shoes on, but later, they were removed.
|This article is missing an image.
Please help the Pokémon Wiki by adding one.
|Pokémon: Advanced Generation
|Other series: Original · Diamond & Pearl · Best Wishes! · XY · Sun & Moon


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Skaggs nearing return from hamstring strain
By Joe Morgan / MLB.com
ATLANTA -- The Angels are targeting next weekend as a return date for left-hander Tyler Skaggs, who sustained a right hamstring strain on June 5 in Houston. Manager Mike Scioscia said the southpaw will likely not need a rehab assignment.
"He's right now long tossing and hopefully early this week, he'll be able to get off the mound to throw a [bullpen session]," Scioscia said. "And then, we'll have an idea of exactly when he'll be ready."
Skaggs, who is on the 15-day disabled list, ran in the outfield on Friday, cutting and going through agility drills without any pain or issues with his hamstring. Skaggs has previously run on an AlterG, an anti-gravity treadmill, but he was happy to be back on grass and dirt.
"Everything's good," Skaggs said before Friday's series opener against the Braves. "I'm slowly coming back. Worked out today and everything felt good. Slowly but surely coming back out."
Hamilton raking due to relaxed approach at plate
ATLANTA -- As Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton returned to the lineup on June 3 after undergoing left thumb surgery in April, he kept in mind a lesson he has learned through numerous injuries during his baseball career.
"You can't make up for lost time, but you can do and help from this point forward," Hamilton said. "It helps keep you a little more calm than you might normally be."
Hamilton may be calm, but opposing pitchers have been anything but since he rejoined the lineup. He entered Friday's series opener against the Braves batting .440 (11-for-25) with three doubles, six RBIs and four multi-hit games during a six-game hitting streak.
"It feels good," Hamilton said of his thumb. "There was a little adjustment getting back, getting jammed with pitches and things like that, but it's to the point now where it bounces back pretty quick and I'm not really thinking about it too much."
Hamilton's recent tear is much like the success he has enjoyed in the Majors since bursting onto the scene with the Rangers in 2008. Braves catcher Gerald Laird, who was Hamilton's teammate in Texas that season, can tell when the slugger is locked in.
"He can cover so many pitches. He's that type of hitter. He's a superstar-type hitter," Laird said. "When they get hot, they can cover multiple pitches -- in and out, up and down. And it's one of those things, he's one of those guys you don't want to let beat you. But I've seen him do well, I've seen him struggle and right now, he's swinging the bat pretty well."
Hamilton backed up Laird's assessment, chalking up his ability to put the bat on the ball so consistently to his comfort level at the plate. It was a feeling he had even before his injury as he was batting .444 (12-for-27) before going down on April 8 in Seattle.
"When you're feeling good, you can expand the zone a little bit better and a little bit more and swing at pitches you normally try not to when it's not going good," Hamilton said. "I'm in a spot where I'm feeling good, so pitches that might be questionable, I'm still able to get a good swing on it."
Rasmus excited to be facing hometown team
ATLANTA -- Barely one week removed from this year's First-Year Player Draft, Angels pitcher and Columbus, Ga., native Cory Rasmus made his return to Turner Field, home of the club that made him its first-round pick with the 38th overall selection in the 2006 Draft.
Although Atlanta traded Rasmus to the Angels for left-handed reliever Scott Downs last July, Rasmus has fond memories of his time with the organization that he described as "the closest one to my house."
"As a young kid, we always came to Atlanta to watch the Braves play," said Rasmus, who made his Major League debut at Turner Field on May 22, 2013. "So getting the chance to come play here and make it to the big leagues for a little bit was pretty awesome just to have that experience."
Rasmus said his parents, his younger brothers (older brother and Blue Jays center fielder Colby is busy on a rehab assignment) and his wife will be in Atlanta to watch him play this weekend.
Perhaps some friendly faces will help Rasmus put his struggles in limited action this season behind him. He has surrendered four earned runs in seven innings of relief. Manager Mike Scioscia believes Rasmus just needs to translate his talent to results.
"He needs to control counts, needs to have the command of the secondary pitches to really be able to be effective against hitters in a good role in the bullpen," Scioscia said. "I think from last year to this year, he's made great strides and hopefully, he'll continue to do it because he has a terrific arm."
Joe Morgan is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Health Insurance CUSO Teams Up with Cigna
CU Benefits Alliance has partnered with Cigna to provide a group health benefits program to credit union employees.
The CU Benefits/Cigna credit union program aims to offer competitive pricing and account management usually only available for larger groups, according to CU Benefits Alliance in Salem, Ore.
The program also offers self-funding solutions designed for employers with as few as 51 employees and improved employees health and productivity through wellness programs such as health coaching, biometric screenings, health assessments and lifestyle management programs, the CUSO said.
Employees can also have access to full online monthly reporting and around-the-clock customer service.
The $582 million Seattle Metropolitan Credit Union has already signed on to the CU Benefits/Cigna program.
"Moving to the Alliance has worked for us and helped me as an HR executive manage our benefits program effectively," said Tonita Webb, chief human resources officer for Seattle Metro CU. "The information that is provided gives us data that helps us design an appropriate benefits plan and budget appropriately."
John Harris, CEO of CU Benefits Alliance, said Cigna was a natural choice to improving the overall human resources experience and health benefits delivery system for credit unions.
"Working with a carrier that has national scale and a track record serving credit unions and understanding the needs of smaller employers were critical," Harris said.
The CU Benefits/Cigna program currently serves more than 1,500 credit union employees and their family members and is available to credit unions with 51 or more employees in most states, according to CU Benefits Alliance.


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OCEAN CITY – Many Americans are living longer, more fulfilled lives than ever before. In 2009, people ages 65 and older represented almost 13% of the U.S. population, compared with just 5.4% in 1930, and those ranks are poised to swell dramatically as the first wave of the baby-boom generation turns 65 in 2011. But financial concerns can also come as we age.
Even mild memory loss can lead to mishandling of financial affairs, and this is not a minor issue, nor is it something that anyone likes to talk about, in part because such problems seem decades away — all the more reason for families to begin getting ready for them in advance.
"Do it now," urges Sally Hurme, a lawyer and senior project manager at AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons). "It's never too early to make your wishes known and to get a plan in place for handling age-related problems. When you wait too long, decisions about everything from your health care to your finances fall out of your hands."
There are a few key legal documents you should discuss with counsel:
A power of attorney for finances enables you to appoint someone you trust to pay bills and make financial decisions on your behalf when you are unable to do so. "This is just as important as preparing a will," says Hurme. "Selecting a trustworthy representative and giving clear direction to that person about how you want your life managed can lay the groundwork for all the care you receive through the end of your life."
Those concerned about retaining control for as long as they are mentally capable can opt for a springing power of attorney, which specifies a date or a scenario that would trigger the power of attorney.
Those with more complex finances, such as multiple real estate holdings or a small business, may want to create a living trust. Assets are placed in the trust, and a trustee is appointed to manage resources and disburse proceeds according to the terms of the trust. A trust also has the advantage that, like a will, it can direct how the trust property is distributed after death.
"You want to make sure your strategy still reflects your current wishes and meets current legal requirements," notes Hurme. "Getting these documents in place, which is not all that complex, is like giving yourself and your family a gift.
(A Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisor. She can be reached at 410-213-8520.)


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Wanted: Lean In editorial intern, to work with our editor (me) in New York. Part-time, unpaid, must be HIGHLY organized with editorial and social chops and able to commit to a regular schedule through the end of the year. Design and web skills a plus! HIT ME UP! Start date ASAP.
On behalf of the intern rights movement thanks a bunch for advertising that position. You gave us a lot of free advertising in what's traditionally a slow news month. All the best and in the future remember to pay your interns.
Want to clarify previous Lean In post. This was MY post, on MY feed, looking for a volunteer to help me in New York. LOTS of nonprofits accept volunteers. This was NOT an official Lean In job posting. Let's all take a deep breath.
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Bringing new perspectives to campus treasures
Feb. 13, 2012 noon
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A stroll across Princeton University's campus reveals many treasures to be enjoyed by the attentive observer -- ornate archways, official seals, whimsical gargoyles, flowing epigraphy, and sculpture of all sizes and materials. Together, these create a place of beauty with numerous clues to a unique history. The meticulous details upon the walls of buildings are a monument to the fond dreams of architects and campus planners. Princeton's campus treasures are a rich blend of the old, the new, and the renewed, and like great thoughts, they weather time.


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Eisenhower Helps the "Rocket" Soar High
an interview with tennis pro Rod LaverBy: Cyndy Muscatel
Aside from his innate talent for hitting a tennis ball over a net, the "Rocket" – as he was called as a scrawny teen growing up in the Australian bush – was also known for his willingness to work hard to achieve his goals.
The former Rancho Mirage resident continues to bring that same level of diligence to reaching his objectives today, most recently in his recuperation from a total knee replacement performed at Eisenhower Medical Center in June of this year.
On a recent visit to the charming Carlsbad home that he shares with his wife, Mary, my husband and I – long-time friends of the Lavers – sat down and talked with Rod about his recent experience with joint replacement.
"You're the poster boy for joint replacement," my husband joked. assets/news/story/cfhlimages/200509/coverstory2.gif
It had only been four weeks since the surgery, but remarkably,Rod walked unaided.A walker sat against the wall, gathering dust.A cane, discarded,hung on the edge of the kitchen counter.
"I'm actually bionic," Rod said. "Dr. Adrian Graff-Radford [Orthopedic Surgeon,Eisenhower Medical Center] did my left hip in 1996.Now, he's done my right knee."
"How's the knee?"my husband asked.Although it sounded like a polite question, it was really one of self-interest – he needs a replacement, himself.
"The one surprise is the recovery has moved along so quickly," Rod patted his knee. "I was four days in the hospital.Immediately, they have your leg working in a machine, keeping it mobile."
Rod admits, however, that those first days were a little painful. "The nurses and doctors monitored me all the time.They wanted me to take the pain medication every four hours, not to let the pain get out of control," he remembered.
A winner of 20 major tennis titles, Rod could have gone anywhere for surgery. He chose Eisenhower Medical Center.
assets/news/story/cfhlimages/200509/coverstory3.gif "First, I knew I wanted Dr.Adrian Graff-Radford to operate on me. I have such confidence in his ability, and he's on the cutting edge of what's new,"Rod explained."Also, Eisenhower Medical Center is so well known,so respected. I've had other experiences there and always had wonderful care, from the operating room to the hospital room. The nursing staff is terrific, and the conditions in the hospital are always first rate."
Ironically, Rod never experienced knee problems during his career.
"I hobbled around with my hip a bit too long. It was significantly arthritic – bone on bone – and extremely painful. Once I had had it replaced, I was able to resume all my previous activities, including playing tennis again. My knee became increasingly more deformed and painful," Rod explained. "For a while, I wore a brace which straightened the knee, so I could play tennis."
But, it reached a point that, even in his sleep, it would hurt and awaken him. "It got to the point that I was always worrying – will it hurt the next time I put my foot down? You start anticipating the pain," Rod added.
For two weeks after the surgery, Rod took the blood thinner,Coumadin®, and then, two aspirins a day for two weeks. "The doctors don't want blood clotting,but I'd had a stroke in 1998…so I had some concerns. I went over all the aspects of it with Adrian before the surgery," he said.
"The knee replacement that I used on Rod Laver is called a CR-Flex, which I feel is designed for more flexion," explained Dr. Graff-Radford, "and also because the posterior cruciate ligament, which connects the center of the tibia to the center of the femur, is retained, giving it more rotational stability." Modern day knee and hip replacements should last about 20 to 25 years.
Completely recovered, the stroke is behind him.What's ahead is physical therapy for his knee. No stranger to working towards a goal, he's in training to get the result he wants. "They say it takes six months before it's 'your' knee again," Rod explained. "It's refreshing to tackle something like this."
Rod is concentrating on building up muscle strength and getting the bend back into the knee. "I overdid it a bit yesterday. I walked to the pool down the street, walked in the pool, and then back. I've had some pain since," he admitted. "I want to work the muscle, but I don't want to tear anything or cause any inflammation."
"There's my real reason for doing the surgery," Rod smiled quickly. Coming out of the house, his granddaughter, Riley, ran towards us. "Riley's nearly five, and wants to learn how to play tennis. I'd like to be able to teach her," Rod confided.
"I love my home life. I lived out of a suitcase for a long time. It was good to have done it," Rod added."But, it becomes a little tough."Now, he loves playing golf and recreational tennis, fishing, landscaping and tending his garden, and working on the computer digitizing old movie footage.
"It's quite uncanny. We have all these surgeries keeping us virtually out of wheelchairs. And they're done everyday. They're quite commonplace," Rod explained. "It's pretty amazing how far medicine has come in today's world. I'm going to get back…and be better than ever!"


text: UNITED TREK: TASKFORCE VANGUARD/DARK TERRITORY: THE QUALITY OF MERCY *********************************************************** State Room Starbase Bastion Mid-2378 The transparent aluminum window was frigid to the touch. Captain Banti Awokou suppressed a shiver before removing his hand. The Starship Nimbus, his latest command, floated before him. The moorings entangling the angelic ship didn't mar its sleek beauty one parsec. Stretching nearly seven hundred meters in length, the Sovereign-class starship dominated the docking port, as befitting its designation. Uncharacteristically Awokou smiled, thrilled at the prospect of returning to her. "I don't believe I have said anything in jest," Rear Admiral Terrence Glover said by way of introduction. The younger brown-skinned man stood ramrod straight at the entrance to the room. Awokou's smile quickly morphed into a look of concern. He always knew that his protégé would one day rise to the admiral's rank, but he hadn't assumed it would be so quickly, or under such tragic circumstances. Yet so much had changed in Awokou's universe since that fateful day in the skies above Lakesh. The captain put the thoughts of that particular tragic in the back of his mind. "My apologies…sir," He nearly tripped over the word. It would take him a little while to get used to the idea of Glover being his superior officer. "I meant no offense." "None taken." Terrence seemed oblivious to the fumble, which saddened Awokou. He would've thought the Glover he knew would've enjoyed showing off his fifth pip to his old mentor. But a lot of bad things just hadn't happened to Banti since the Dominion War; Terrence had been drastically changed as well. The man seemed more closed off, his body language wary, his arms folded across his broad chest. His expression was mildly impatient, at odds with the recollections of Banti's wife Rozi, who told him how Glover had spent hours at his bedside while he had been in a coma. "You wished to speak me with captain?" Glover prodded, gently but still insistent. Awokou's heart sank further. "Yes sir, I…I wanted to thank you," Awokou began, not quite sure how to proceed, and feeling as awkward as he had on his first date with Rozi. Glover's head tilted to the side and he gave the captain a look like he was a curious new specimen. "I don't follow." "I know you helped get me the Nimbus," Awokou said, recalling the scuttlebutt he had heard from some of his friends in the Fleet. "Not everyone thought I was ready for such a prestigious assignment." He was one of those doubters, but only Rozi knew that. "It was…a logical choice," Glover shrugged, coming off even colder than many Vulcans Banti knew. "Your service record was exemplary before your accident." Banti tensed at how sterile and antiseptic his old friend made it sound. "And with the dearth of skilled senior officers currently in the Fleet, and in light of your previous history restoring the reputation of Phoenix, it made sense to move Nimbus past the Ardana Incident." "I see," Awokou nodded slowly, wondering if these were the same arguments Terrence had made to secure the post for Banti. There was a part of him that hoped that Terrence hadn't been so dry when making those arguments though. The captain chided himself. He had no right to criticize the man who had just helped him get a prestige command. Further, Awokou wasn't taking into account how rough the last several years had been for Terrence, the emotional buffeting the man had received. He had lost his father and his marriage; and before that his ship. That fifth pip must seem like cold comfort, and something that can't replace what had been torn away from him. "Admiral, Nimbus doesn't push off for another day, if you would like to…tour her, that can be arranged, and then afterwards we could have dinner. Rozi would love to see you." Banti was a laying it on a little thickly. Actually Rozi was a little peeved at Glover for not showing up while Banti was convalescing after reawakening. But Awokou had cut the man some slack. Terrence was dealing with his own emotional turmoil and the demands of a new and possibly crushing responsibility. However, Banti also knew that his wife would smother any sharp words she had for the younger man and treat him with the respect he deserved. The thought of his wife, her graciousness and compassion, made him smile again. "Am I wearing my uniform inside out or something?" Terrence asked, a glimpse of the man's old mirth breaking through. Laughing, Banti couldn't help but give the man a quick once-over. The man looked resplendent in his long black jacket and matching trousers. Glover's hair hadn't been touched by gray while Banti's had become snow-white. Terrence looked nearly the same as when he had commanded the Aegis, though he seemed even sadder now, with bags around his eyes. The man's visage was still stern, but he had unfolded his arms at least. Now they awkwardly rested at his side. Awokou had never seen Glover anxious, even when they served on the Cardassian front. "We'll have to reschedule I'm afraid," the admiral replied. "I have business to attend to at Starbase 27." "Along the Romulan Neutral Zone," Awokou pointed out. "Don't tell me the Star Empire is acting up again? Trying to take advantage of this whole refugee situation?" "Let's hope that isn't the case," Glover said, without adding more. Normally Terrence would add something, he would drop a hint, but that was the past, and Awokou had woken up to a much different future. Glover nodded respectfully before he turned to make his exit. The man tried one more stab at it. "Lt. Rojas will also be at the dinner." Glover stopped, but didn't turn around. Banti sought to reel him in. "She was gushing about seeing you again, well, not in so many words, but I could read the excitement on her face when she heard you would be here to review Intercept Group Four." Terrence turned around slowly. I think I've got the fish on the line, Awokou thought. "I appreciate you also recommending her for flight control officer," the captain added. "We're going to need someone with her skills navigating us through the Delta Quadrant." "Please send my regards to Lt. Rojas," Glover said, "But I will have to get reacquainted upon your return." "Excuse me sir," Awokou's forcefulness erupted from him, "I know you're grieving Terrence, but that doesn't give you the right or excuse to turn your back on your friends!" "I think you need to watch your tone Captain," Glover's nostrils flared and his eyes lit with fire. Banti knew that he was risking losing his ship even before he had made himself at home, but there were some things that needed to be said. "I understand that your schedule is busy, but I really wish you could comprehend how much it would mean to all of us if you stopped by," Awokou softened his tone, but not his stance. "There's no time," Glover said. "We could be gone for years," Awokou rejoined. "I'm sorry," Terrence said, his neutral expression not giving a hint to his true feelings. "It's almost as if you want to get rid of us, shorn us off like dead skin or something," Awokou felt his emotions springing forth and the words escaped before he could stop them. Since his awakening from the coma, his emotions had been harder to control. "I'm an admiral now, things are different," Terrence offered. "No, the biggest difference is you," Banti shot back. "Lt. Rojas had thought you were going to put her on your staff. She did all that extra training at Starfleet Academy to build up her resume and then you pass her off to me. I'm pleased, but it's not what she wanted." "Is this what she told you?" Glover's expression became hooded. "No," the captain admitted, "but sitting in that captain's chair, you learn something about sapient nature." "Perhaps you are mistaken," Terrence replied. "Maybe," Banti confessed, "But my gut tells me otherwise. You don't have to push us away. You don't have to do this alone. I can tell you from personal experience that you can't do this alone." "Thank you…Banti," Glover said. The captain's voice caught in his throat. Awokou reached out, to grab the man's shoulder, to pat it for reassurance, but the rear admiral fell back. "It's going to take time," Terrence offered. "Fair enough," Awokou reined in his emotions. "Please relay that message to your wife and Juanita," Glover said. "I will do," the captain promised. "Now sir, am I dismissed?" Terrence asked with the heartening sliver of a smile. "Yes sir," Awokou smiled in return. *****************************************************************


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Washington, D.C. - U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Kay Coles James continues driving OPM's efforts to quickly and effectively migrate the Department of Defense's (DOD) Defense Security Service (DSS) to OPM's Investigative Services division. Once the migration is complete, OPM will conduct over ninety percent of all background investigations for the federal government.
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Prince William and Kate Middleton Kissing
The Royal Couple's Cutest PDA Moments
Happy anniversary, William and Kate! It's been three years since Prince William and Kate Middleton said "I do" in the royal wedding seen 'round the world. We couldn't get enough on April 29, 2011, as we pulled an all-nighter in California to watch Kate unveil her stunning Alexander McQueen gown and see the two newlyweds seal their union with a Buckingham Palace balcony kiss. Luckily, after the wedding celebrations ended, we got a lot more of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — and their adorable son, Prince George. With appearances in the UK and on their royal tours to North America, East Asia, and, most recently, Australia and New Zealand, they've been showing off their royal love all over the world. See some of their sweetest public displays of affection as husband and wife — and new parents — now!


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Cape Cod Bed Complete
This attractive Cottage style Cape Cod Twin in White may be the look you've been looking for! A great addition to mix and match with your existing pieces or a starting point for a whole new look. High/low headboard and footboard feature arched bead board panels. This line offers many coordinating pieces including Nightstand (BRU-841C) and Six Drawer Dresser (BRU-846C) with optional Mirror (BRU-846MWH). Or choose a space-saving Five Drawer Chest (BRU-845C), Trundle (BRU-807TR) or Storage Pedestal Drawers (BRU-807DWR).
- Hardwood construction
- pinned mortise and tenon joints on head and footboards
- assembles with metal anchored steel bolts
- centering dowels on siderails ensure easy assembly and sturdiness
- multilayer laminated siderails provide greater strength than solid lumber
- each siderail is attached to head and footboards with 4 steel bolts and barrel nuts
- centering dowels aid in alignment
- slatted hardwood decking provides solid support for mattresses
- individual slats are interconnected with rugged webbing
- slatted deck attaches to siderails with 6 steel bolts and anchors