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Streams Affected by Even the Earliest Stages of Urban Development
In a new study by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), it was found that the loss of sensitive species in streams begins to occur at the initial stages of urban development. The culprits are the increased contaminants entering the streams, destruction of riparian habitat, and greater stream flow flashiness. The results of the study show that streams are more sensitive to development than previously believed. The victims are the bruised ecosystems and a reduction in economically viable resources like fishing and tourism.
"We tend not to think of waterways as fragile organisms, and yet that is exactly what the results of this scientific investigation appear to be telling us," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "Streams are more than water, but rather communities of interdependent aquatic life, the most sensitive of which are easily disrupted by urbanization."
For example, the study found that once urban development approached 20 percent in watersheds in the New England area, aquatic invertebrate communities lost about 25 percent of their biodiversity.
Multiple streams in nine metropolitan areas in the continental US were sampled. The study areas included Atlanta GA; Birmingham AL; Boston MA; Dallas TX; Denver CO; Milwaukee WI; Portland OR; Raleigh NC; and Salt Lake City UT.
The USGS researchers found that the degree of change to the biological communities of streams varied geographically depending on the predominant land cover and health of the ecosystem prior to urban development.
In areas such as Boston, Portland, Salt Lake City, Birmingham, Atlanta, and Raleigh, there was a greater loss because the land cover prior to development was forest. In areas such as Denver, Dallas, and Milwaukee, there was less loss because the prior land cover was more agricultural.
"The reason for this difference was not because biological communities in the Denver, Dallas, and Milwaukee areas are more resilient to stressors from urban development, but because the biological communities had already lost sensitive species to stressors from pre-urban agricultural land use activities," said Dr. Gerard McMahon, lead scientist on the study.
The study found that no single stressor was universally important. The result is a combination of all stressors combined, like increased concentrations of insecticides, chlorides, and nutrients. Management strategies are used throughout the US to reduce these impacts, but unfortunately, this study shows that the effects of urbanization can be felt even at the early stages.
For more information on this and past studies, as well as graphics and maps, click here.
Charles River image via Shutterstock


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Come see
with new eyes
Larry Grimes will share lessons from "The Gift of Years," along with wine and cheese, on Jan. 6, 13 and 20 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Barnabas Church, 110 W. North St., in Cortez. The sessions are open to the public.
"The Gift of Years" is a project begun among the Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ) in West Virginia. Larry, who is an ordained minister in the Christian Church, calls St. Barnabas home when he and his wife, Carol, are spending time at their home in Mancos.
He is moderator of the Christian Church in West Virginia, an active theologian and author of the Resurrection Eyes Bookmark Curriculum. He did his seminary work at Yale Divinity School and completed a doctorate degree in theology and literature at Emory University
"The Gift of Years" is designed to explore, encourage and engage ministry to, through, and with seniors. During the three sessions, Larry will share lessons and projects from the West Virginia experience. He will also lead those who attend through three separate "Bookmark Reflections" created by the project to provide seniors with Resurrection Eyes.
You don't have to be a senior to find that life and death may look different seen with Resurrection Eyes.
Call 565-7865 for more information.
Empire Electric plans scholarships
Empire Electric Association plans to continue offering high school student scholarships and adult scholarships to its members.
Twenty-four scholarships of $1,000 each will be awarded to senior high school students who will attend a two-year community college or a four-year college/university. Ten scholarships of $500 each will be awarded to senior high school students who will attend vocational or technical schools.
In addition, Empire Electric Association offers six adult scholarships of $1000 each. The adult scholarship program is intended for adults continuing their education where a lapse in education has occurred. Applicants must be members of Empire Electric Association.
Students and adults are encouraged to apply before Feb. 17, 2014.
Student and adult scholarship forms are available on the Empire Electric Association website at www.eea.coop. The forms can also be picked up at Empire's headquarters at 801 N. Broadway in Cortez. High school students can also pick up forms at the high school guidance counselor's office.
For more information, contact Donna Hanes at 970-564-4490 or email at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Crow Canyon plans workshop
The Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in Cortez is offering a new workshop for K–12 educators called Mesa Verde National Park: Convergences and Crossroads in the American Southwest.
Based at the Crow Canyon campus, the National Endowment for the Humanities workshop explores subjects in American anthropology and is guided by archaeologists and American Indian scholars at Mesa Verde National Park.
Educators will explore Mesa Verde, conduct hands-on archaeological fieldwork and laboratory analysis, and join readings, lectures and discussion groups. Through interaction with scholars and visits to ongoing excavations, teachers will learn how American Indians, anthropologists, and archaeologists work together to provide a richer picture of Pueblo history and culture.
Crow Canyon plans two sessions of the weeklong workshop: June 22–28 or July 20–26, 2014. Educators will receive a stipend for the cost of travel and living expenses. Kathy Stemmler, Ph.D., Crow Canyon director of education, will direct the workshop.
Applications for the workshop must be postmarked no later than March 4, 2014.
Information: crowcanyon.org or 564-4346.
Blackburn awarded medal
On Aug. 29, 2013, Pfc. Audra Blackburn of the 121st Combat Support Hospital U.S. Army Garrison-Yongsan, Seoul, South Korea, was awarded the Army Achievement Medal for outstanding performance during the 121st Combat Support Hospital's Ulchi Freedom Guardian 2013 Exercises.
Her recommendation and justification for this award says, "PFC Blackburn's performance throughout the 121st Combat Support Hospital 2013 Ulchi Freedom Guardian Exercise was stellar. In spite of the heat and long hours, PFC Blackburn ensured mission accomplishment. She distinguished herself through dedication, enthusiasm and a positive approach to the complexing mission of 121st CSH. She was essential in the set-up and operations of the 121st CSH's mission."
Soon after receiving this meritorious achievement, Blackburn was promoted to specialist. Blackburn, daughter of Justin and Diane Ewing of Clifton, Ariz., and granddaughter of Roma Ewing of Mancos, will return to the U.S. on Jan. 23, 2014, and will be stationed at Fort Sill in Lawton, Okla., where she will be joined by her husband, Ron Hampton.
Por Dia Preschool receives donation
Recently, Resolute Energy Corp. provided a donation of $1,000 to the Por Dia Preschool and learning center in Cortez.
The Por Dia Preschool recently sustained flood damage and needed carpet restoration. The preschool enrolls Navajo, Utes and Anglo children, and some children of Resolute.
Amy Long, school director and owner for more than 16 years, said, "We are so fortunate to have a company help many children in the Cortez area. This funding enabled the children in the Cortez area to have a better learning environment. Our sincerest gratitude to Resolute."
Resolute's governmental-public affairs manager, Roger Atcitty said, "not only does Resolute sponsor, support and assist the schools in the community at its operations in Utah, it tries to reach out to other communities, particular such as Cortez since Resolute has one of its office in Cortez".
Resolute Energy acquires, develops and produces crude oil. Resolute producing assets are the Aneth Field in Utah, Hilight Field in Wyoming, the Permian Basin in West Texas and the Williston Basin of North Dakota.
Staff and local reports

subset: commoncrawl


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The Phantom of the Opera [2004] (DVD)
Joel Schumacher
He is a genius whose rapturous music fills the Opera Populaire of 1870 Paris - and a solitary soul hiding his disfigurement behind a mask and dwelling in the catacombs below. But he can no longer hide his love for young soprano Christine. And the Phantom may emerge from the shadows past the point of no return.
The stage musical sensation magically and hauntingly comes to the screen in director Joel Schumacher's lavish production, sweeping audiences aloft to new cinematic heights of sight-and-sound grandeur. Gerald Butler (the Phantom), Emmy Rossum (the National Board of Review Breakthrough Performance Award winner Christine) and Patrick Wilson (as Raoul) play the fateful love triangle that unfurls in splendor, suspense - and in the music of the night.
Product Details
- Starring: Emmy Rossum, Gerard Butler, Patrick Wilson, Miranda Richardson, Minnie Driver
- Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
- Language: English, French
- Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
- Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
- Number of Discs: 1
- Rating: PG-13
- Label: Warner Studios
- Release Date: 05/03/2005
- Run Time: 141 minutes
- Catalogue #: 38951


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Is anybody out there an expert on how to rescue a quilt where one of the fabrics has bled? I rescued a block once where some appliqued green leaves bled onto the cream background - soaked it overnight in Clorox 2 and the green went away. But what about when the quilt is already finished? Has anyone come up with an approach that works - or at least doesn't do any damage when you try it? I always prewash fabrics, but occasionally they bleed anyway.
Shirley:Is anybody out there an expert on how to rescue a quilt where one of the fabrics has bled?
Shirley, some folks swear by the Shout Color Catcher sheets. I haven't tried them yet but others have posted they do work.
Good luck
In the beautiful Pacific Northwest!
As much as I love those Color Catcher sheets, I suspect they won't work to remove color that has already bled.
On the banks of the Mississippi River in north central Minnesota (Brainerd lakes area)
I agree with Nancy, if it has already bled I don't think the color catchers will work and I'm afraid some of the fixes may make things worse. I hope someone will come along with a great suggestion. :(
Life is like a quilt...bits & pieces, joy & sorrow, stitched with love
Here's a possible help from yahoo answers: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090829154058AAke5HE
Here's another: http://laundry.about.com/od/laundryproblems/f/faqpinkclothes.htm
Shirley, along with washing my fabrics, I test them for colorfastness before drying. Rub a white dishrag or piece of muslin on the fabric to test it.
you can try a very dilute bleach solution and paint it on the areas, make sure you wash it all out.
gini in north idaho
I'm still searching for the solution myself.
Quilting My Rainbow
Shirley, If a bleed-over stain will not come out, you could try to fill that area with some fancy stitches where bleed-over has occurred or replace the offending fabric portion of the applique. I know a lady who was so upset when one of her quilts bled, that she took out all the blocks (including the quilting) that bled -- a real pain -- don't know that I'd ever do that! But all of her quilts were true heirlooms, worthy of blue ribbons & she felt her reputation was 'on the line'. Another option might be fabric painting. I prefer to test fabrics before using them (especially since we're getting fabrics from so many unknown sources) & those bleeder fabrics are the only ones I pre-wash to set-in the color (with Retayne or white vinegar). I've tried a few drops of peroxide on the offending stain & if not removed, follow up with a thin paste of Oxi-Clean (water & Oxi-Clean powder) to clean up some bleed-over, careful not to get it on other areas, then rinse after 30 minutes. Best policy: test fabrics (even after a quilt is made), wash in cold water & never dry w/ heat if you have bleed-over stains.
Thanks to everyone for offering your suggestions. Obviously the best thing is to determine whether fabric will bleed ahead of time. But if you didn't - or thought your prewashing was good enough and it wasn't - my question was about what to do next. Especially if you are not willing to take out the quilting, take the quilt apart and replace the offending pieces.
I know about Synthrapol and Retayne but have never used them. Does anyone have personal experience? The warnings are so strong I am almost afraid to try them, and I don't have any of the fabric left to run a test.
I know about Synthrapol and Retayne but have never used them. Does anyone have personal experience? The warnings are so strong I am almost afraid to try them, and I don't have any of the fabric left to run a test.
I'm also interested in knowing about these products. I've also heard something about soaking in a vinegar mixture. Does anyone know anything about that?Thanks in advance!
I found this doing a google search. It explains when and how to use retayne and synthrapol.
On another site that I belong, someone commented that synthrapol can fade colors.
Thanks, Carol. Excellent suggestion. I went to the site and printed out the instructions. I have decided that, for future information I am going to run some tests using these products and see what I can determine about their use -- unless I find a web site where someone else has already done it. I will report back once I know something.
i thought retayne and sythropol were agents to set color, not remove them. i have both sitting in the toxic chemical room at home. once i started reading up on them, i decided they were best left in the bottles. they work very well.
if i can't get the color to rinse out, i'll try vinegar and salt. if they still bleed, they go in a dark quilt, quickly, so i don't forget and use them in applique.


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CodePlexProject Hosting for Open Source Software
Product Sample Package and Test
Last edited Sep 25, 2008 at 4:39 PM by johnwelch, version 4
Decent for integration testing. Useless for Unit testing. Way better than alternative (nothing).
- No mocking or stubbing
- get/set... (more)
Very good SSIS Testing System - testing the packages has been a real issue to date. I can see this coming in very handy!
Thanks, PK :-)
BIDS Helper


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Linfield Chaplain David Massey will lead a traditional lessons and carols service with the reading of scripture lessons focusing on the Christmas story and the singing of carols celebrating the season.
International students, along with students and faculty from the Department of Modern Languages, will participate and read passages in different languages, as well as perform some of the carols in a variety of languages.
A reception will follow in the Fred Meyer Lounge in Riley Hall. The service is sponsored by the Chaplain's Office and is open to the public. For more information, call 503-883-2259.


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• Rene Reyes, 24, first degree battery — $250,000.
• Melvin Reyes, 27, first degree battery — $250,000.
• Arias Molina, 27, first degree battery — $250,000.
• Sergio Campos, 33, first degree battery — $250,000.
Russellville Police Department Det. Jacob Yarbrough testified that early Dec. 17, police were dispatched to a Timberwood Lane resident for an incident involving a weapon. The responding officer advised a man was attacked by multiple assailants, one of which was wielding a machete, and the suspects had left the scene in a white van and were possibly traveling to Dardanelle, Yarbrough said.
An Arkansas State Trooper stopped the van matching the description just over the Arkansas River bridge in Dardanelle, Yarbrough said. Four Hispanic men were asked to exit the vehicle and when they did so, a machete fell out of the door of the van, he said.
Yarbrough said he was called to the scene and observed the victim had wounds on his head and neck. Yarbrough then went to the traffic stop in Dardanelle and witnessed blood on the driver's door and seat and passenger seat, and a bloody palm print on the sliding door window.
The victim said during an interview with RPD, the four individuals attacked him with "a large knife" and several small knives. The suspects said they had just gotten off work and were painters.
Yarbrough said the RPD is attempting to gain a warrant to search the van for further evidence.
• Sylivia Gates, 41, theft of property — $10,000.
According to court documents, the owner of Dairy Queen filed a report stating a deposit of $6,000 had been transferred from Russellville to a Conway bank. After the finding, the owner consulted an accountant who reported $228,226 worth of missing deposits. The report said Gates admitted at a management/shift leader meeting she had taken money at the instruction of another individual.
The report said Gates and the other individual spent more than $17,000 at Choctaw Casino from December 2010 to July 2011.
The documents said Gates told a Russellville Police Department officer she had transferred money to the other individual twice, totaling $1,100, and she knew transferring the money was wrong but the other individual told her she would repay her with her next paycheck.
District Court Judge Don Bourne ordered Gates to stay away from Dairy Queen and Choctaw Casino.
• Jeremy L. Partain, 37, breaking or entering, theft of property — $5,000.
According to the testimony of an RPD officer, a Morrilton woman was attempting to leave the JC Penney parking lot in Russellville when a male in a gray hooded shirt approached her vehicle and asked her the location of Chick-fil-a. The suspect then grabbed the purse, ran and was seen entering a gray Chevrolet truck, the officer testified. According to the officer, the witness knew Partain and informed the police of his location.
• Buddy Price, 30, theft by receiving — $7,500.
According to a report from the Pottsville Police Department, a backhoe was stolen from the State Highway 247 bypass construction area. A man then told PPD he was asked by two men to borrow his truck to haul a backhoe. Surveillance footage from a Pottsville gas station showed Price and another man with a truck hauling the stolen backhoe, according to the report.
• Staci Harris, 40, fraudulent use of a credit card — $5,000.
According to a warrant issued by Circuit Court, Harris used another female's credit card for three purchases totaling $166 via telephone.
• Bradley Jarrell, 58, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia — $75,000.
According to a report from the Arkansas State Police (ASP), a truck driven by Jarrell was pulled over for a traffic stop after the trooper witnessed the vehicle swerve to the shoulder. A search of the vehicle yielded 89 pounds of high grade marijuana with a street value of $142,000, the report stated.


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As if there was any doubt after the game he had on Saturday, Jon Busch is nominated for MLS Save of the Week!
Jon Busch made an unbelieveable recovery to stop FC Dallas player Perez's chance.
The other goalkeepers nominated are DC United's Bill Hamid, FC Dallas' Raul Fernandez and Chicago Fire's Sean Johnson. Voting runs until 11:59 p.m. PT on Thursday, so cast your ballot today!


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Centra 48-in Single Bathroom Vanity with an Altair Sink
Product Information
Simplicity and elegance combine in the perfect lines of the Centra vanity by the Wyndham Collection. If cutting-edge contemporary design is your style then the Centra vanity is for you - modern, chic and built to last a lifetime. The attention to detail on this beautiful vanity is second to none.Constructed of environmentally friendly, zero emissions solid Oak hardwood, engineered to prevent warping and last a lifetime12-stage wood preparation, sanding, painting and finishing processHighly water-resistant low V.O.C. sealed finishUnique and striking contemporary designModern wall-mount designMinimal assembly requiredDeep doweled drawersUnder-mount soft-close drawer slidesConcealed soft-close door hingesBacksplash not availablePre-drilled for single-hole faucetFaucet not includedMetal exterior hardware with brushed chrome finish2 functional doors4 functional drawersPlenty of storage spacePlenty of counter spaceIncludes:Vessel sinkDrain assemblyP-trapDecorative hardware
|Wyndham Collection
|Wyndham Collection
|Base SKU
Shipping Options:
Return and Tax Policies
Unless your item is received damaged, or there was some error on our part, you will be responsible for all return shipping costs. Because refunds will not be issued in full for items damaged in return shipping or returns that are never received, we highly recommend that you confirm all return shipments and provide Rakuten Support with the shipment tracking number.


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The Best of TV This Week – GIFapalooza
We may have had less TV to enjoy this week, but we've doubled down on the best GIFs from 'The Mindy Project' and 'New Girl' to make up for it.
'New Girl'
Nick illustrates his terrible lapdance moves.
This is the way everyone should be dumped. Though maybe don't call the other person a honky.
Not just you, Nick Miller. We're all guilty of the same.
Ugh, yes.
Jess isn't even drunk and she's showing us why it's best to drink at home instead of going out to parties.
'The Mindy Project'
Mindy gets the holiday spirit started with a little chair-dancing.
As always, we relate.
This is the greatest plan EVER. Maybe if I tell my mom that I have this agreement with someone, she'll stop bothering me about grandchildren.


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When Ford Motor Co. announced in 2012 that its new hybrids would use lithium-ion batteries instead of nickel-metal hydride, many experts raised an eyebrow.
Lithium-ion, after all, had a reputation for high cost and unknown durability, largely because the technology was still comparatively new. In contrast, approximately 95 percent of full and mild hybrids up to that time had used nickel-metal hydride.
But Ford engineers now say their decision to use lithium-ion was based on accelerated lab tests showing lithium-ion would actually be more durable than nickel-metal hydride over a long lifetime. The tests, combined with mountains of field performance data on nickel-metal hydride, convinced them that they could predict the eight- or 10-year future of a chemistry that didn't even have five years worth of reliable field data.
"We are really confident that our Key Life Tests are mimicking the duty cycle of some of our most stringent and abusive customers," Kevin Layden, Ford's director of electrification programs and engineering, told Design News. "Given that, we feel lithium-ion will be better than nickel-metal hydride. We expect it to be absolutely stellar."
Ford's confidence in lithium-ion is based on so-called Key Life Tests. The tests predict that the working capacity (y-axis) of lithium-ion batteries (green line) will be greater over a high-mileage lifetime (x-axis) than that of nickel-metal hydride (yellow line). Past field data for nickel-metal hydride (blue dots) has shown that the testing results are conservative -- that is, batteries generally do better in the field than they do on tests.
(Source: Ford Motor Co.)
Ford's confidence in the technology is real. The giant automaker had previously used nickel-metal hydride on the Ford Escape hybrid, Fusion hybrid, and even on the old Ford Ranger EV, which it produced in limited quantities in the late 1990s. In contrast, its second generation Fusion hybrid now uses lithium-ion. So does the C-Max hybrid, the Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid, the C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid, and the Focus Electric.
The key to Ford's testing effort is a lab that was part of a $135 million company investment in engineering and electric vehicle battery testing. Using a so-called Key Life Test at the battery test lab, Ford engineers believe they are able to accurately forecast the 10-year, 150,000-mile life performance of lithium-ion. To do so, they cycle batteries at the cell-level, pack-level, and vehicle-level. They cycle them in hot and cold chambers and run them on powertrain dynamometers. Using 10 months of testing, they believe they can understand how the batteries will behave at a wide range of temperatures, under various acceleration conditions, in multiple locations within the vehicle.
"Somehow, we have to take out the unused time when the customer's car is in a garage or parking lot," Anand Sankaran, Ford's chief engineer for energy storage and high-voltage systems, told us. "And then in the test cycle, we have to accelerate all the failure modes."
From prior experience with nickel-metal hydride, Ford engineers knew that their accelerated test results were conservative -- that is, their batteries actually performed better in the field than they did in Key Life Tests. Thanks to the availability of mountains of field data on nickel-metal hydride batteries with hundreds of thousands of miles, they had developed a good feel for the relationship between test and field performance. So when lithium's predicted behavior improved on that of nickel-metal hydride, the engineering team reasoned that it was time to make the switch. "At some point, you get confident and you realize that what you're doing correlates to what the customer is doing," Layden said.
Ford began rolling out several of its lithium-ion-equipped hybrids late in 2012. The company's engineers say the new breed of batteries will offer an improvement over nickel-metal hydride in a number of ways, including size, weight, fuel efficiency, and life performance.
"We know that customers will have questions about these batteries," Sankaran said. " 'Will I have to replace my battery after eight years?' 'How will lithium-ion be different than nickel-metal hydride?' Now we can provide a much more accurate picture of how it will perform."
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Ocular Squamous Cell Carcinoma
- Jul 28, 2016
- Topics:
Ocular squamous cell carcinoma can develop in several areas, such as the lower eyelid.
Photo: Amber Labelle, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVO
Feat not: A variety of therapies are available to treat this common eye tumor.
Most owners are diligent about giving their horses a once-over for scrapes and swellings while grooming. This includes checking the eyes for subtle changes and early indicators of problems. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), for instance, is something an owner might notice; it is one of the most common cancerous tumors of the equine eye. Fortunately, with early intervention it's treatable.
Amber Labelle, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVO, a veterinary ophthalmologist at WestVet in Garden City, Idaho, says the most common locations for periocular (around the eye) SCC include the eyelid skin, third eyelid, and the limbus (the junction between the cornea--the clear surface of the eyeball--and the conjunctiva that covers the white of the eye).
"On the eyelid, SCC generally appears as a pink mass, often ulcerated or bloody," she explains. "On the third eyelid or at the limbus it generally appears as a pink proliferative mass that can distort the tissues or create a mass on the surface of the eye. The tumor is generally pink or red in color." The affected eye might squint or emit a yellow or white discharge; this is typically what the owner notices first.
Brendan Mangan, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVO, an ophthalmologist at Affiliated Veterinary Specialists, in Gainesville, Florida, says SCC lesions and the adjacent tissue typically appear more red and inflamed than the surrounding normal tissue.
Causes and Risk Factors
Some horses are more vulnerable to SCC than others. "There are several known risk factors," says Labelle. These have to do with pigmentation around the eye and ultraviolet (UV) light exposure.
"Horses that spend a lot of time in the sun are at higher risk, especially if eyelid skin and conjunctiva are nonpigmented," says Mangan. "Living at higher altitudes and closer to the equator results in more intense and longer periods of sun exposure and UV radiation."
Labelle says some breeds seem more predisposed to developing SCC than others, including Haflingers and some draft breeds. Appaloosas and Paint horses also are prone to SCC, but primarily because of the nonpigmented skin around their eyes.
Mary Lassaline, DVM, PhD, MA, Dipl. ACVO, an equine ophthalmology specialist at the University of California, Davis, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, conducted research to investigate Haflingers' genetic tendency toward SCC. "This breed appears to be overrepresented among horses with limbal SCC, and they are often diagnosed with SCC at a younger age than other breeds," Utter says. "Affected Haflingers are closely related, suggesting a possible heritable basis for this type of SCC."
Labelle cites another recent study suggesting that equine papillomavirus might contribute to SCC development. "Infection with this virus may be why some lesions develop," she says. "There is convincing evidence that SCC in other locations, particularly the penis, may be due to equine papillomavirus, but we are not yet sure if this is also the case in lesions of the eye."
Diagnosis and Treatment
Have your vet examine any abnormality in a horse's eye area. He or she might takes samples and order tests. "It may be possible to arrive at a diagnosis of SCC with cells taken from the surface of the lesion, but a more definitive diagnosis requires a biopsy," says Mangan. "A biopsy also allows more effective surgical -planning."
The size, stage, and location of the mass dictate treatment options; the smaller the lesion, the easier it is to treat. Unfortunately, by the time they're noticed, many SCC tumors, especially those located on the third eyelid that is tucked underneath the outer surface, have become quite large. And the longer the lesion is present, the more likely the cancer will invade surrounding tissues, and the more it invades those tissues, the harder it is to treat.
"Lesions on the third eyelid or the eyelid itself can sometimes be treated in the field, without bringing the horse to a hospital facility," Labelle says. "There are many ways to treat these, including topical chemotherapy creams, injectable chemotherapy, freezing the lesion, radiation (which is highly effective), and surgical removal."
Mangan notes that large eyelid masses might require reconstructive surgery due to the amount of tissue removed.
Growths that occur at the limbus, on the eyeball itself, are more likely to be referred to an ophthalmologist for surgical intervention. "These are often treated with surgical excision, followed up with either chemotherapy or cryotherapy (freezing) to make sure there are no stray cancer cells left in the area," Labelle explains. "When we excise those kinds of lesions, we always submit them for biopsy to make sure that we removed the entire tumor (the lab looks for SCC cells close to the edges of the sample)."
Veterinarians might also use a variety of SCC therapies in conjunction with or in place of surgery, including:
Cryotherapy Mangan says veterinarians commonly freeze affected areas to -13°F as an adjunct to surgery. This method can be used on all tissues.
β-irradiation (Sr90) "This is an ideal treatment for corneal lesions, since the radiation travels a very short distance and is -almost completely absorbed by the cornea," says Mangan.
Brachytherapy (Ir192), during which radioactive beads or rods are inserted into the tumor for a period of time, is an effective treatment for eyelid SCC, but it carries with it radiation hazards.
Radiofrequency hyperthermia raises the temperature of the treated tissue to 122°F. Mangan notes that this damages tumor cells but allows normal cells to recover.
Intralesional immunotherapy involves injecting the immunomodulator Bacille Calmette-Guérin into eyelid tumors to treat large SCC.
Intralesional chemotherapy commonly involves using cisplatin and carboplatin with or without surgical debulking.
Topical chemotherapy agents mitomycin C and 5-fluorouracil can be used effectively following surgical mass removal.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) LASER therapy can be used on SCC in all locations and might be useful as a primary procedure or as an adjunct to conventional surgical removal, Mangan explains.
Piroxicam is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that "may have anti-neoplastic (tumorous) properties, but the effectiveness against SCC in the horse has not been completely validated," says Mangan.
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an evolving treatment for eyelid SCC that involves using a drug that photosensitizes tumor cells with a specific wavelength of light. After the practitioner injects the photosensitizing agent, he or she exposes the mass to a specialized light source, such as a laser, that destroys tumor cells and associated blood vessels.
Elizabeth Giuliano, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVO, an professor in the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery and ophthalmology section leader at the University of Missouri, has studied the use of local PDT to treat eyelid SCC. She first introduced the concept of using local PDT for equine eyelid SCC in 2003 and has treated more than 30 affected horses using the therapy.
Giuliano first began using PDT when presented with an SCC case that had already undergone five different treatment modalities to no avail. The cancer was limited to the eyelid, and the horse had retained his vision, so she could not yet bring herself to remove the eye.
"Horses' eyes present a unique challenge because if you can't save the eyelid you can't save the eye," she explains. "The horse is not amenable to eyelid flaps like other species. Eyelid reconstruction surgery for a horse is extremely difficult to perform successfully because their skin is tightly adhering to the underlying bone--unlike that of a dog whose skin is much looser."
When performing PDT Giuliano first debulks the eyelid tumor surgically, then she injects the photoactive agent into the tumor bed, and finally she uses a laser to irradiate the area and kill any residual tumor cells.
"In people, photoactive agents are typically administered intravenously and have been used to treat a variety of conditions including age-related macular degeneration and bladder cancer," she explains. "The volume of drug needed for a horse (if we were to give it systemically) would be too expensive, and we don't know how horses would react. Local PDT is believed to be a much safer approach at this time."
She says one of the reasons PDT is appealing for treating periocular cancers in horses is that it is not toxic to the people handling the drugs, unlike potentially dangerous intralesional chemotherapy agents like cisplatin.
"Additionally, PDT typically does not require multiple treatments," she says. "Therapeutic modalities that require repeat treatments can become very costly. Even if the individual treatment cost is low, if you have to repeat it five or six times in order to be effective, and add the costs associated with trailering the horse to a veterinary facility several times, the total cost is comparable to what you'd spend on one treatment of PDT." The one treatment also means less hassle and stress for the client and the horse.
"For me, the advantages of local PDT are that it is nontoxic, there is no cumulative drug effect, and usually one treatment is sufficient," she concludes. "The disadvantage of PDT is its limited use by veterinary ophthalmologists currently and the initial cost. The drug itself is very expensive."
One of the best ways to prevent potentially cancer-inducing UV light exposure is to keep horses out of intense sunlight. "Anything you can do to minimize exposure will help decrease risk of SCC, especially in areas of the country with a lot of UV light," says Labelle. "Using a fly mask (especially the type with UV blocking material) is often the easiest thing to do if your horse has pink eyelids and you live in the Southwest. In summer when UV light is most intense, you might consider turning that horse out at night and putting him in a stall during the day."
Before the use of fly masks, some owners tried to reduce sun glare by putting dark color around their horses' eyes if they had white face markings. Dark color materials included mascara and theatrical grease paint, but these can be dangerous for the horse. Thus, these old "home remedies" might do more harm than good.
"Also, tattooing the eyelids does not help," Labelle says. "The tattoo ink localizes deeper in the skin than the layer where the tumor occurs, and does not protect the layers where the tumor actually arises."
Take-Home Message
Never neglect an abnormality on your horse's eye, as it can go from something insignificant to serious rather quickly. As with any type of skin cancer, prevention is preferable to treatment, and early treatment assures a better chance for a positive outcome. "The best thing owners can do is look at their horse closely every day and have any abnormality examined by a veterinarian," Labelle advises.
About the Author
Heather Smith Thomas
Heather Smith Thomas ranches with her husband near Salmon, Idaho, raising cattle and a few horses. She has a B.A. in English and history from University of Puget Sound (1966). She has raised and trained horses for 50 years, and has been writing freelance articles and books nearly that long, publishing 20 books and more than 9,000 articles for horse and livestock publications. Some of her books include Understanding Equine Hoof Care, The Horse Conformation Handbook, Care and Management of Horses, Storey's Guide to Raising Horses and Storey's Guide to Training Horses. Besides having her own blog, www.heathersmiththomas.blogspot.com, she writes a biweekly blog at http://insidestorey.blogspot.com that comes out on Tuesdays.
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By Susan Black
It started as an anonymous tip sent to reporters at Newsday, a regional newspaper based on Long Island. The result, months later, was a series of reports on pervasive pension abuses involving multiple school districts.
The tip, submitted in early 2008, hinted that a private attorney was on the payroll of more than one school district. Through the Freedom of Information Act, reporter Sandra Peddie found that the attorney was on the payroll of five Long Island school districts as a full-time employee, all the while collecting millions of dollars in retainer fees.
The attorney also received a fraudulent annual $62,000 state pension and health benefits for life. In truth, the attorney was a part-time private contractor in each district, and was thus barred from collecting state benefits.
When the news broke, the FBI and IRS launched criminal investigations, issuing subpoenas for the five districts' financial records. Newsday identified six more districts that had listed two other private attorneys as full-time employees while paying their law firms more than $1 million in fees.
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Copyright © 2018, National School Boards Association. American School Board Journal is an editorially independent publication of the National School Boards Association. Opinions expressed by this magazine or any of its authors do not necessarily reflect positions of the National School Boards Association. Within the parameters of fair use, this article may be printed out and photocopied for individual use, provided this copyright notice appears on each copy. This article may not be otherwise, linked, transmitted, or reproduced in print or electronic form without the consent of the Publisher. For more information, call (703) 838-6739.
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text:
Slugging Stanton bulks up even more
Homer hitter adds eight pounds before taking over at cleanup
By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com
Mike Stanton has packed on eight more pounds since the end of last season, and the slugger now heads into Spring Training a sculpted 250 pounds.
All muscle, right?
"Fat," Stanton joked to reporters during the Marlins' "Caravan for the Troops" week.
Make no mistake, Stanton is physically fit and is ready to build on his impressive rookie year in 2010.
One of the most towering and physically impressive young players in the game, Stanton is a major reason why the Marlins have high expectations in 2011.
Standing 6-foot-5 1/2, the sky is the limit for Stanton, who paced all big league rookies last year with 22 home runs.
As he keeps piling up numbers, invariably, he will receive more recognition and become even more of a household name. He's well aware that expectations always will be higher.
"For me, I kind of always disappoint myself, because you always expect more than you even dreamed of," Stanton said. "So the plateau is unreachable and you're always in grasp of it.
"It still blows my mind that I'm even here. You dream about this all your life, and when you're living it, it's surreal sometimes. It's exciting."
Around South Florida, more people are starting to wear Stanton No. 27 shirts and jerseys.
"I have seen those," Stanton said. "That's real cool."
As a rookie, Stanton batted .259 with 22 homers, 21 doubles and 59 RBIs in 359 at-bats. Along with the power came strikeouts, as he fanned 123 times.
But the fact that Stanton hit 22 home runs in 100 Major League games makes it natural to wonder what he is capable of in a full season.
"It will be interesting, yeah," the right fielder said. "I'm more curious to see how good we're going to be [as a team], actually. As long as I do what I'm supposed to, and everyone fits their slot, it's going to be really interesting."
Stanton, who turned 21 on Nov. 8, is far from a finished product. He's still figuring out the big leagues, and based on his track record in the Minor Leagues, it is a matter of time before he posts big numbers. He hit .313 with a .442 on-base percentage at Double-A Jacksonville last year before being called up. One constant that has followed him is the home runs. In 324 Minor League games, he hit 89 dingers.
A former three-sport standout in high school, Stanton was selected in the second round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. He has accomplished so much so fast, including belting at least 20 homers at the Minor League and big league levels in the same year.
Prior to being called up from Double-A, Stanton connected on 21 homers in 53 games at Jacksonville. So he hit 43 homers in 153 professional games in 2010.
The opportunity for more eye-opening power numbers is in front of him because he is expected to bat cleanup this season. The top of Florida's lineup is projected to be Chris Coghlan, Omar Infante, Hanley Ramirez and then Stanton.
As Stanton was breaking in as a rookie, the Marlins took the pressure off him by hitting him lower in the order. Most of the slugger's success came either from the sixth or seventh slots.
Batting sixth, he had a .330 average with 11 homers and 23 RBIs, compared to a .257 average with eight homers and 25 RBIs while hitting seventh.
The switch to fourth puts him where he profiles best in the big leagues.
"You either can handle it or you can't," Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said. "Either you're Miguel Cabrera and you can handle it, or you are Mike Stanton and you can handle it. His ability is off the charts, and he's going to be fine. There are going to be some days when he's going to look like a 21-year-old without a lot of big league experience. But he is a special talent."
Because Florida has several young players who have yet to reach their prime, the team is considered a long shot to reach the postseason.
Stanton, though, isn't buying that. He said he thinks the Marlins are capable of being a "Cinderella" story.
"When you look at the stats, we lost like 20 something games from the seventh inning on," Stanton said of the 2010 season. "It wasn't our lineup. Our lineup got longer overall, and our bullpen got tougher. Other teams have gotten stronger as well. But people overlook us. I'm not just saying that. That's a fact. We're just going to play through it and see what happens."
Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. He writes a blog, called The Fish Pond. Follow him on Twitter @JoeFrisaro. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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How do people even think of doing such things, let alone develop the skills to carry them out?
The performer is Dan Menendez. (Via Xeni Jardin.)
How do people even think of doing such things, let alone develop the skills to carry them out?
The performer is Dan Menendez. (Via Xeni Jardin.)
Hercules Grytpype-Thynne says
For what it's worth, he's not actually playing the notes, he's just triggering a programmed sequence. Where the balls hit the keys (or how many) doesn't seem to have any effect on the notes played.
skaduskitai says
As Hercules said, he doesn't hit the right notes, he just hit's any notes.
F says
I was imagining something entirely different.
Buford says
I do a routine with a trombone mouthpiece in the base of a folding music stand. Peter Schickle gave me the idea with his (PDQ Bach's) double-reed slide music stand. I call mine the slide stand bone.
It doesn't matter how I slide the parts, I control the sound with my mouth. I usually try to move the stand the opposite way of a real trombone just to see if anyone notices.
This guy's juggling is built upon the work of others. I've seen guys juggle balls in rhythm and in round and triangular spaces to get double and triple beats from a single throw. It takes real skill, even if you take advantage of programming as the previous commenter suggests.
This guy does a creditable job of making it look like he's playing notes, but it would be very difficult indeed to hit them all without any extra keys- especially the double-ball throws.
Very entertaining, however he does it.
kyoseki says
Same here…
… and I won't say I'm not a little disappointed.
HP says
@ Buford: Just for fun, stick a bassoon bocal in a trombone leadpipe. Schickele called this a "tromboon." Hilarity ensues.
Chalk me up as another "meh" for this viral video. If he were actually hitting the right notes, say, on a digital marimba, I could almost forgive his horrid rhythm. But since it's a sequence, there's no excuse for having such a crappy sense of time.
It's like the musical equivalent of a satirical limerick with faulty scansion.
"Kids! What's the matter with kids these days?"
Stevarious, Public Health Problem says
The first time I watched, I bought the idea that he was actually playing the individual notes, and I forgave him the terrible timing.
Now that I realize he wasn't doing anything of the sort, I'm significantly less impressed. One or the other would be forgivable, both is not.
Mano Singham says
Are you sure that the notes are not being played when the ball bounces on the keys? It seems dishonest to give that impression, no? Also, he performs at basketball games and on TV. Surely the people running those would know if he was not actually playing the notes?
OverlappingMagisteria says
I just sat down next to my piano to compare the notes we hear with the notes he plays and they definitely do not match. It is especially evident on the 3rd and forth notes, where he plays multiple notes while only throwing one ball. This could work if the notes were right next to each other and he hit two keys at once, but the 3rd and 4th chords contain notes that are more than an octave apart*. I can't even play them with one hand, stretching as far as my fingers go.
He does throw the balls in the general direction of where the melody goes to give the impression that he is playing, but he is not.
*4th chord contains a low C# and a high B, almost two octaves! And I think also a F in there. So that's 3 notes with one throw!
jimiross says
Dishonest or not, as a professional music educator and an amateur 7 ball bounce juggler, I can categorically confirm that the balls are only send a signal to the midi file to play the next note or notes in the sequence. There is still skill involved in doing what you see here for sure, but anything and everything you see on pianojuggler.com is based on this principal. It's still a juggling feat, but a musical farce.


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The Wii is officially more than just a gaming sensation.
Nintendo's latest console has captured the hearts, minds and dollars of not
only gaming fans, but also the elderly, vacationers, the health-conscious
and other casual markets.
Despite being released a year later than Microsoft's current
generation console offering, the Nintendo Wii has surpassed the Xbox 360 in
total worldwide hardware sales, according to the latest data from VGchartz.com.
By the week ending August 23, VGchartz gathered that
Nintendo had sold 10.57 million Wii consoles over lifetime, while Microsoft
sold 10.51 million Xbox 360 consoles. In order to eclipse the Xbox 360 in less
than a year since release, the Wii had outsold Microsoft's game system by a
margin of 2.3-to-1 worldwide.
A key factor in Wii's quick pace in catching the Xbox 360
the acceptance of
Nintendo's console in Japan. The Wii sold 3.46 million units in Japan,
while the Xbox 360 sold only 0.43 million in the same region.
While typical sales numbers from the game companies relate
to shipments to retailers rather than sold-to-consumers, VGchartz claims that
it tracks its data based on actual consumer sell-through figures.
The popularity of the Wii, along with the DS handheld, have
helped Nintendo rocket past its competitors. The Wii was outselling the PS3 by
a margin of 6-to-1
in June, helping Nintendo overtake Sony in
market value. In fact, Nintendo's recent success has put it ahead of both
NTT and Honda, making it the fifth largest company
in Japan.


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I have just returned from Fl with the bike on the back of our motorhome and now is the time to address the stcking clutch issue. What is the best lub to use on the spline shaft and should the transmison be removed completly? All the road grime from the trip back is now removed and some oil leaks will also have to be resolved.
Thanks Bob


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ATLANTA, Georgia (WXIA) – A 2-year-old boy was shot outside a Kroger supermarket in Stone Mountain, Georgia Wednesday afternoon after his father intervened to stop a mugging and then fought with the robber.
The child is in stable condition at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, according to DeKalb County Police Chief Cedric Alexander.
The gunman is on the run.
Thursday morning, DeKalb County Police released photos of the man they say is responsible for the crime.
Here's what led up to the shooting, according to witnesses and Chief Alexander.
At about 1 p.m., a man saw someone getting mugged in the parking lot of the Hairston Village Shopping Center at Memorial Drive and North Hairston Road.
The man intervened and stopped the mugging, but the man and the mugger ended up fighting each other.
They were fighting just outside the entrance to the Kroger.
The mugger pulled out a gun and started shooting. He fired several rounds. He shot in the direction of the man's car, which was parked next to the entrance. The man's wife and 2-year-old son were in the car, and their son was shot at least once in the stomach.
The gunman got away.
Someone carried the boy into the Kroger and placed him on top of one of the check-out counters.
A pharmacist gave first aid while the ambulance was on the way.
The boy was taken to the hospital.
Kroger customers heard the shots. Some dropped to the floor. A store manager asked everyone to go to the rear of the store for safety.
"All of a sudden, we heard pow, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow. About five or six shots," said one customer, Evelyn Hearns of Stone Mountain. "And you seen them open the back door [of the car] and bring out this baby, and they laid him across the registers [inside the supermarket]. And that's when the mama, she was just hysterical."
"It was really crazy," said another customer, Briana Usher. "We heard gunshots and screaming."
She said store employees helped customers to the back of the store, and they were locked inside the store until police arrived.
"It was so scary," said Betty Sheferaw. "Everybody just kind of bent down on the ground."
"I just fell out on the floor," said a man as he was leaving the store.
When police arrived they roped off the parking lot and began interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence. K-9 officers walked their dogs through the parking lot trying to pick up the gunman's scent.
Chief Alexander said investigators hoped the store's surveillance cameras recorded clear video of the gunman, to help them identify and catch him.
The man's car was riddled with bullets, and the windows were shot out.
At about 5:30 p.m. police towed away the car and allowed Kroger to re-open.
Chief Alexander praised the man who intervened, calling him a Good Samaritan.
"We had a Good Samaritan who got himself involved in trying to help someone else," Alexander said.
Alexander did not yet have details of the initial confrontation, when the man first spotted what he believed to be a robbery in progress in the shopping center parking lot.
He said the man successfully stopped that mugging, saving the victim.
The initial confrontation was at one end of the expansive parking lot, near Memorial Drive.
But the Kroger is at the far end of the parking lot, and Alexander said he was not sure, yet, how the two men ended up there for the second confrontation that ended with the gunfire.
"This is such a sad and tragic incident here today, it's just horrible," Alexander said.
He talked, briefly, with the man.
"He appears to be just a real, very soft-spoken, very kind man, and very tearful, right now, as well, too."
And, the Chief said, he was unarmed.
"This was just a very good man who was trying to help someone else, but our prayers are with this child and with the family."
Anyone with any information can call DeKalb County Police or 911.


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Judy McGrath To Exit MTV Networks
Judy McGrath To Exit MTV Networks
Viacom has announced that Judy McGrath will resign from her position as chairman and CEO of MTV Networks. McGrath, who began her career as a copywriter at MTV in 1981, was named chairman and CEO in 2004. Following McGrath's departure, MTV executives Doug Herzog, president of MTVN Entertainment Group; Van Toffler, president of MTVN Music & Logo Group; and Cyma Zarghami, president of Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids & Family Group will report directly to Philippe Dauman, president and CEO of MTV parent Viacom. The company says a successor will not be named. (5/5)
Digital Music Sales Up In 2011
According to a recent Nielsen SoundScan report, digital track sales are up 8 percent in 2011 for the period ending May 1, a significant increase compared to a 1 percent overall sales increase in 2010. Digital album sales are up 16 percent during the period compared to 13 percent for the full year in 2010. CD sales are down 9 percent for the period. Overall album sales are down 2 percent compared to a 10 percent decrease in sales at the same point in the year-ago period. (5/5)


text:
KBD47 wrote:Right now Ubuntu breaks constantly with updates, check their forum at any hour any day of the week. My own experience is last week regular updates to my 12.04 install broke Unity.
Ubuntu breaking "constantly with updates" has not been my experience. Also, I've been keeping up with the updates in 12.04, but I noticed no breakage in Unity last week, this week, or so far at all since I installed 12.04 back in April of '04. You may say that I'm one of the lucky few; maybe you're one of the unlucky few, I don't know. Like I said earlier, I've been running Ubuntu's LTS versions for a long time now, since Dapper. I wouldn't be crazy enough to keep running it if it was constantly breaking. I like Ubuntu, but not enough to put myself through something like that.


text:
1) Regarding the "honeymoon", did you expect the outcome to be different, that Bella would have been hurt much worse? Or less?
What honeymoon???? I wanted more detail...it ended up with him regretting pages after pages
2) In terms of Edward's reaction to hurting Bella during the night. . . Do you think he was justified in expressing his anxiety by "souring Bella's mood?"
No...I get it that she's like a fragile...but they both experienced the best time of their lives-don't sour the mood.
3) Apparently Edward's extreme generosity is a learned behaviour. Do you think it is? And what is your opinion on that?
Edward was born w/generosity, becoming a vampire just make the behaviour stronger ANd raised by Carlisle and Esme helped.
4) Edward confirmed that he will not make love to Bella until she is changed, did you expect he would falter in his promise to himself?
Yes....she just found his weakness..."PLEASEEEEE..."


text:
The United States Mint has a gold problem. As demand for precious metal in the futures indexes and in physical gold bullion coins increases as the dollar weakens, there's been a run on the Mint. Don't worry, there's no shortage of gold. It's just that the Mint doesn't have the resources to make it into coins due to outsourcing and budget cuts decades ago.
The problem lies in manufacturing the blanks. The blank planchets are not made at the Mint, which hasn't had the production capacity for this stage of the minting process since the budget cuts of 1981. More…
Rush Transcript
Ron Paul: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and welcome panel. I remain opposed to the Mint's current effort to gain greater power in determining the composition of circulating coinage. It is unconstitutional to delegate the determination of the metal content of our coinage to the Secretary of the Treasury. Under Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution, the Congress is given the power to coin money and regulate the value thereof. It's a shame the Congress has already unconstitutionally delegated its coinage authority to the Treasury Department, but that is no reason to further delegate our power and essentially abdicate Congressional oversight. While I sympathize with the aim of saving taxpayer's dollars by reducing the cost of coinage, it is disappointing that our currency has been so greatly devalued as to make this step necessary. At the time of the penny's introduction, it actually had some purchasing power. Based on the price of gold, that one penny would have purchased, in 1910, what requires 57 cents today. It is no wonder that few people nowadays would stoop to pick up any coin smaller than a quarter. One of the witnesses on our second panel mentions the importance of the Mints production of bunion coinage and the danger of counterfeit collector coins that may or may not minted from silver or gold. It's a shame that instead of protecting the value of the dollar to insure that precious-metal coins could still circulate as money, or enforcing counterfeiting laws to stop the flow of clearly fraudulent coins, the federal government insists on printing trillions of dollars out of thin air and prosecuting individuals who attempt to create precious-metal currencies to compete with the devalued U.S. dollar.
The topics discussed in today's hearing exemplify how far we have fallen, not just since the days of the founders, but only in the last 75 to 100 years. We could not maintain the gold standard nor the silver standard. We could not maintain the copper standard, and now we cannot even maintain the zinc standard. Paper money, inevitably, breeds inflation and destroys the value of the currency, which harms all Americans. I wait for the day that we have a committee hearing when we talk about once again reinstituting sound money for our people.
I yield back.
Ron Paul: Chairman, I want to follow up on that very subject with Mr. Moy because I had some questions myself.
Has the Mint ever made planchets or is that something they've never done?
Mr. Moy: Yes, the Mint has made plantchets in its past, but it got out of the business a decade ago mainly because of the extreme cost of doing it, the environmental hazard for doing it, and it was determined at that time that there were other private entities who could make it more cheaply and safely than the United States Mint could.
Ron Paul: Okay. And because of the shortage that you didn't have and you had a mandate, you had to put it in to the non-proof coins. That is correct? And you're asking now for authority to say that you could take some of that money out or coinage out and make proof coins. Now is this the first year that you've missed making proof coins, in 2009?
Mr. Moy: Yes, this is the first year that we have missed
Ron Paul: If the problem were corrected, is there such a thing as minting coins a year late? Because some of those collectors, I'm sure, are going to say, "Oh, why can't I have a 2009 coin?"
Mr. Moy: The Mint is required to basically sell the coins that are minted in the year that they're made. So if the date is 2009, we sell 2009 coins in 2009.
Ron Paul: So the 09 will be missing.
Mr. Moy: Is missing.
Ron Paul: Yes.
Mr. Moy: And what we're trying to do is prevent 2010 from being missing.
Ron Paul: Now it still baffles me that we can't make a plantchet. I don't know anything about the equipment or what is necessary. But doesn't this country take jewelry and make complicated jewelry out of gold? Isn't this just pretty simple? This just really, you know, is confusing to me why this can't be accomplished. Instead of looking for more plantchets you're saying, "Well, let's give me more authority so I can make a few of these proof sets rather than bringing this out." I mean, what would a businessman do about this? Would he always resort to going to Australia to do this? This just seems so bewildering that for a problem that seems rather simple, we couldn't have had an easier solution for this. I mean, right now we don't even have a solution.
Mr. Moy: Well, a businessman has to weigh two things. On one end, to make the planchets ourselves, we need to make capital investments in order to develop the smelters, the chemical processing, take care of the environmental hazard in getting rid of the chemicals; all of those issues. And on the other side, we have a limited amount of planchet makers around the world who don't want to increase their capacity unless they get guarantees from government that we'll continue buying at such high rates for some foreseeable future, so they can spread out their capital investment. So those are the two choices, and right now it is the most efficient choice to be able to expand the quantity of plantchets that we're getting from the various suppliers.
Ron Paul: No, there are private companies making, you know, not coinage, but they make medallions and I've never heard of them running out of plantchet. You think they have that problem?
Mr. Moy: Yea. They don't because they're not in the business of being the largest bullion maker and supplier in the world. Last year we sold 28 million ounces of these. This year we're headed to 32 million ounces. On an average year, the Mint might make 8 million ounces of this. So the other people don't have to deal with the volume issue that the United States Mint does.
Ron Paul: This is awfully disturbing. What are we going to do when we go on to the gold standard? You won't even be able to make the gold coins? You can't even keep up with a few collectors. We're in big trouble.
Mr. Moy: By that time my term in the Mint will be done and I will start a planchet making companies to pick up the excess.
Ron Paul: Well, it seems to me – I don't know what it is -but it seems to me that there has to be a market answer for this, and maybe it's the promise to take these, no matter how many they make. Maybe that would help. I mean, they're not going to lose their value like it's a risky thin. But you're dictated by law that you have to promise these private sources on how many you can take?
Mr. Moy: We're not dictated by law, but just by business practice. When a company invests in expanding their capacity, they're going to want to make sure that investment pays off over time and they're not willing to do it unless they get a commitment from their buyers to buy up all their excesses.
Ron Paul: Seems like they don't trust the government, I don't know. Thank you, I yield back.
Ron Paul: I have a question for Mr. Clark. Why do you think the Mint only uses three suppliers to provide these planchets?
Mr. Clark: I'd like to be able to answer that, sir, but I have no further knowledge.
Ron Paul: If you know the business, are there other people who can make them in the country?
Mr. Clark: I believe there are other companies out there that are very interested in offering their services to the Mint.
Ron Paul: And I understand they are not restricted by the law to these 3 individuals.
Mr. Clark: I am not aware …
Ron Paul: You know, if we get the (?) coin, we're still going to have that same problem. Where are we going to get the planchets from, because they can't even supply the demand right now? You suggested that we get the GAO involved and take a look at all this and see if we can get recommendations. I'm just wondering how much we really need this. Is there any other way to get some professional or political advice on this without an audit? Or do you see that the audit is something is very, very important?
Mr. Clark: Are we talking about the planchets or the (?) coin, sir?
Ron Paul: Well, you're recommendation for the audit to review the Mint's procurement processes for the blanks.
Mr. Clark: We thought an outside agency looking at their process – and to answer your question about why they're restricting their sources to only 3 separate entities, someone with a separate set of eyes and a kind of fresh look might be able to determine that there is a better way to go about it. That's why we were making the recommendation.
Ron Paul: And you're other recommendation was that we require all the planchets be made here in this country.
Mr. Clark: We believe there is sufficient capacity within the United States borders to do so.
Ron Paul: Do you think there is a lot of difference, a net difference, in making these coins if we didn't require that the gold came from this country? Isn't gold generally pretty fungible? Does that make a big difference?
Mr. Clark: I think the Congress was interested, at the time they passed that requirement back in 1985, to promote the sale, the job creation amongst American mining companies that domestically produce gold to use for the American buoyant coins programs. But you're right. I mean, obviously gold is fungible and it conceivably could be acquired anywhere. I don't think that's part of the problem. I think there is sufficient gold supply, it's just the actual fabrication of the plantchets, for some reason that's limited to three separate sources at the current time.
Ron Paul: Yea. It just seems to me, like I mentioned earlier in our hearings, that this problem seems to be unique to government. You know, if private industry is doing this, they just don't run into this problem. Some of this, I think, just like the emphasis in 1985 to use domestic gold and all; I can understand that. But it certainly is very long way from a business person adjusting to supply and demand and doing it at the best price. There is no way that the government can compete with private industry in even making a coin these days. I was just wondering about how strongly you felt about that. But I really don't have any other questions and I'm going to yield back my time.


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Multifaith Community
We are actively recruiting Muslim and Jewish Multifaith Residents. Would you like to join us? Click here to learn more!
Stony Point Center is home to the Community of Living Traditions, a multifaith intentional community dedicated to the practice and study of hospitality, nonviolence and justice.
Practicing Hospitality
We begin with practicing the hospitality of our Muslim, Jewish and Christian faith traditions, as we host the Center's guest groups. In its deepest sense, hospitality means "welcoming the other, welcoming the stranger," whether that comes in the form of another human being, a group, an idea, or a critique. It is this fundamental openness to learning about, understanding, and potentially being changed by the other, that is the foundational practice which leads to collaborative, effective efforts to nurture peace, nonviolence and social justice.


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Daltrey hoping for Johnson revival
Roger Daltrey has said he aims to record a further album with Wilko Johnson if the guitarist recovers from his pioneering cancer operation.
Johnson underwent extensive and complicated surgery almost a fortnight ago to deal with his pancreatic cancer, which also involved the removal of large sections of his digestive system.
Daltrey said his pal is "doing really well" and there are hopes of a second musical collaboration, to follow their top three album Coming Back Home.
Former Dr Feelgood musician Johnson played farewell concerts last year and believed he had just months to live following his cancer diagnosis.
But medics were amazed that despite his decision to refuse treatment, the 66-year-old's health did not deteriorate at the expected rate. T ests recently showed that the cancer was not as aggressive as had been initially feared and there are hopes that the groundbreaking operation could lead to a full recovery.
Daltrey said last night: "H e's lost an awful lot of his body but he's still here. He's doing really well, he's getting out of bed and grunting which is exhilarating for him I'm sure and we look forward to him making a full recovery which is going to take a long long time - but if he does we are going to make part two of the record.
"There is a chance (of a full recovery). It's an operation that's never been tried before. It's an experiment, his whole life has been an experiment."
The nine-hour operation at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge involved the removal of Johnson's pancreas, spleen, a section of his stomach and intestines and some of the blood vessels to his liver.
Daltrey spoke as he attended the Radio Academy Awards in London for which he was presenting Radio 2 with the UK station of the year prize.
Press Association