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Chris Young Admits He's 'Pretty Nerdy'
Chris Young may be a hit among female country fans, but he insists that he has a seriously nerdy hobby. Still, we don't think it'll negatively impact his stock with the ladies or his general fanbase.
The 'Aw Naw' singer loves comic books!
"Me and my stage manager are actually big, like Batman, Superman [fans]," Young said. He is such a comic book geek –proudly so—that he has an app on his phone which he uses to download issues of his favorite comics. That way, they are always close at hand.
That's dedication and nerdom to the nth degree, and we love Young for it.
He also grabs issues for when he travels, since there is plenty of time to kill while flying the friendly skies due to the lack of Wi-Fi and smartphone connectivity.
"Sometimes if I'm going on a plane, I'll buy a couple comics and read 'em on a plane," the singer admitted. "That's pretty nerdy. Probably not something a grown man should be doing. I don't know."
Hey, you never know! Comic book movies are off the chain, in terms of box office receipts. Ladies and gents of all ages and with all sorts of interests and hobbies go to see superhero films, so it's not like Young is really as nerdy as he thinks he is. Plus, comic books (or graphic novels) tend to increase in value, so if he is taking care of the ones he buys, he might find himself sitting on a goldmine somewhere down the road.
And there's nothing nerdy about that.


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Ansted, WV Churches
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subset: commoncrawl


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Who matters to Democrats
The roster of 2012 Democratic convention speakers offers a snapshot not only of Obama campaign priorities this year, but of some of the party's key constituencies in the Obama era.
Here's a guide to what the list of speakers reveals about the Democratic Party:
Story Continued Below
Uncompromising support for abortion rights
The party platform and the list of convention speakers – which includes NARAL Pro-choice America's Nancy Keenan, Planned Parenthood Action Fund's Cecile Richards, birth control activist Sandra Fluke and some of the strongest abortion rights supporters in Congress – makes clear the Democratic Party is now as uncompromising as the GOP on the issue of abortion rights.
( Also on POLITICO: Full convention coverage)
It's not just the heavy presence of abortion rights supporters and the absence of abortion opponents on stage that proves it. Just look at the evolution of the party platform over the past three conventions. The language respecting "the individual conscience of each American on this difficult issue" and that "we welcome all our members to participate at every level of our party" vanished in 2004. The language about making abortions "rare" disappeared in 2008.
The Democratic Party now, in its 2012 platform, "strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy" and will "oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right."
( PHOTOS: Democratic National Convention, through your lens)
A party rooted in the big cities
Unlike the GOP, which put forward just two mayors (one of them the Democratic mayor of Tampa) on their program, Democrats recognize and celebrate the key role big cities play in the Democratic coalition. There are nearly a dozen current mayors scheduled to speak, drawn from the nation's biggest cities – including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and San Antonio.
The Democratic Party has owned urban America for more than a half-century. At one time, there was a political cost to that – it helped solidify the GOP grip on the suburbs. Now, however, Democrats are competitive in the suburbs, severely weakening what was once a GOP cornerstone.
The congressional wing
The seemingly endless list of Democratic members of Congress slated to speak over the next three days reflects a party that venerates its congressional wing.
Republicans like John Boehner and Mitch McConnell. But Democrats love Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.
While there's a strong distrust of the Washington wing of the GOP at the grassroots level, the same tensions are barely evident among Democrats. More than 20 House Democrats and seven senators will speak to the convention, not including the groups of House and Senate women who will take the stage together.
The GOP, on the other hand, gave little visibility to its House contingent last week. Senators had a slightly higher profile but governors played the most prominent role of all.


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Your symptoms won't tell you where to go, but it's good to know you have health care options.
If you or someone in your care is injured or unwell and you're not sure if it's an emergency always speak to a qualified health professional as soon as possible.
Many Western Australians visit emergency departments for non-emergency related issues however, emergency departments are not the best place to be treated or recuperate.
Self-care at home is the best option for minor illness or injury which may include:
Find out how to take care of yourself at home.
Your local pharmacy or chemist can offer advice on minor illness without the need to book an appointment. You can receive advice from a pharmacist if you have the following symptoms:
Pharmacies can also offer services such as dispensing prescription medicines and emergency contraception.
Find out how your local pharmacist or chemist can help.
If you are unsure what to do call healthdirect Australia on 1800 022 222 for 24-hour free health advice.
Find out more (external site).
GPs, commonly known as a family doctor, care for patients of all ages and advise on health issues including illness, injury, mental health and healthy lifestyle tips. You may need to seek a GPs advice if you experience the following symptoms:
Your GP can also refer you to another doctor or health care professional for more specialised care if necessary.
Find out more about seeing a GP or view the list of after hours GP services.
Emergency departments provide 24 hour emergency services for people who have had a serious accident or suddenly become ill and require urgent medical care.
Call 000 if you experience any of the following:
Find out where the closest hospital emergency department and other emergency services are located.
This publication is provided for education and information purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical care. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not imply endorsement and is not intended to replace advice from your healthcare professional. Readers should note that over time currency and completeness of the information may change. All users should seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional for a diagnosis and answers to their medical questions.


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|I Smile
|Love Theory
|Imagine Me
|A God Like You
|Something About the Name Jesus
Apr 2019 • 1 song
Jan 2019 • 1 song
Sep 2016 • 14 songs
Since his debut, 1993's Kirk Franklin & the Family, Kirk Franklin has been one of the brightest stars in contemporary gospel music. The album spent 100 weeks on the gospel charts (some of those on top), crossed over to the R&B charts, and became the first gospel debut album to go platinum. His second album, Kirk Franklin & the Family Christmas, became the genre's first Christmas album to make it to number one, and his 1996 album Whatcha Lookin' 4 went gold as soon as it was dist... Read more


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As one of a new generation of fine jewelry designers making the heirlooms of tomorrow, Irene Neuwirth is living the California dream.
In 13 years, she has gone from stringing vintage glass beads together in her Malibu apartment to having the top-selling fine jewelry brand at Barneys New York. Her jewelry sparkles on red carpets alongside that from such heavyweights as Harry Winston and Cartier. (In the last few months, Busy Philipps wore an Irene Neuwirth necklace to the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Julianne Moore a matched set of emerald bracelets to the Met Gala and Julia Louis-Dreyfus onyx earrings to the Critics' Choice TV Awards.)
Her pieces are recognizable for their carefully balanced constructions and bold, rough-cut, semiprecious stones in brilliant surf-and-sea colors, some of which sell for more than $100,000. And her aesthetic has become so influential that imitations have been turning up everywhere from the latest Couture jewelry trade show in Las Vegas to street vendors in Soho.
"She's clever about how she mixes shapes, stones and color," says her friend of 10 years, fellow jewelry designer Nak Armstrong. "Before her, chrysoprase was a relatively unknown stone that you wouldn't see so much in fine jewelry. She made that her own. And she's done the same with opals."
"She's an artist, but she's also an incredible business partner," says Daniella Vitale, chief operating officer and senior vice president of Barneys New York, where Neuwirth will debut her first fragrance next spring as part of the store's ongoing designer fragrance project.
With her perfectly highlighted beach waves, gap-toothed grin and impeccable style, Neuwirth has been embraced by the New York-based fashion cognoscenti. She is featured regularly in the pages of glossy magazines, including Vogue, which devoted four pages of its June issue to her new house in the Venice Canals, which she shares with her boyfriend of six years, writer-director Phil Lord. And Neuwirth has twice been nominated by the Council of Fashion Designers of America for the Swarovski Award for Accessories.
"Irene is very likable," says Los Angeles fashion designer Gregory Parkinson, who has known her for more than a decade and counts her as a fan of his clothing. "She's an adorable, goofy girl who has the mouth of a trucker. And she has great style. She has this whole California, Venice surfer girl thing going on, combined with a 1930s Hollywood moll."
Best of both worlds
Neuwirth's success comes at a time when niche fine jewelry designers are finding an enthusiastic audience with women who prize individuality over in-your-face bling.
"Women want to wear jewelry that expresses their personal style and creativity," Neuwirth, 37, says on a recent morning at her studio in Venice, where she's dressed in a pale rose Vanessa Bruno dress, studded Prada sandals and one of her own necklaces. "Also, they are buying for themselves. When men spend $100,000, they want it to look like it cost $100,000 in diamonds. For women, it's different. I want to create big, bold crazy pieces that they can wear dressy, casual or to bed. Like costume jewelry but ultra fine."
Her studio is in an airy, sun-filled town house on Abbot Kinney, where her pet labradoodle Teddy sits at her feet.
Neuwirth spent her childhood between Bel-Air, where her businessman father, Peter Neuwirth, lived, and the Venice Canals, where her artist mother, Geraldine Neuwirth, made her home. "Opposite ends of the world," the designer says. But part of the appeal of her work is that she manages to bring both sensibilities to it — her jewelry works as well with jeans and a T-shirt as it does with an evening gown.
"I was not a big jewelry person growing up," she says. Generally, she was more interested in horseback riding, which she did competitively, placing fourth nationally in her age group. While in college at the University of Vermont, where she studied environmental science, she sometimes wore hemp jewelry. "It was very hippie-dippy," she says.
After graduating, Neuwirth moved back West. She rented an apartment in Malibu, started teaching horseback riding and made jewelry for fun. That lasted until her parents told her she had to get a "real" job.
So with a $1,000 loan from her father, she designed her first collection using vintage beads. Barneys picked it up after she sent the buyer an unsolicited package of samples, with a handwritten note that said, "Hope you love it!"
That kind of entrepreneurial fearlessness has served her well. "If I put my mind to something, I feel like nothing can get in my way," she says. "I get totally obsessed."
Growing, learning
After the first year, the collection started to evolve. "I think that the hardest part of being a designer is keeping your identity while growing your brand, which a lot of people aren't able to do," she says. "Once they start to grow, they start to make things that are similar to what other people are doing. I don't pay attention to other people."
Neuwirth studied with a professor from the Gemological Institute of America to learn how to make her own findings and clasps, using wax carving and metalsmithing techniques.
She started making flat gold pieces composed of multiple teardrop shapes, which are still the bread and butter of her collection, as well as long chains dotted with tiny stones. Gradually, she began to incorporate colorful semiprecious stones into her work, including shimmering moonstone, otherworldly labradorite and apple-green chrysoprase, playing with the loose stones until she landed on the perfectly imperfect composition of ethereal and elegant.
By visiting the annual Tucson Gem & Mineral Show, she got an education and made connections with stone dealers around the world. "I had no background in stones," she says. "But you learn quickly what's natural and what's not. I learned to fall in love with the natural imperfections."
Neuwirth also fell in love with opals, the most hypnotic of all stones. She began using opals eight years ago and undoubtedly helped to boost their popularity in fine jewelry. "To me, they are finer than diamonds," she says.
When the economy crashed in 2008, she didn't pull back as some other jewelry designers did. "Jewelry started to look more and more the same, but I went in the opposite direction — more bold and more expensive. And that set me apart."
Now, she's seeing increased demand for big-ticket and one-of-a-kind items. "We can't make them fast enough," Neuwirth says, adding that she ships new pieces to Barneys New York every couple of weeks. In April 2011, she launched a diamond collection at the store and sold 70% of it in 10 days.
Neuwirth, whose company is self-financed, won't disclose financial numbers but will say that growth has been slow and steady, enough so that she's starting to think about opening her own retail stores.
Last year, Neuwirth designed a capsule collection of sandals for Barneys in collaboration with L.A.-based shoe designer and friend George Esquivel. Could clothing or bags be next?
"Of course, in my daydreams I would love to do that," Neuwirth says. "But I want to stick to what I have and grow an amazing jewelry business that can't be taken down and become an amazing name that people pass down to their grandkids."


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Ways To Throw Money Away On Your Car
Most of us love our vehicles, especially if they're relatively new. The upside is that we're more likely to keep them clean, well-maintained, and in good running condition. The downside is that we're also more likely to spend money on accessories and other things that aren't necessary. If you don't know much about cars and how they work, you'll be vulnerable to the advice of your dealership's auto technicians. The truth is, they're often willing to place your best interests in line behind their own.


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London Womenswear S/S 2014
JW Anderson
J.W. Anderson: Live panel discussion
Lou Stoppard, Bel Jacobs, Brix Smith-Start, Katie Baron, Soki Mak and Hettie Judah discuss the J.W. Anderson collection on 14 September at 17:00 BST, in this extra-special live panel discussion, conducted in front of a live audience at The Old Selfridges hotel as part of the ICA's Off-site exhibition, 'A Journey Through London Sub-Culture.'


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Become an Instructor
Plan ahead! Submit your application in plenty of time, during the academic year, to allow for all levels of approval before you plan to teach. You should allow for approximately two months to complete the approval process and additional time to have your orientation with your liaison and finalize the curriculum before teaching the course.
Applications received over the summer will slower to process and may not be approved in time to teach for the fall semester. We will do what we can to get the process done as quickly as possible, but cannot guarantee. Please contact us with any questions.
CAPP courses are college-level courses, so departments use the same criteria to evaluate proposals from prospective instructors of these courses as used to hire faculty to teach courses on the UW Oshkosh campus.
Apply Online Now
Our program is transitioning to an online application. We highly encourage you to use our online portal to submit your application materials.
- Go to capp.uwosh.edu
- Click "High School Teacher", then switch to the "New Teachers" tab
- Click "Start a New Application" to begin!
- **If you plan to apply to teach Comm 111, please also prepare and submit a dossier with your application. The dossier guidelines and policy are here.
Apply by mail
A complete paper application to become a CAPP/UWO adjunct will include the following:
- The Adjunct Application Form
- Copies of your official undergraduate and graduate transcripts (Please do NOT send electronic transcripts directly from your University. Electronic scanned documents of the officials are fine)
- Current resume
- Letter of recommendation from your principal
- Proposed syllabus for CAPP course or example of other equivalent course
- In addition, at some point, we may request that you submit other materials to help determine your eligibility.
Teachers with a master's degrees or higher in their subject area are eligible to teach college CAPP courses. Upon approval by the UW Oshkosh academic department/program, a teacher will be appointed as an adjunct instructor at the University and work cooperatively with professors to implement the college course(s).
Teachers with a master's degrees out of subject area with 18 graduate credits in their subject area) are also are eligible to teach college CAPP courses. Teachers without 18 graduate credits in their subject are still encouraged to apply as the CAP Program can help to defray the cost of additional graduate credits required for federal/HLC compliance. Additionally, some teachers without their 18 graduate credits in subject area may meet individual department's "tested experience" pathway towards full adjunct status. Tested experience pathways take into consideration the educator's breadth and depth of experiences outside of the classroom, in real-world situations, that are relevant to your discipline. These pathways are defined by each department in a fashion unique to the subject area.
For teachers without a master's degree, UW Oshkosh offers several courses and programs to help achieve content-related graduate credits. Teachers cannot be fully approved to teach without a Master's Degree. Any exceptions to this are noted in the adjunct eligibility requirements linked below.
View department CAPP adjunct eligibility requirements.
Send Any Paper Application Materials to:
UW Oshkosh
800 Algoma Blvd.
Oshkosh, WI 54901
You may wish to view:
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"Fowl" play determined by Game Warden
The following items are compiled from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports.
Hunter up a tree, literally and figuratively
Tarrant County Game Wardens John Padgett and Clint Borchardt found a vehicle parked in the tree line inside a Fort Worth park on Dec. 6. The Fort Worth Marshal's Office had reported possible illegal hunting in the area several weeks prior. As police vehicles entered the property, the hunter climbed out of a tree and tried to hide. He was found squatting in some brush close to the road and apprehended. A photograph of the subject posing with a deer he had killed was found in his truck. After further questioning, the man said he had shot that deer in Azle, another property he did not have permission to hunt on. The deer, which had not been tagged, was picked up at a local taxidermist. The man, previously convicted of hunting without consent, was also in possession of a drug pipe and methamphetamines. He was charged with hunting without landowner consent, possession of a controlled substance, and cited for the untagged deer for which civil restitution will be sought. Cases pending.
We're not in Kansas any more
A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper working drug interdiction along IH-35 on Dec. 8 in Wise County made a traffic stop and noticed blood and deer parts in the bed of the truck. The trooper contacted Wise County Game Warden Chris Dowdy, who then contacted Denton County Game Wardens Chip Daigle and Daron Blackerby to assist the trooper. The driver at first said he had shot the deer, and then changed his story to blame someone else. After a lengthy interview the driver said he had brought three bucks back from Kansas intending to process them in Texas and return the meat to Kansas. He said he had only two tags, but he did not want to waste the meat of the third deer. The wardens went to the man's house and located a 6-point buck from Montague County along with the man's Kansas tags, but only one tag was for a buck. The other was for a doe. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service joined the investigation and multiple cases are pending.
How not to hunt deer
Shortly before midnight on Dec. 3, Polk County Game Wardens Ryan Hall and David Johnson observed a vehicle traveling very slowly down a county road, occasionally turning so its headlights illuminated the right of way. The wardens stopped the vehicle and found the driver in possession of a loaded .22 Magnum rifle. He later said he had been hunting white-tailed deer from the roadway. Early the next morning, Hall returned to the area and recovered a yearling white-tailed deer near the scene. The animal had a fresh small caliber bullet hole in its neck. The suspected night hunter implicated another subject as well, and additional charges were filed on both subjects. These included a Class A misdemeanor waste of game charge for the shooter, who claimed responsibility for not coming back for the deer. Cases and civil restitution are pending.
Cooler ices case against violator
Polk County Game Warden David Johnson made contact with an individual in a hunting camp on Dec. 4. During a brief conversation, the man said he had just arrived and was unaware of any deer having been killed that weekend. A check of the camp's skinning rack proved otherwise, but the individual still claimed he didn't know of any deer being taken. But an inspection of his ice chest revealed a freshly-cleaned deer in a trash bag, with no proof of sex or tag. After a lengthy interview with the subject and his son, the man admitted killing a buck that did not meet Polk County antler restrictions. A deer head was retrieved from the woods and several citations were issued. Cases and civil restitution are pending.
Night hunters see the light
On Dec. 7, Polk County Game Wardens Ryan Hall and David Johnson were called out at 3 a.m. by the sheriff's department in reference to a night hunting complaint. Three subjects had just shot a deer from the roadway near a residence and had been followed by the homeowner back to their residence. Deputies arrived just as the subjects pulled into their driveway and detained them after they tried to flee on foot. Arriving a short time later, the wardens seized a freshly killed antlerless white-tailed deer. Both subjects admitted to their part in killing the deer from the roadway and named an accomplice. The two subjects were arrested and placed in Polk County Jail for possession of an illegally taken white-tailed deer and Class A hunting at night. Warrants are pending for the third subject.
Road hunt goes to pot, so to speak
On Dec. 2 at approximately 9:30 p.m., Uvalde County Game Warden Henry Lutz received a call from a hunter north of Sabinal reporting that someone was shooting from a vehicle on the road near his hunting camp. Warden Lutz was nearby and located the vehicle, which was occupied by two subjects. The warden found two freshly killed deer in the bed of their truck as well as a small amount of marijuana. Uvalde County warden Rachel Kellner later arrived and assisted with trying to locate any other downed deer. Both subjects were arrested and booked into the Uvalde Jail. One was charged with hunting white-tailed deer at night, a Class A misdemeanor, and possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor. The other subject has been caught for night hunting twice previously in Uvalde County, one of the cases as far back as 1992, and already had a Class A conviction for hunting white-tailed deer at night. Warden Lutz is preparing a state jail felony case on this individual.
Tipster a bit too tipsy
Wilson County warden Jesse Garcia received a call Dec. 2 that a deer with its head cut off had been found on the side of the road. The subject who found the deer agreed to meet the warden at the location. Garcia arrived and was inspecting the deer when the man who reported it drove up. The warden noticed the man appeared very unsteady when he got out of his vehicle and had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. The subject said he loved having his beer in the afternoon, and he hoped Garcia was not going to take him in. After administrating a field sobriety test, Garcia arrested the subject for DWI and transported him to the Wilson County Jail. Garcia filed a second offense DWI due to a prior conviction, a Class A misdemeanor.
Small caliber equals big trouble for night hunter
Floyd County Game Warden Mark Collins received a landowner call on Nov. 30 advising a mature mule deer buck had been shot and left dead in a remote wheat field near the South Plains community the previous night. The warden responded, gathered evidence, and took photos of the scene. While doing so, he discovered an even larger mule deer buck roughly 500 yards from the first deer. Though mortally wounded, the deer was still alive. After dispatching the second buck, Collins followed the same evidence-gathering procedure and determined both deer had been shot with a small caliber bullet. After a brief interview with the landowner, the only known people on the property that night were determined. Having a suspect name but little else, Collins contacted Floydada Police Chief Darrel Gooch, who proved to be of great assistance. After following several leads, a suspect was arrested and taken before a judge, where multiple charges were filed. Restitution and final payment are pending.
"Fowl" play determined
Floyd County Game Warden Mark Collins and Hockley County warden Jay Oyler encountered a group of successful waterfowl hunters in Floyd County on Dec. 4. They were in possession of numerous freshly killed ducks, geese and sandhill crane, and were busy cleaning the birds. The problem was, they were filleting the meat from the breasts and discarding the carcass, failing to leave a wing attached for species identification. The wardens discovered the group had hunted the previous day and had more birds in an ice chest back at their hotel. The cooler was located and found to contain filleted waterfowl breasts. Multiple cases and warnings filed.
Violator better marksman than he thought
Foard County warden Matt Thompson and Wilbarger County warden Dyke McMahen received a call on Dec. 4 from a Foard County deputy that a man had seen someone shooting from the roadway. The deputy spotted the vehicle the witness had described. The vehicle was stopped, but the two occupants denied shooting from the roadway. After questioning, they finally admitted one of them had shot at a white-tailed buck from the vehicle but missed. Information was gathered, and the two subjects were released. Meanwhile, the deputy went back to the area and discovered a freshly shot white-tailed buck. Arrest warrants were drawn, and the two out-of-state subjects were taken into custody at their hotel for hunting from a vehicle on a public roadway.


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- Publish date:
- Updated on
- Year
- 1964
Relations between South Vietnam, the United States, and Cambodia deteriorate
A series of incidents and charges bring relations between Cambodia, South Vietnam, and the United States to a low point. Cambodia under Prince Norodom Sihanouk had tried to maintain its neutrality in the growing conflict between Saigon and the Communists in Vietnam, but the country became a sanctuary for Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces fighting the Saigon government. Sihanouk, not strong enough to prevent the Communists from using his territory, came under increasing political and military pressure from the United States and South Vietnam.
In this incident, South Vietnamese planes strafed a Cambodian village; when Cambodia protested, Saigon replied by reiterating its accusation that Cambodia was providing refuge for Viet Cong forces that were attacking across the border into South Vietnam. On October 22, the United States charged that Cambodian troops crossed over into South Vietnam and seized an U.S. officer advising South Vietnamese forces. On October 25, the officer's body was recovered just inside South Vietnam, and Cambodia was accused of placing the body there to allow the rescue force to be fired on. The next day, Cambodians shot down a U.S. Air Force C-123 cargo plane, loaded with ammunition for a Special Forces camp; eight U.S. servicemen aboard were killed. By October 28, the United States admitted that the plane had strayed over Cambodian territory by mistake, but argued that such incidents arose because of the poorly defined border and the activities of the Viet Cong in the area.
Despite the charges and threats from Prince Sihanouk and U.S. losses in personnel and planes, neither side pursued the matter. However, the use of Cambodia as a sanctuary by the Communists remained a contentious issue; in 1970, President Richard Nixon ordered U.S. and South Vietnamese forces to attack the sanctuaries in what became known as the Cambodian Incursion.


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IT WAS just bad luck that President Obama unveiled his fiscal 2015 budget in the midst of the most dangerous geopolitical tensions Europe has faced since the end of the Cold War. The Obama administration began working on the document long before the recent upheaval in Ukraine; Mr. Obama had no way of knowing that its unveiling would compete for headlines with a Russian invasion of the Crimean Peninsula.
There is a lesson in this unexpected juxtaposition nevertheless: No nation can safely base its tax and spending plans on inflexible commitments. Political life, both domestic and international, is too unpredictable. Yet U.S. government spending is mostly on autopilot. The government is scheduled to lay out $3.8 trillion this fiscal year — 70 percent of which will go to mandatory-spending programs, chiefly Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and interest on the federal debt. Mr. Obama's plan for fiscal 2015 does not change this; it would increase overall spending slightly, paying for it with selected tax increases, while shifting money among priorities here and there. But these tweaks would take place within the same 30 percent of discretionary spending that the current budget contains.
In saying this, we do not necessarily mean to question Mr. Obama's specific priorities; in particular, it's too simplistic to say that events in Ukraine, by themselves, justify a much higher level of defense spending than the Obama administration wants — though some will certainly suggest that. Nor do we mean to demean important policy initiatives in Mr. Obama's budget, particularly his call for an increase in the poverty-fighting earned-income tax credit for childless workers. The latter proposal is among the few ideas in the budget that retains an outside chance of garnering Republican support in Congress, assuming the sincerity of the GOP's recently expressed interest in more efficient methods of battling inequality and poverty.
The point is that a nation must be able to adapt its spending priorities, sometimes swiftly, in response to unforeseen contingencies. That's harder to do when so many resources are pre-committed to a handful of worthy but expensive entitlements. In a federal budget of nearly $4 trillion, the president and Congress will argue over about $1 trillion, divided roughly evenly between defense needs and every other federal function. Under these circumstances, even the most modest policy prescription becomes a recipe for political trench warfare.
This structural problem requires credible structural reform — to both entitlements and taxes. In that respect, Mr. Obama's budget is just the latest in a long line of plans, from Democrats and Republicans, that fails to deliver what the country most needs. Sooner or later, change must come, and preferably before a crisis forces it on us.
Read more on this topic:
The Post's View: Earned-income tax credit needs to be improved, not removed
Charles Lane: A credit to the tax code that's worth increasing
E.J. Dionne Jr.: Amidst Camp tax plan debate, D.C. needs to close the reality gap
Carter Eskew: For GOP, Camp's tax plan worth revisiting


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Landowner of the Year 2000 - Paul B Odom, III
his outstanding efforts to enhance wildlife habitat on his property, Paul B.
Odom, III was named 2000 Landowner of the Year by the Oklahoma Department of
Wildlife Conservation.
Russ Horton, central region senior biologist for the Wildlife Department, said Odom deserves the award in recognition of the extensive work he has done to his 640 acres in south-west Canadian County.
"As a conscientious steward of his land and its resources, Mr. Odom is a prime example of how a landowner can successfully manage his property for the benefit of wildlife without compromising other interests for the land," said. "What Mr. Odom has done with his place is a model for other landowners with the same goals. We're proud to be able to honor him in this way."
In the early 1990's, Odom started with a dream to find a piece of land near Oklahoma City to manage strictly for wildlife recreation.
"I spent two or three years searching for the perfect property to one day develop into my own personal wildlife management area," said Odom. "I also hoped to turn it into a first-class hunting destination for sportsmen. And now, after years of " hard work, that dream is a reality."
In 1992, Odom began purchasing small plots of adjoining land and started down the road to his dream Of the numerous projects on the property, the most important project was clearing many acres of invading eastern red cedars and other brush. Several ponds, including a beautiful canyon lake, were built and stocked with fish.
"One of my immediate concerns was to slow down the rapid erosion of the canyons. So within the first couple of years we planted around 40-thousand black locust trees," said Odom.
To attract and encourage wildlife use on the property, food plots are planted and feeders are set out at certain times of the year.
"Throughout the winter, the deer and turkey go through about 500 pounds of corn a week," said Odom. As a result, the property is now home to an estimated 200-300 Rio Grande turkeys.
"There wasn't a single turkey anywhere near the place when we bought it, and we didn't transplant any, either. I guess the old saying is 'If you build it, they will come'," smiles Odom.
Odom also practices a very strict was self-imposed deer harvest plan.
Biologists tell me that if I want big bucks, I should reduce the sex ratio as much as possible," says Odom. "We've only taken one buck out here since I purchased it, and we're seeing fantastic results."
Odom encourages other landowners to consider the untapped potential their land holds. Several agencies can provide technical and financial assistance. Odom received advice and financial support through the following agencies:
Oklahoma Department of Agriculture-Forestry Services and their Forest Stewardship Program.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and their Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.
The ODWC WHIP Program, DMAP Program and Technical Assistance Program.
Natural Resources Conservation Service and their WHIP Program.
Odom's property has been recognized as a Registered Natural Area with the Nature Conservancy. He has also been recognized as a Certified Master Woodland Owner through the OSU Forestry and Wildlife Extension.
"I couldn't have done any of this without a lot of help from Russ and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife and many of the other agencies I worked with. I really want to thank everyone for all their effort."
To be considered for the prestigious ODWC Landowner of the Year Award, landowners must demonstrate a commitment to managing their property to provide benefits for wildlife.
For more information on the Department's Landowner of the Year contact private lands biologist at (405) 521-2739.


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I type this with icy white fingers. It's August - normally king of the summer months - and yet here I am, very seriously considering digging out some gloves. Serves me right for living in the north of England, I suspect. But all is well, for in these disappointingly chilly times I've managed to locate six more fabulous free games. Read on for the best of the bunch from August.
The Journey Down - Chapter One: Over The Edge
Theodore Waern. Grab it at Big Blue Cup .
Adventure Game Studio might spawn countless games which look like they've been drawn with a mouse in Microsoft Paint, but every now and then someone uses it to create something really special. Theodore Waern has spend the last five years - five! - honing this first chapter of his point-and-click epic, The Journey Down , and that dedication shows.
This is supremely professional for a solo effort, and brings back all the right memories of the '90s. It's about as traditional as adventure games get, but if that's your bag, you won't find many better free ones than this. It's just a shame Chapter Two isn't due until some time next year, especially since the story ends so abruptly.
By The Numbers
AJA. Get it from Big Blue Cup .
Another title created in Adventure Game Studio, By The Numbers is unusual for featuring full voice acting. It's especially unusual - across gaming generally - for featuring quite good voice acting. However, it's also intriguing in a couple of other, more fundamental ways.
This is a one-room point-and-click adventure game in which you interrogate an eyewitness of a kidnapping. The game never moves beyond this one room (and another one beyond a two-way mirror), and focuses purely on dialogue. It's also fully motion-captured, with the resulting 3D animations converted to 2D animations in the engine. Well-written and neatly produced, it's a genuinely interesting experiment.
Ninjadoodle. P lay it on Newgrounds .
Morplee is a frantic and unusual browser game, part Space Invaders -esque shooter and part collection of mini-games. You've to shoot the baddies down as they attack, lest they begin to eat worryingly quickly at your health (as above), while at the same time increasing your score by completing as many mini-games as possible within a one-minute time limit.
It's that time limit, combined with the ever-present threat of alien invasion, that makes Morplee so brilliant. You wouldn't expect such a bizarre mashup of a title to work well at all, but in fact it's a minute-long thrill ride, as you desperately try to multitask through your panic. A simple but inspired idea.
Springtail Studio . P lay (some of) it on the website .
Okay, this one's slightly out of the ordinary to place on a free games list, because it's not actually free. It's $7. But! There is a delightfully sizeable chunk of the game available to play for free online. So I'm going to awkwardly shoehorn it in here, mainly because I absolutely love games like this, and I want you to play it immediately.
As a sort of tactile point-and-click adventure, there's no escaping the fact that it's a lot like Amanita Design's adventure games, especially Samorost. It's also not quite in the same league. However, it captures that same sense of exploratory magic, and it's absolutely, staggeringly beautiful to look at. Give it a go. And then pay $7 to finish it off. Go on.
The Curfew
Littleloud / Channel 4. Play it at Channel 4 .
Channel 4 are getting in on the games scene at the moment. Technically developed for educational purposes, the best thing about their output this month has been the fact that they're enjoyable educational games. That's an all too rare breed.
The first, The Curfew , was written by Kieron Gillen - a name you might recognise if you're on the British side of the PC Gamer pond. It's an FMV-centric adventure game set in a future where second-class citizens aren't allowed out at night. Think a British City 17 in vibe. It's your job to decide which of four people to trust with some secret data, which you're told absolutely cannot get into the wrong hands. Well-written and with mostly decent acting, it's well worth playing, despite the occasional bug.
Zombie Cow / Channel 4 . Download it from Channel 4 .
Bottoms, and vaginas, and lots of sperm. Yes, it's Channel 4's other educational game! Just, y'know, one that's a little less grown-up. But no less wonderful.
Privates is aimed at teenage boys, and attempts to teach them about STIs and condoms and things like that. It's approximately four hundred billion times funnier and more fabulous than any sex education lesson I ever sat through in school. We used to laugh at those classes for the wrong reasons, but this side-scrolling shooter from Time Gentlemen, Please! developers Zombie Cow gets you laughing in the very best way. If you're a young 'un, just promise you'll remember to learn something.


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|Oracle® OLAP Developer's Guide to the OLAP API
10g Release 1 (10.1)
Part Number B10335-02
|View PDF
This chapter describes the Oracle OLAP API
Template class and its related classes, which you use to create dynamic queries. This chapter also provides examples of implementations of those classes.
This chapter includes the following topics:
For the complete code of the examples in this chapter, see the example programs available from the Overview of the Oracle OLAP Java API Reference.
Template class is the basis of a very powerful feature of the Oracle OLAP API. You use
Template objects to create modifiable
Source objects. With those
Source objects, you can create dynamic queries that can change in response to end-user selections.
Template objects also offer a convenient way for you to translate user-interface elements into OLAP API operations and objects.
These features are briefly described in the following section. The rest of this chapter describes the
Template class and the other classes you use to create dynamic
Source objects. For information on the
Transaction objects that you use to make changes to the dynamic
Source and to either save or discard those changes, see Chapter 8, " Using a TransactionProvider".
The main feature of a
Template is its ability to produce a dynamic
Source. That ability is based on two of the other objects that a
Template uses: instances of the
DynamicDefinition and
MetadataState classes.
When a
Source is created, a
SourceDefinition is automatically created. The
SourceDefinition has information about how the
Source was created. Once created, the
Source and its
SourceDefinition are paired immutably. The
getSource method of a
SourceDefinition returns its paired
DynamicDefinition is a subclass of
SourceDefinition. A
Template creates a
DynamicDefinition, which acts as a proxy for the
SourceDefinition of the
Source produced by the
Template. This means that instead of always getting the same immutably paired
Source, the
getSource method of the
DynamicDefinition gets whatever
Source is currently produced by the
Template. The instance of the
DynamicDefinition does not change even though the
Source that it gets is different.
Source that a
Template produces can change because the values, including other
Source objects, that the
Template uses to create the
Source can change. A
Template stores those values in a
MetadataState. A
Template provides methods to get the current state of the
MetadataState, to get or set a value, and to set the state. You use those methods to change the data values the
MetadataState stores.
You use a
DynamicDefinition to get the
Source produced by a
Template. If your application changes the state of the values that the
Template uses to create the
Source, for example, in response to end-user selections, then the application uses the same
DynamicDefinition to get the
Source again, even though the new
Source defines a result set different than the previous
Source produced by a
Template can be the result of a series of
Source operations that create other
Source objects, such as a series of selections, sorts, calculations, and joins. You put the code for those operations in the
generateSource method of a
SourceGenerator for the
Template. That method returns the
Source produced by the
Template. The operations use the data stored in the
You might build an extremely complex query that involves the interactions of dynamic
Source objects produced by many different
Template objects. The end result of the query building is a
Source that defines the entire complex query. If you change the state of any one of the
Template objects that you used to create the final
Source, then the final
Source represents a result set different than that of the previous
Source. You can thereby modify the final query without having to reproduce all of the operations involved in defining the query.
You design
Template objects to represent elements of the user interface of an application. Your
Template objects turn the selections that the end user makes into OLAP API query-building operations that produce a
Source. You then create a
Cursor to fetch the result set defined by the
Source from Oracle OLAP. You get the values from the
Cursor and display them to the end user. When an end user makes changes to the selections, you change the state of the
Template. You then get the
Source produced by the
Template, create a new
Cursor, get the new values, and display them.
In the OLAP API, several classes work together to produce a dynamic
Source. In designing a
Template, you must implement or extend the following:
Template abstract class
MetadataState interface
SourceGenerator interface
Instances of those three classes, plus instances of other classes that Oracle OLAP creates, work together to produce the
Source that the
Template defines. The classes that Oracle OLAP provides, which you create by calling factory methods, are the following:
The classes that produce a dynamic
Source work together as follows:
Template has methods that create a
DynamicDefinition and that get and set the current state of a
MetadataState. An extension to the
Template abstract class adds methods that get and set the values of fields on the
MetadataState implementation has fields for storing the data to use in generating the
Source for the
Template. When you create a new
Template, you pass the
MetadataState to the constructor of the
Template. When you call the
getSource method of the
DynamicDefinition, the
MetadataState is passed to the
generateSource method of the
DataProvider is used in creating a
Template and by the
SourceGenerator in creating new
Source objects.
SourceGenerator implementation has a
generateSource method that uses the current state of the data in the
MetadataState to produce a
Source for the
Template. You pass in the
SourceGenerator to the
createDynamicDefinition method of the
Template to create a
DynamicDefinition has a
getSource method that gets the
Source produced by the
SourceGenerator. The
DynamicDefinition serves as a proxy for the immutably paired
SourceDefinition of that
You use a
Template to produce a modifiable
Source. A
Template has methods for creating a
DynamicDefinition and for getting and setting the current state of the
Template. In extending the
Template class, you add methods that provide access to the fields on the
MetadataState for the
Template. The
Template creates a
DynamicDefinition that you use to get the
Source produced by the
SourceGenerator for the
For an example of a
Template implementation, see Example 11-1.
An implementation of the
MetadataState interface stores the current state of the values for a
Template. A
MetadataState must include a
clone method that creates a copy of the current state.
When instantiating a new
Template, you pass a
MetadataState to the
Template constructor. The
Template has methods for getting and setting the values stored by the
MetadataState. The
generateSource method of the
SourceGenerator for the
Template uses the
MetadataState when the method produces a
Source for the
For an example of a
MetadataState implementation, see Example 11-2.
An implementation of
SourceGenerator must include a
generateSource method, which produces a
Source for a
Template. A
SourceGenerator must produce only one type of
Source, such as a
BooleanSource, a
NumberSource, or a
StringSource. In producing the
Source, the
generateSource method uses the current state of the data represented by the
MetadataState for the
To get the
Source produced by the
generateSource method, you create a
DynamicDefinition by passing the
SourceGenerator to the
createDynamicDefinition method of the
Template. You then get the
Source by calling the
getSource method of the
Template can create more than one
DynamicDefinition, each with a differently implemented
SourceGenerator. The
generateSource methods of the different
SourceGenerator objects use the same data, as defined by the current state of the
MetadataState for the
Template, to produce
Source objects that define different queries.
For an example of a
SourceGenerator implementation, see Example 11-3.
DynamicDefinition is a subclass of
SourceDefinition. You create a
DynamicDefinition by calling the
createDynamicDefinition method of a
Template and passing it a
SourceGenerator. You get the
Source produced by the
SourceGenerator by calling the
getSource method of the
DynamicDefinition created by a
Template is a proxy for the
SourceDefinition of the
Source produced by the
SourceGenerator. The
SourceDefinition is immutably paired to its
Source. If the state of the
Template changes, then the
Source produced by the
SourceGenerator is different. Because the
DynamicDefinition is a proxy, you use the same
DynamicDefinition to get the new
Source even though that
Source has a different
getCurrent method of a
DynamicDefinition returns the
SourceDefinition immutably paired to the
Source that the
generateSource method currently returns. For an example of the use of a
DynamicDefinition, see Example 11-4.
The design of a
Template reflects the query-building elements of the user interface of an application. For example, suppose you want to develop an application that allows the end user to create a query that requests a number of values from the top or bottom of a list of values. The values are from one dimension of a measure. The other dimensions of the measure are limited to single values.
The user interface of your application has a dialog box that allows the end user to do the following:
Select a radio button that specifies whether the data values should be from the top or bottom of the range of values.
Select a measure from a drop-down list of measures.
Select a number from a field. The number specifies the number of data values to display.
Select one of the dimensions of the measure as the base of the data values to display. For example, if the user selects the product dimension, then the query specifies some number of products from the top or bottom of the list of products. The list is determined by the measure and the selected values of the other dimensions.
Click a button to bring up a Single Selections dialog box through which the end user selects the single values for the other dimensions of the selected measure. After selecting the values of the dimensions, the end user clicks an OK button on the second dialog box and returns to the first dialog box.
Click an OK button to generate the query. The results of the query appear.
To generate a
Source that represents the query that the end user creates in the first dialog box, you design a
Template called
TopBottomTemplate. You also design a second
Template, called
SingleSelectionTemplate, to create a
Source that represents the end user's selections of single values for the dimensions other than the base dimension. The designs of your
Template objects reflect the user interface elements of the dialog boxes.
In designing the
TopBottomTemplate and its
MetadataState and
SourceGenerator, you do the following:
Create a class called
TopBottomTemplate that extends
Template. To the class, you add methods that get the current state of the
Template, set the values specified by the user, and then set the current state of the
Create a class called
TopBottomTemplateState that implements
MetadataState. You provide fields on the class to store values for the
SourceGenerator to use in generating the
Source produced by the
Template. The values are set by methods of the
Create a class called
TopBottomTemplateGenerator that implements
SourceGenerator. In the
generateSource method of the class, you provide the operations that create the
Source specified by the end user's selections.
Using your application, an end user selects units sold as the measure and products as the base dimension in the first dialog box. From the Single Selections dialog box, the end user selects the Asia Pacific region, the first quarter of 2001, and the direct sales channel as the single values for each of the remaining dimensions.
The query that the end user has created requests the ten products that have the highest total amount of units sold through the direct sales channel to customers in the Asia Pacific region during the calendar year 2001.
For examples of implementations of the
TopBottomTemplateState, and
TopBottomTemplateGenerator classes, and an example of an application that uses them, see Example 11-1, Example 11-2, Example 11-3, and Example 11-4. The
TopBottomTemplateState and
TopBottomTemplateGenerator classes are implemented as inner classes of the
TopBottomTemplate outer class.
Example 11-1 is an implementation of the
TopBottomTemplate class.
Example 11-1 Implementing a Template
package globalExamples; import oracle.olapi.data.source.DataProvider; import oracle.olapi.data.source.DynamicDefinition; import oracle.olapi.data.source.Source; import oracle.olapi.data.source.SourceGenerator; import oracle.olapi.data.source.Template; import oracle.olapi.transaction.metadataStateManager.MetadataState; /** * Creates a TopBottomTemplateState, a TopBottomTemplateGenerator, * and a DynamicDefinition. Gets the current state of the * TopBottomTemplateState and the values it stores. Sets the data * values stored by the TopBottomTemplateState and sets the changed state as * the current state. */ public class TopBottomTemplate extends Template { // Constants for specifying the selection of elements from the // beginning or the end of the result set. public static final int TOP_BOTTOM_TYPE_TOP = 0; public static final int TOP_BOTTOM_TYPE_BOTTOM = 1; // Variable to store the DynamicDefinition. private DynamicDefinition _definition; /** * Creates a TopBottomTemplate with a default type and number values * and the specified base dimension. */ public TopBottomTemplate(Source base, DataProvider dataProvider) { super(new TopBottomTemplateState(base, TOP_BOTTOM_TYPE_TOP, 0), dataProvider); // Create the DynamicDefinition for this Template. Create the // TopBottomTemplateGenerator that the DynamicDefinition uses. _definition = createDynamicDefinition(new TopBottomTemplateGenerator(dataProvider)); } /** * Gets the Source produced by the TopBottomTemplateGenerator * from the DynamicDefinition. */ public final Source getSource() { return _definition.getSource(); } /** * Gets the Source that is the base of the elements in the result set. * Returns null if the state has no base. */ public Source getBase() { TopBottomTemplateState state = (TopBottomTemplateState) getCurrentState(); return state.base; } /** * Sets a Source as the base. */ public void setBase(Source base) { TopBottomTemplateState state = (TopBottomTemplateState) getCurrentState(); state.base = base; setCurrentState(state); } /** * Gets the Source that specifies the measure and the single * selections from the dimensions other than the base. */ public Source getCriterion() { TopBottomTemplateState state = (TopBottomTemplateState) getCurrentState(); return state.criterion; } /** * Specifies a Source that defines the measure and the single values * selected from the dimensions other than the base. * The SingleSelectionTemplate produces such a Source. */ public void setCriterion(Source criterion) { TopBottomTemplateState state = (TopBottomTemplateState) getCurrentState(); state.criterion = criterion; setCurrentState(state); } /** * Gets the type, which is either TOP_BOTTOM_TYPE_TOP or * TOP_BOTTOM_TYPE_BOTTOM. */ public int getTopBottomType() { TopBottomTemplateState state = (TopBottomTemplateState) getCurrentState(); return state.topBottomType; } /** * Sets the type. */ public void setTopBottomType(int topBottomType) { if ((topBottomType < TOP_BOTTOM_TYPE_TOP) || (topBottomType > TOP_BOTTOM_TYPE_BOTTOM )) throw new IllegalArgumentException("InvalidTopBottomType"); TopBottomTemplateState state = (TopBottomTemplateState) getCurrentState(); state.topBottomType = topBottomType; setCurrentState(state); } /** * Gets the number of values selected. */ public float getN() { TopBottomTemplateState state = (TopBottomTemplateState) getCurrentState(); return state.N; } /** * Sets the number of values to select. */ public void setN(float N) { TopBottomTemplateState state = (TopBottomTemplateState) getCurrentState(); state.N = N; setCurrentState(state); } }
Example 11-2 is an implementation of the
TopBottomTemplateState inner class.
Example 11-2 Implementing a MetadataState
/** * Stores data that can be changed by its TopBottomTemplate. * The data is used by a TopBottomTemplateGenerator in producing * a Source for the TopBottomTemplate. */ private static final class TopBottomTemplateState implements Cloneable, MetadataState { public int topBottomType; public float N; public Source criterion; public Source base; /** * Creates a TopBottomTemplateState. */ public TopBottomTemplateState(Source base, int topBottomType, float N) { this.base = base; this.topBottomType = topBottomType; this.N = N; } /** * Creates a copy of this TopBottomTemplateState. */ public final Object clone() { try { return super.clone(); } catch(CloneNotSupportedException e) { return null; } } }
Example 11-3 is an implementation of the
TopBottomTemplateGenerator inner class.
Example 11-3 Implementing a SourceGenerator
/** * Produces a Source for a TopBottomTemplate based on the data * values of a TopBottomTemplateState. */ private final class TopBottomTemplateGenerator implements SourceGenerator { // Store the DataProvider. private DataProvider _dataProvider; /** * Creates a TopBottomTemplateGenerator. */ public TopBottomTemplateGenerator(DataProvider dataProvider) { _dataProvider = dataProvider; } /** * Generates a Source for a TopBottomTemplate using the current * state of the data values stored by the TopBottomTemplateState. */ public Source generateSource(MetadataState state) { TopBottomTemplateState castState = (TopBottomTemplateState) state; if (castState.criterion == null) throw new NullPointerException("CriterionParameterMissing"); Source sortedBase = null; if (castState.topBottomType == TOP_BOTTOM_TYPE_TOP) sortedBase = castState.base.sortDescending(castState.criterion); else sortedBase = castState.base.sortAscending(castState.criterion); return sortedBase.interval(1, Math.round(castState.N)); } }
After you have stored the selections made by the end user in the
MetadataState for the
Template, use the
getSource method of the
DynamicDefinition to get the
Source created by the
Template. This section provides an example of an application that uses the
TopBottomTemplate described in Example 11-1. For brevity, the code does not contain much exception handling.
Context10g class used in the example has methods that do the following:
Connects to an Oracle Database instance as the specified user.
Provides the OLAP Catalog metadata objects for the measure and the dimensions selected by the end user.
Cursor objects and displays their values.
Example 11-4 does the following:
Creates a
Context10g object and from it gets the
DataProvider and the
From the
Context10g object, gets the
MdmMeasure and the
MdmPrimaryDimension objects that it uses.
Creates a
SingleSelectionTemplate for selecting single values from some of the dimensions of the measure.
Creates a
TopBottomTemplate and stores selections made by the end user.
Gets the
Source produced by the
Uses the
Context10g object to create a
Cursor for that
Source and to display its values.
To use Example 8-2 from Chapter 8, replace the lines in the
run method beginning with the following comment to the end of the method.
// Replace from here for the Using Child Transaction example.
Example 11-4 Getting the Source Produced by the Template
package globalExamples; import oracle.olapi.data.source.DataProvider; import oracle.olapi.data.source.Source; import oracle.olapi.data.source.StringSource; import oracle.olapi.transaction.Transaction; import oracle.olapi.transaction.TransactionProvider; import oracle.olapi.transaction.NotCommittableException; /** * Creates a query that specifies a number of values from the top or * bottom of a list of values from one of the dimensions of a measure. * The list is determined by the measure and by single values from * the other dimensions of the measure. * Displays the results of the query. */ public class TopBottomTest { /** * Creates a Context object that connects to an Oracle Database instance. * Gets the MdmMeasure for the Global schema UNITS measure * and the MdmPrimaryDimension objects for that measure. * Gets the default hierarchies for the dimensions and then gets Source * objects for the specified levels of the hierarchies. * Creates a SingleSelectionTemplate and adds selections to it. * Creates a TopBottomTemplate and sets its properties. * Gets the Source produced by the TopBottomTemplate, creates a Cursor * for it, and displays the results. */ public void run(String[] args) { // Create a Context object and get the DataProvider from it. Context10g context = new Context10g(args, true); DataProvider dp = context.getDataProvider(); TransactionProvider tp = context.getTransactionProvider(); // Get the MdmMeasure for the measure. MdmMeasure mdmUnits = context.getMdmMeasureByName("UNITS"); // Get the Source for the measure. Source units = mdmUnits.getSource(); // Get the MdmPrimaryDimension objects for the dimensions of the measure. MdmPrimaryDimension[] mdmPrimDims = context.getMdmPrimaryDimensionsByName(new String[] {"CUSTOMER", "PRODUCT", "CHANNEL", "TIME"}); MdmPrimaryDimension mdmCustDim = mdmPrimDims[0]; MdmPrimaryDimension mdmProdDim = mdmPrimDims[1]; MdmPrimaryDimension mdmChanDim = mdmPrimDims[2]; MdmPrimaryDimension mdmTimeDim = mdmPrimDims[3]; MdmHierarchy mdmShipRollup = mdmCustDim.getDefaultHierarchy(); MdmHierarchy mdmProdRollup = mdmProdDim.getDefaultHierarchy(); MdmHierarchy mdmChanRollup = mdmChanDim.getDefaultHierarchy(); MdmHierarchy mdmTimeCal = mdmTimeDim.getDefaultHierarchy(); StringSource shipRollup = (StringSource) mdmShipRollup.getSource(); StringSource prodRollup = (StringSource) mdmProdRollup.getSource(); StringSource chanRollup = (StringSource) mdmChanRollup.getSource(); StringSource calendar = (StringSource) mdmTimeCal.getSource(); // Create a SingleSelectionTemplate to produce a Source that // specifies a single value for each of the levels other // than the base dimension for the selected measure. SingleSelectionTemplate singleSelections = new SingleSelectionTemplate(units, dp);\ // Specify a unique value for each of the hierarchies. // Region 8 is Asia Pacific. singleSelections.addSelection(shipRollup, "SHIPMENTS_ROLLUP::REGION::8"); // Year 4 is 2001. singleSelections.addSelection(calendar, "CALENDAR::YEAR::4"); // Channel 2 is Direct Sales. singleSelections.addSelection(chanRollup, "CHANNEL_ROLLUP::CHANNEL::2"); // Create a TopBottomTemplate specifying, as the base, the Source for a // level of the default hierarchy of a dimension. TopBottomTemplate topNBottom = new TopBottomTemplate(prodRollup, dp); // Specify whether to retrieve the elements from the beginning (top) or // the end (bottom) of the elements of the base dimension. topNBottom.setTopBottomType(TopBottomTemplate.TOP_BOTTOM_TYPE_TOP); // Set the number of elements of the base dimension to retrieve. topNBottom.setN(10); // Get the Source produced by the SingleSelectionTemplate and specify it // as the criterion object. topNBottom.setCriterion(singleSelections.getSource()); // Prepare and commit the current transaction. try { tp.prepareCurrentTransaction(); } catch(NotCommittableException e) { context.println("Cannot prepare current Transaction. " + e); } tp.commitCurrentTransaction(); // Replace from here for the Using Child Transaction Objects example. // Get the Source produced by the TopBottomTemplate, // create a Cursor for it, and display the results. context.println("The top ten products are:\n"); context.displayTopBottomResult(topNBottom.getSource()); // Change the number of elements selected and the type of selection. topNBottom.setN(5); topNBottom.setTopBottomType(TopBottomTemplate.TOP_BOTTOM_TYPE_BOTTOM); // Prepare and commit the current transaction. try { tp.prepareCurrentTransaction(); } catch(NotCommittableException e) { context.println("Cannot prepare the current Transaction. " + e); } tp.commitCurrentTransaction(); // Get the Source produced by the TopBottomTemplate, // create a Cursor for it, and display the results. context.println("\nThe bottom five products are:\n"); context.displayTopBottomResult(topNBottom.getSource()); } /** * Runs the TopBottomTest application. * * @param args An array of String objects that provides the arguments * required to connect to an Oracle Database instance, as * specified in the Context10g class. */ public static void main(String[] args) { new TopBottomTest().run(args); }
TopBottomTest program produces the following output.
The top ten products are: 1. PRODUCT_ROLLUP::TOTAL_PRODUCT::1 2. PRODUCT_ROLLUP::CLASS::3 3. PRODUCT_ROLLUP::FAMILY::7 4. PRODUCT_ROLLUP::CLASS::2 5. PRODUCT_ROLLUP::FAMILY::9 6. PRODUCT_ROLLUP::FAMILY::6 7. PRODUCT_ROLLUP::FAMILY::11 8. PRODUCT_ROLLUP::ITEM::30 9. PRODUCT_ROLLUP::ITEM::28 10. PRODUCT_ROLLUP::ITEM::47 The bottom five products are: 1. PRODUCT_ROLLUP::ITEM::36 2. PRODUCT_ROLLUP::ITEM::43 3. PRODUCT_ROLLUP::ITEM::44 4. PRODUCT_ROLLUP::ITEM::38 5. PRODUCT_ROLLUP::ITEM::22


text: « Return to Search Dr. Eric Pierce, Leader in Retinal Degenerations, Genomics and Gene Therapy, Recruited to Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary June 01, 2011 Boston (June 1, 2011) — Clinician scientist Eric Pierce, M.D., Ph.D., will join the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Harvard Department of Ophthalmology in September as Associate Director of the Berman-Gund Laboratory for the Study of Retinal Degenerations, as a clinician and educator, and as Director of the new Ocular Genomics Institute, where he will direct the Genetic Therapies program. "I take extraordinary pride in welcoming Dr. Pierce, who is one of the preeminent clinician scientists in this important field of ophthalmic disease and research," said Joan W. Miller, M.D.,Chief of Ophthalmology at Mass. Eye and Ear and Mass. General Hospital and Chair of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. "Bringing him into the department will accelerate our growth into advanced studies in genomic research and gene therapy, and move us another critical step closer to achieving our mission of eliminating blinding diseases," she said. The addition of Dr. Pierce to the Mass. Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School Ophthalmology faculty will facilitate creation of the department's Ocular Genomics Institute. Dr. Pierce will work in close collaboration with Berman-Gund Laboratory Director Eliot L. Berson, M.D., and Janey Wiggs, M.D., Ph.D., who will direct the Genetic Diagnostics section of the Institute. The development of the Ocular Genomics Institute will bring together investigators from Harvard University and other leading organizations, with the goal of translating the promise of personalized genomic medicine into clinical care for ophthalmic disorders. Dr. Pierce's scientific efforts to date have included groundbreaking work to address retinal degenerations using genetic sequencing and gene therapy methods. The overall goal of Dr. Pierce's research program has been to improve the understanding of the molecular bases of inherited retinal degenerations (disorders of the back part of the eye) so that rational therapies can be developed for these diseases, which as a group are a common cause of blindness. He developed a research program which identified some of the genes that harbor mutations which cause retinitis pigmentosa, a blinding eye disease, and related disorders, and he continues to work on developing therapies for these and other types of retinal degeneration. His recent research efforts have focused on the use of next generation DNA sequencing to identify retinal degeneration genes, and to improve genetic diagnostic testing for patients with inherited retinal degeneration disorders. In addition, he was a member of one of the teams that determined the safety and efficacy of gene transfer for Leber congenital amaurosis, a severe form of retinal degeneration. "This is a great day for retinal research and the Mass. Eye and Ear, and a bad day for blindness," said Wycliffe "Wyc" Grousbeck, Chairman of Mass. Eye and Ear. "We are thrilled to welcome a researcher of Dr. Pierce's stature to a world-renowned institution such as Mass. Eye and Ear. It is part of our ongoing effort to ensure that Mass. Eye and Ear remains at the forefront of research in ophthalmic genetic therapies that will ultimately lead to a cure for blinding diseases that affect millions of people in the United States and around the world." Since 2003 Dr. Pierce has been an active member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, and he became its Chair in 2005. The Foundation Fighting Blindness is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to finding the causes, treatments and cures for retinitis pigmentosa, age-related macular degeneration and retinal degenerative diseases. The organization has raised more than $425 million since its creation, funding thousands of research studies at hundreds of prominent institutions worldwide, and driving research into causes and prevention of retinal degenerations. "I have become acquainted with Dr. Pierce's dedication and his groundbreaking research through his leadership at the Foundation Fighting Blindness. I know that his addition to the Mass. Eye and Ear faculty creates a union that will bring us one step further toward bringing an end to blinding eye conditions," said Gordon Gund, co-founder and chairman of The Foundation Fighting Blindness. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Dr. Pierce earned a doctorate in biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his medical degree at the Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts Institute of Technology Health Sciences and Technology Division. After interning at Mass General Hospital, he completed his ophthalmology residency at Mass. Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School, followed by a combined research-clinical fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology at Children's Hospital, Boston. Dr. Pierce joined the faculty of Children's Hospital as a clinician-scientist working in clinical care and angiogenesis research for three years before being recruited to the University of Pennsylvania. In 1999, Dr. Pierce joined the F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology in the Scheie Eye Institute at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where he directed his work toward retinal degenerations, was a member of the Division of Ophthalmology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and attained an appointment as Associate Professor of Ophthalmology. At Mass. Eye and Ear, he will build on the decades of research and clinical care in retinal degenerations undertaken by Dr. Eliot L. Berson. Founded in 1824, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary is an independent specialty hospital providing patient care for disorders of the eye, ear, nose, throat, head and neck. Mass. Eye and Ear is an international leader in Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology research and a teaching partner of Harvard Medical School. For more information, call 617-523-7900 or visit http://www.masseyeandear.org/.


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Auxiliary to Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
Auxiliary to Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
8616 Richmond Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21234
Membership in Auxiliary to Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War is available to women meeting one or more of the following qualifications:
Women who are lineal or collateral descendants, of soldiers, sailors or marines regularly mustered and honorably discharged from the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps of the United States of America during the War of the Rebellion 1861-1865. Daughters, grand-daughters, great-grand-daughters, nieces, great-nieces, as well as legally adopted daughters also qualify.
Mothers, wives, widows, daughters & legally adopted daughters of Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War in good standing also qualify. (Not Associates)
Associate Memberships are available to women who do not qualify through the hereditary requirements above, but who demonstrate a genuine interest in the Civil War and can subscribe to the purpose and objects of the Auxiliary. An Associate may vote and hold any office except that of National Vice-President and National President. Associates may not exceed one-third of the total membership of the Auxiliary at the time of election.
Junior Membership is available to young ladies not less than twelve years of age.


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Books, Pockets and Audiobooks in swedish and/or about Sweden.
Can not find the Books, Pockets or Audiobooks you are looking for? We cooperate with Ginza, one of Scandinavia's largest suppliers of film, books and music . Take a look at www.Ginza.se and select the products you want to buy then contact us at SverigeOnline.se and we'll arrange your order!


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California High-Speed Rail Op-Ed in the Orange County Register
Dear Friend,
Oftentimes, reality can mimic moments on the big screen. In one of my favorite movies "Field of Dreams," Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella is working in his fields one day when he hears a voice telling him, "If you build it, he will come." Ray immediately has a vision of a baseball field smack-dab in the middle of his cornfield. He doesn't quite understand what he saw, but is compelled to build a baseball diamond in the middle of his field, even at the risk of putting his farm in jeopardy of bankruptcy and his home in danger of foreclosure. All he knew was that he had been promised by a voice that "If you built it, he will come."
With respect to high-speed rail, I fear that Californians are now collectively playing the role of Kinsella, and Sacramento is the voice in the night telling us that "If we build it, they will come." But just because our state is home to Hollywood doesn't mean high-speed rail will get a Hollywood ending.
Over the past few years, primitive business plans have morphed into exaggerated business plans, and publicized funding estimates have ballooned by billions of dollars – in some cases by tens of billions of dollars. This is why, during my testimony before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure regarding California high-speed rail, I expressed serious concerns about the California high-speed rail project's viability, cost and when, if ever, it will be completed, as well as the lack of private capital available or committed to the project. I also remain gravely concerned about the distinct possibility that taxpayers will be on the hook to subsidize operating costs when rosy ridership projections do not pan out.
To date, the California project has been the largest recipient of federal high-speed rail monies, monies that have been earmarked for an initial segment. The rest of the project (over 80 percent of the remaining estimated cost) remains unfunded, with no path toward committed and sustainable funds for the project. In its almost Pollyanna business plan, the California High Speed Rail Authority insists the funds are there: It relies on tens of billions of dollars in federal funding when Congress has already voted to stop new federal monies due to increased cost-cutting in this time of record-high deficits and debt. It also relies on non-existent private capital, which is how the project was sold to Californians back in 2008. The current lack of any private commitments should be a major red flag, not only to the Obama administration but to Sacramento, that there remains heavy concerns on the long-term viability of this project, both in construction costs and ongoing operating costs if the rail is ever constructed.
That leaves California taxpayers as the last best hope to fund this project. Not only does Sacramento run a structural deficit, our state controller recently announced that state revenue from taxpayers was below estimates for the month of November. Not by a few thousand dollars or even a million; by almost a full billion dollars!
After recently passing Proposition 30 making our state's top tax rates one of the highest in the nation, at what point does it make sense for Sacramento to take a look at both sides of the government ledger and reconsider the massive spending obligations Californians can no longer afford. If we move forward with this project, we will consign future Californians with more bonds to be paid back, at the expense of future opportunities to create jobs in our state and keep our state competitive.
With practically little prospect of additional federal funds and the California project relying on a tenfold increase in them, I believe it's time to cut our losses, scrap this project and put that money toward debt reduction. Californians are not Kevin Costner in "Field of Dreams," and throwing billions of taxpayer dollars from hardworking Californians at a project the Legislative Analyst's Office and a California High-Speed Rail Peer Review Group have expressed similar concerns about it is simply not a prudent investment of taxpayer dollars. If we build it, I fear that not only will a sustainable number of riders not come; but millions of future Californians will wonder how today's leaders could so badly mortgage our state's future.
Congressman Kevin McCarthy


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Search our database of handpicked sites
Looking for a great physics site? We've tracked down the very best and checked them for accuracy. Just fill out the fields below and we'll do the rest.
You searched for "fusion in stars"
We found 16 results on physics.org and 146 results in our database of sites
(of which 138 are Websites, 6 are Videos, and 2 are Experiments)
Search results on physics.org
Are we really all made of stardust?
All about... supernovae
How many planets are there like Earth?
Listening to stars twinkle
A beginners' guide to exoplanets
HiPER power
How to spot an alien Earth
All about... SETI
The Herschel Space Observatory
All about... the Venus transit
Are lightsabers possible?
Molecules at the Movies
Light pollution - does anyone care?
Top 4 Bonkers things about the universe
The Science of His Dark Materials
The physics of Santa
Fusion Energy Educational Website
Uses text and colour images to explain the nuclear fusion process in stars and the current research into achieving controlled nuclear fusion.
The Science of Stars
This site from the BBC gives comprehensive information on stars: why they twinkle, what happens inside a star and more.
A short introduction to stars, followed by questions on all things star related, suitable for all age and knowlege levels.
The Forces of Fusion!
It works for the stars, it should be able to work for us. Fusion will provide us with a virtually inexhaustible supply of clean, accessible energy. This site helps explain what is needed to fuse two ...
The natures of the stars
Beginner's information on different types of star from University of Illinois astronomy department. Covers pulsars, supernovae, dwarf stars etc.
Star Journey
Journey through the stars, view the nighttime sky using the star chart, with overlays of Hubble Space Telescope images. Visit the Star Attractions highlights of the heavens or take a look at the ...
The Life and Death of Stars
A nice site taking you through the life cycle of a star with some good images of the different stages of a star's life.
Fusion Energy Program
The mission of the U.S. Fusion Energy Sciences Program is to advance plasma science, fusion science, and fusion technology − the knowledge base needed for an economically and environmentally ...
Barnard's Star
Short piece on one of our closest stars.
Proton Fusion
This is the process which fuels the Sun and other stars which have core temperatures less than 15 million Kelvin. A reaction cycle yields about 15 MeV of energy.


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Brittany Dailey — Babe of the Day
You ever come across a girl who seems too hot? Not the case with Brittany Dailey. This big-time Denver Broncos fan is a model and a gym rat. Hell, if more girls looked like her at the gym, we'd be there 24/7.
Check her out on Instagram and Twitter—just be prepared for a sudden rush of blood to certain parts of your body.


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9 Online Games That Are Worth Wasting Your Time
Free image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
We all know that it is incredibly easy to waste time surfing the Internet. If you're looking for a break from the reading today's juiciest gossip or following the latest trending celebrity, there's numerous games on the web that are tons of fun and help to fill those entertainment voids. You can stimulate your mind and senses while engaging in fun activities and actually be a participant in your chosen form of recreation. Here is a compiled list of some of the more popular games out there.
Arcade Games
Nostalgia is good for the soul, so take some time to enjoy these old-time pixelated games. Thankfully, ClassicGamesArcade.com has most of the games you remember:
• Frogger. This little guy races across rivers and highways, avoiding cars and trucks and hopping on lily pads and logs. In case you don't remember, it's strangely addicting.
• Galaga. There are many different types of space shooter arcade games, including Space Invaders and Galaxian, but this one still brings back memories.
• Pac-Man. Another classic game from the arcade golden era, now available for free online.
Card Games
Whether you are avoiding work at your desk or planning on becoming a professional poker player, you can't go wrong playing cards on the computer.
• Solitaire. A favorite game for years before computers, procrastinators now enjoy the game without taking the time to shuffle and deal cards themselves.
• Poker. If you like poker, want to start liking poker, or love the thrill of a good gamble, then you can down load online USA poker as a great hobby.
• Hearts. If you love playing cards, plenty of websites allow users to link up with other users for a multiplayer game. You can play anything from Hearts to Black Jack.
Board Games
The beauty of online board games is that you can pause and resume them without leaving a mess of pieces on your kitchen table. You can also invite friends to join the game for a more social experience.
• Monopoly. You can't go wrong with a classic like Monopoly. Known as an aggravatingly long game that can take hours to play, this game is significantly easier to play online since you can pause it when you run out of time.
• Settlers of Catan. A relatively new game that centers around accumulating resources to build cities and roads, this is a great multiplayer game if you live a long way from friends who have a similar passion for it.
• Scrabble. This game has lots of pieces and can take forever, so the online version can be quite the upgrade. Words with Friends, the incredibly popular app, is basically the mobile version of the same game.
These are our recommendations for online games, but there are hundreds of other games out there. Which games do you love to play?
Improve your game today!
You've got to brush up on your game to get the girl! Find your hookups with this online dating guide.
Posted in: Lifestyle
Tags: board games, card games, Frogger, Galaga, games, hearts, Monopoly, Pacman, poker, SCrabble, solitaire


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The Hunter Track Classic was delighted to have the services of London 2012 Olympic Games Long Jump silver medallist Mitchell Watt. Meeting organisers flew him in to Newcastle, put him up and then provided a stretch limousine to deliver him to the pit on Saturday (2).
Watt did not deliver anything close his national record 8.54m in his first outing of the Australian domestic season, but he did produce a personal best of sorts. His 7.54m – exactly one metre short of his record, set in 2011 – was a personal best off a short run-up.
Jumping off 10 steps – fewer, probably, than it took to exit the stretch limo – Watt produced a series of 7.22m, foul, 7.54m and 7.46m to win the competition handily from Angus Gould, who was second with 7.38m.
"That's the best I've ever jumped off 10 steps. I'm very happy with that. My goal was 7.50 and I did 7.54, so I got pretty much what I wanted. This was probably my first real test. I have done a couple of similar sessions to this back in Brisbane these past few weeks and to convert it to actual competition is great." said Watt, who now has a further five weeks training before his first competition off his full run-up in Sydney on 9 March.
"I don't want to get ahead of myself but what I have jumped here off this approach is better than what I was jumping in 2012. That gives me confidence that my body is in good shape and that the elusive gold I want may be around the corner" he added.
"Realistically though it is a very long season and this is February. The World Championships aren't until August and I need to make sure that I can find what I need to there. I haven't been able to do that in the past and that's obviously what needs to change.
"My body has been in great shape since properly recovering after London and I have enjoyed a full pre-season which is great. It's better than what I have had in recent years and fingers crossed that continues."
Busy programme
Watt's goal is to jump all the way through the domestic season, just as he did in 2011 when he took the silver medal at that summer's IAAF World Championships in Daegu. He then aims to complete a full set of World Championships medals with gold in Moscow, after getting a bronze four years ago in Berlin.
He also wants to get back to sprinting during the Australian season and may run at the next meeting in the Australian domestic tour in Adelaide on 16 February.
"I've entered the 100 in Adelaide," commented Watt. "I'll decide a couple of days out from the meeting whether I run." Watt's personal best for the distance is 10.31.
As well as arriving by limousine, and generously giving his fellow-competitors a lift, Watt built up an entertaining rapport with the enthusiastic crowd during the contest.
"They brought the fence right out to the edge of the pit," said Watt said. "and I was able to answer questions from some of the kids between jumps." Not all his competitions will be as relaxed if Watt fulfils all his aims this year.
The meeting was lucky with the weather. Heavy rain and strong winds in the Newcastle area during most of the day largely abated for the twilight start. There were some light showers, but the wind died down as the meeting got under way.
Gregson out of his comfort zone
The men's long jump was the feature event of the meeting, which also saw national 1500m record holder Ryan Gregson successfully step down to 800m.
Gregson looked impressive over two laps of the track after returning from an altitude training stint at Falls Creek on Victoria's Bogong High Plains. He sat mid-pack through a first lap of just under 53 seconds before moving to the front on the final bend. He then held off 2012 national champion Johnny Rayner's late charge to win in 1:49.08 to Rayner's 1:49.23.
Despite telling the on-field announcer that, "an 800 goes by so fast, it never feels that comfortable," Gregson did give the impression of being relaxed, and very fit.
Javelin thrower Hamish Peacock produced a winning effort of 78.75m, which was close to his best of 79.33m set in his home state of Tasmania last year. The 22-year-old has been pushing up towards the 80-metre mark over the past two years.
Ireland's Paul Robinson pulled away from James Kaan to win the men's 1500m impressively in 3:42.54, while Melissa Duncan fought back strongly after being behind off the final turn to win the women's 1500m in 4:20.38.
Australia's 2011 IAAF World Championships representative Anneleise Rubie, still just 20, was dominant in the women's 400m and crossed the line in 53.57.
Len Johnson for the IAAF


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To test or not be tested?That's the question, and Duke University physician Cary Robertson acknowledged, "it's a confusing one." The test is the PSA-based screening for prostate cancer. Prostate-specific antigen is a protein produced by cells of the prostate gland. The test, of the level of PSA in a man's blood, is used in conjunction with a digital rectal exam to determine whether there's prostate cancer. It's been recommended by federal officials since 1994 for men who previously had shown no signs of the cancer. Then, in May, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued a new recommendation -- against PSA-based screening for prostate cancer. Michael LeFevre, a physician who co-chaired the task force, wrote that "there is a very small potential benefit and significant potential harms" from the screening process. Duke, said Judd Moul, director of the health system's prostate center, "does not necessarily agree with the task force." For the 24th consecutive year, Duke Med will be offering free prostate cancer screenings to men 40 and older, on Sept. 15 and 16. Duke physicians hope the new recommendation by the task force won't stop people from taking advantage of the opportunity. Robertson pointed out that the task force based its recommendation on a limited number of medical papers and "one of those papers, it could be argued, was premature." And "many organizations, if not most, concerned with this -- like the National Conference of Cancer Networks and the American Urological Association -- have come out against the task force's recommendation," Moul said. "The American Medical Association passed a resolution where they said the membership of the task force was not representative of American medicine. "We feel we should continue to test, with the caveat that patients are informed of the risks." The recommendation by the task force is particularly problematic, Moul added, because "a lot of men don't like to go to the doctor, and men have a higher chance of ignoring their health risks and they will use this [recommendation] as just an excuse to get out of it." Since there are no symptoms of early prostate cancer, getting a baseline screening at an early age can be extremely important, a number of Duke doctors said. "Men with a family history of the disease, with fathers, brothers or grandfathers who have had it, are at high risk," said Marva Mizell Price, an associate professor in the Duke School of Nursing. "Starting at age 40 these men need to sit down with a doctor and assess their risk factor. They need to at least discuss it and get a baseline test." The screenings, Robertson said, will detect at least 4 percent of common cancers. "If 150 men walk through the door when we do the screenings, about 10 of them we can probably help," he said. "Those men can get counseling. They can get treatment, if necessary. To not do it doesn't make sense. We're interested in saving lives." The free screenings, several doctors pointed out, are particularly important because of the population they serve, which includes many black men. Prostate cancer is the number-one cancer for males, said Mizell Price, and African American men are at markedly increased risk for it. According to figures from the Centers for Disease Control, the rate of prostate cancer for blacks is twice that of white men. The death rate is also twice as high nationally. And the rate for black men in North Carolina is among the highest in the country, Mizell Price added. In Durham, she said, those numbers are even higher. "This is a serious health issue for black men here," she said. "Very few places have a rate higher than Durham's." That's why the task force recommendation is so disturbing, Moul said. "For the task force to recommend against testing even for high-risk groups is throwing out the baby with the bathwater," he said. "They just made a blanket statement, and that's wrong." Most physicians recognize that the screening test probably has been overused in elderly men, Moul acknowledged, and "perhaps we have treated some very early stage cancers perhaps too aggressively. Perhaps we have over-treated more men than we should have." Physicians today, Robertson agreed, "need to be more measured in our response." But "active surveillance" after the test, much more common now, "is a very reasonable way to follow patients. We're following without aggressive treatment." And it's clear screening has worked, Mizell Price said. "With screening, we've seen a 10-fold decline in rates of metastatic disease. I really don't want to go back to the pre-PSA era." Although some physicians are reporting a slight decline in the number of men coming in for screenings from their primary physicians, the Duke doctors actually hope the controversy will end up increasing awareness and even encourage more men to come in and be tested. "This is life-saving," Mizell Price said. "Absolutely life-saving."
(c)2012 The Herald-Sun (Durham, N.C.)
Visit The Herald-Sun (Durham, N.C.) at www.heraldsun.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services


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George Zimmerman could find himself in a fight to the death if he signs on for the bloody, bare-knuckle brawl proposed by the new promoter ... who admits he hasn't thought about the consequences of a deadly outcome.
Alki David was on "TMZ Live" talking about his plan to create a "Fight Club" kind of event -- no gloves and no rules -- when we asked ... what happens if Zimmerman actually KILLS his opponent in the ring?
You gotta hear the answer ... it's a chilling scenario.


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The new Coen Brothers movie "Inside
Llewyn Davis" has raised Dave Van Ronk's profile quite a bit and has set off a
groundswell of opposition to the way the
movie makers promoted the film as 'based upon' Van Ronk's memoir "The
Mayor of MacDougal Street." To those who
knew the man and experienced the Greenwich Village
folk scene of the early and mid 1960's the film's portrayal of the scene can only be
described as dark and somewhat one-dimensional. There
is actually little taken directly from the memoir and there isn't even a character in
the film that honestly resembles Van Ronk.
On American Pastimes we feature a
one hour special broadcast of Angela Page interviewing the folks who knew the
man, the real Dave Van Ronk: Christine Lavin, Suzanne Vega, Dave Massengill, Andrea
Vuocculo - Dave's widow from an earlier marriage, Elijah Wald (Van Ronk's
biographer / author of "Mayor of MacDougal Street") and "SingOut!" editor Mark Moss. Also featured on the show are excerpts of
Van Ronk interviews and his musings and of course his music.
Angela's show "Folkplus" was
originally broadcast and streamed on January 21, 2013 on hydro-powered
volunteer run public radio WJFF 90.5 FM and www.wjffradio.org
from Jeffersonville
in the Catskill Mountains of New York.
Angela has hosted "Folkplus" (folkplus.com) since 1993. It is broadcast on Saturdays and archived. Prior to her radio experience she had over 30 years in the folk music world running venues such as Greenwich Village's "Speakeasy Club" on MacDougal Street where she worked with Van Ronk, and writing for "SingOut!" magazine and "Fast Folk Musical Magazine." Angela has developed extreme chemical sensitivities and intolerance and now produces her program from home.
A special thanks to Angela for graciously allowing KZFR to re-broadcast "Folkplus." It is the best presentation and portrayal of Dave Van Ronk's legacy that has come out of the "Llweyn Davis" controversies.
Here's an interesting article about another folksinger who is "represented" in the film:
"Inside Llweyn Davis" is currently playing at the Pageant Theater in Chico.