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The progressive death of retinal ganglion cells and resulting visual deficits are hallmarks of glaucoma, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In many neurodegenerative diseases, cell death induced by primary insult is followed by a wave of secondary loss. Gap junctions (GJs), intercellular channels composed of subunit connexins, can play a major role in secondary cell death by forming conduits through which toxic molecules from dying cells pass to and injure coupled neighbors. Here we have shown that pharmacological blockade of GJs or genetic ablation of connexin 36 (Cx36) subunits, which are highly expressed by retinal neurons, markedly reduced loss of neurons and optic nerve axons in a mouse model of glaucoma. Further, functional parameters that are negatively affected in glaucoma, including the electroretinogram, visual evoked potential, visual spatial acuity, and contrast sensitivity, were maintained at control levels when Cx36 was ablated. Neuronal GJs may thus represent potential therapeutic targets to prevent the progressive neurodegeneration and visual impairment associated with glaucoma.
Abram Akopian, Sandeep Kumar, Hariharasubramanian Ramakrishnan, Kaushambi Roy, Suresh Viswanathan, Stewart A. Bloomfield
Photopharmacological control of neuronal activity using synthetic photochromic ligands, or photoswitches, is a promising approach for restoring visual function in patients suffering from degenerative retinal diseases. Azobenzene photoswitches, such as AAQ and DENAQ, have been shown to restore the responses of retinal ganglion cells to light in mouse models of retinal degeneration but do not recapitulate native retinal signal processing. Here, we describe diethylamino-azo-diethylamino (DAD), a third-generation photoswitch that is capable of restoring retinal ganglion cell light responses to blue or white light. In acute brain slices of murine layer 2/3 cortical neurons, we determined that the photoswitch quickly relaxes to its inactive form in the dark. DAD is not permanently charged, and the uncharged form enables the photoswitch to rapidly and effectively cross biological barriers and thereby access and photosensitize retinal neurons. Intravitreal injection of DAD restored retinal light responses and light-driven behavior to blind mice. Unlike DENAQ, DAD acts upstream of retinal ganglion cells, primarily conferring light sensitivity to bipolar cells. Moreover, DAD was capable of generating ON and OFF visual responses in the blind retina by utilizing intrinsic retinal circuitry, which may be advantageous for restoring visual function.
Laura Laprell, Ivan Tochitsky, Kuldeep Kaur, Michael B. Manookin, Marco Stein, David M. Barber, Christian Schön, Stylianos Michalakis, Martin Biel, Richard H. Kramer, Martin P. Sumser, Dirk Trauner, Russell N. Van Gelder
Duane retraction syndrome (DRS) is the most common form of congenital paralytic strabismus in humans and can result from α2-chimaerin (
Alicia A. Nugent, Jong G. Park, Yan Wei, Alan P. Tenney, Nicole M. Gilette, Michelle M. DeLisle, Wai-Man Chan, Long Cheng, Elizabeth C. Engle
Outer retinal and renal glomerular functions rely on specialized vasculature maintained by VEGF that is produced by neighboring epithelial cells, the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and podocytes, respectively. Dysregulation of RPE- and podocyte-derived VEGF is associated with neovascularization in wet age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), choriocapillaris degeneration, and glomerular thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). Since complement activation and genetic variants in inhibitory complement factor H (CFH) are also features of both ARMD and TMA, we hypothesized that VEGF and CFH interact. Here, we demonstrated that VEGF inhibition decreases local CFH and other complement regulators in the eye and kidney through reduced VEGFR2/PKC-α/CREB signaling. Patient podocytes and RPE cells carrying disease-associated CFH genetic variants had more alternative complement pathway deposits than controls. These deposits were increased by VEGF antagonism, a common wet ARMD treatment, suggesting that VEGF inhibition could reduce cellular complement regulatory capacity. VEGF antagonism also increased markers of endothelial cell activation, which was partially reduced by genetic complement inhibition. Together, these results suggest that VEGF protects the retinal and glomerular microvasculature, not only through VEGFR2-mediated vasculotrophism, but also through modulation of local complement proteins that could protect against complement-mediated damage. Though further study is warranted, these findings could be relevant for patients receiving VEGF antagonists.
Lindsay S. Keir, Rachel Firth, Lyndsey Aponik, Daniel Feitelberg, Susumu Sakimoto, Edith Aguilar, Gavin I. Welsh, Anna Richards, Yoshihiko Usui, Simon C. Satchell, Valeryia Kuzmuk, Richard J. Coward, Jonathan Goult, Katherine R. Bull, Ruchi Sharma, Kapil Bharti, Peter D. Westenskow, Iacovos P. Michael, Moin A. Saleem, Martin Friedlander
Primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) is a devastating eye disease and an important cause of childhood blindness worldwide. In PCG, defects in the anterior chamber aqueous humor outflow structures of the eye result in elevated intraocular pressure (IOP); however, the genes and molecular mechanisms involved in the etiology of these defects have not been fully characterized. Previously, we observed PCG-like phenotypes in transgenic mice that lack functional angiopoietin-TEK signaling. Herein, we identified rare
Tomokazu Souma, Stuart W. Tompson, Benjamin R. Thomson, Owen M. Siggs, Krishnakumar Kizhatil, Shinji Yamaguchi, Liang Feng, Vachiranee Limviphuvadh, Kristina N. Whisenhunt, Sebastian Maurer-Stroh, Tammy L. Yanovitch, Luba Kalaydjieva, Dimitar N. Azmanov, Simone Finzi, Lucia Mauri, Shahrbanou Javadiyan, Emmanuelle Souzeau, Tiger Zhou, Alex W. Hewitt, Bethany Kloss, Kathryn P. Burdon, David A. Mackey, Keri F. Allen, Jonathan B. Ruddle, Sing-Hui Lim, Steve Rozen, Khanh-Nhat Tran-Viet, Xiaorong Liu, Simon John, Janey L. Wiggs, Francesca Pasutto, Jamie E. Craig, Jing Jin, Susan E. Quaggin, Terri L. Young
Strategies aimed at invoking synaptic plasticity have therapeutic potential for several neurological conditions. The human retinal synaptic disease X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS) is characterized by impaired visual signal transmission through the retina and progressive visual acuity loss, and mice lacking retinoschisin (RS1) recapitulate human disease. Here, we demonstrate that restoration of RS1 via retina-specific delivery of adeno-associated virus type 8-
Jingxing Ou, Camasamudram Vijayasarathy, Lucia Ziccardi, Shan Chen, Yong Zeng, Dario Marangoni, Jodie G. Pope, Ronald A. Bush, Zhijian Wu, Wei Li, Paul A. Sieving
Emixustat is a visual cycle modulator that has entered clinical trials as a treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This molecule has been proposed to inhibit the visual cycle isomerase RPE65, thereby slowing regeneration of 11-
Jianye Zhang, Philip D. Kiser, Mohsen Badiee, Grazyna Palczewska, Zhiqian Dong, Marcin Golczak, Gregory P. Tochtrop, Krzysztof Palczewski
Oxidative stress contributes to the loss of neurons in many disease conditions as well as during normal aging; however, small-molecule agents that reduce oxidation have not been successful in preventing neurodegeneration. Moreover, even if an efficacious systemic reduction of reactive oxygen and/or nitrogen species (ROS/NOS) could be achieved, detrimental side effects are likely, as these molecules regulate normal physiological processes. A more effective and targeted approach might be to augment the endogenous antioxidant defense mechanism only in the cells that suffer from oxidation. Here, we created several adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors to deliver genes that combat oxidation. These vectors encode the transcription factors NRF2 and/or PGC1a, which regulate hundreds of genes that combat oxidation and other forms of stress, or enzymes such as superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) and catalase, which directly detoxify ROS. We tested the effectiveness of this approach in 3 models of photoreceptor degeneration and in a nerve crush model. AAV-mediated delivery of NRF2 was more effective than SOD2 and catalase, while expression of PGC1a accelerated photoreceptor death. Since the NRF2-mediated neuroprotective effects extended to photoreceptors and retinal ganglion cells, which are 2 very different types of neurons, these results suggest that this targeted approach may be broadly applicable to many diseases in which cells suffer from oxidative damage.
Wenjun Xiong, Alexandra E. MacColl Garfinkel, Yiqing Li, Larry I. Benowitz, Constance L. Cepko
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an inherited photoreceptor degenerative disorder that results in blindness. The disease is often caused by mutations in genes that are specific to rod photoreceptors; however, blindness results from the secondary loss of cones by a still unknown mechanism. Here, we demonstrated that the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is required to slow the progression of cone death during disease and that constitutive activation of mTORC1 in cones is sufficient to maintain cone function and promote long-term cone survival. Activation of mTORC1 in cones enhanced glucose uptake, retention, and utilization, leading to increased levels of the key metabolite NADPH. Moreover, cone death was delayed in the absence of the NADPH-sensitive cell death protease caspase 2, supporting the contribution of reduced NADPH in promoting cone death. Constitutive activation of mTORC1 preserved cones in 2 mouse models of RP, suggesting that the secondary loss of cones is caused mainly by metabolic deficits and is independent of a specific rod-associated mutation. Together, the results of this study address a longstanding question in the field and suggest that activating mTORC1 in cones has therapeutic potential to prolong vision in RP.
Aditya Venkatesh, Shan Ma, Yun Z. Le, Michael N. Hall, Markus A. Rüegg, Claudio Punzo
Mutations in the cellular retinaldehyde–binding protein (CRALBP, encoded by
Yunlu Xue, Susan Q. Shen, Jonathan Jui, Alan C. Rupp, Leah C. Byrne, Samer Hattar, John G. Flannery, Joseph C. Corbo, Vladimir J. Kefalov


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Jobs report puts economy back in campaign spotlight
After a week consumed by Hurricane Sandy, the election's final jobs report snapped the focus back to the economy Friday as President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney rejoined their battle.
In the end, the final jobs report before Election Day paints a picture of the U.S. economy that looks a lot like the 2012 campaign itself: a long, grinding march forward with little in the way of big inspiration that still slightly favors Obama.
Story Continued Below
The gain of 171,000 jobs in October beat expectations but the increase in the jobless rate to 7.9 percent from 7.8 percent denied the president a clean chance to trumpet a quickening recovery as he begins his final pitch.
Both campaigns used the report to buttress their economic message one last time before voters head to the polls Tuesday.
( PHOTOS: Final countdown to Election Day)
"He said he was going to lower the unemployment rate down to 5.2 percent right now, today we learned that it is actually 7.9 percent and that's 9 million jobs short of what he promised," Romney said during a campaign stop in West Allis, Wisconsin.. "Unemployment is higher today than when Barack Obama took office."
Unemployment was at 7.8 percent when Obama moved into the White House in January 2009 and peaked around 10 percent in October of that year. A year ago at this time, unemployment was at 9 percent.
Romney's surrogates sought to portray the jump in jobs growth as far from good and any suggestion to the contrary as falling short of what should be expected.
"Our expectations may be dumbed down a bit," Glenn Hubbard, the campaign's top economic adviser, said in a CNBC interview about the idea that Friday's jobs news is positive.
Obama and White House officials highlighted the continuing trend of job growth as reason to stay the course.
( Also on POLITICO: Liberals fear grand bargain betrayal)
"In 2008 we were in the middle of two wars and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and today our businesses have created nearly five and a half million new jobs and this morning we learned that companies hired more workers in October than in any time in the last eight months," Obama said at a campaign rally in Hilliard, Ohio.
Whatever the spin, with swing-state polls suggesting Obama is slightly ahead, he did not need a home run number on Friday.
He just needed to avoid disaster and he certainly did that.
Romney arguably needed a much more dismal reading in order to crank up the heat on his closing argument that Obama has failed miserably on the economy and must be replaced.
He did not get it.
Overall, the October gains are in line with the recent trend and unlikely to change the arc of a campaign with just days remaining and almost no one left undecided. "These job numbers shouldn't play an important role in the election," said Moody's Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi. "They are not strong enough to help the president, not weak enough to help Governor Romney."
John Silvia, chief economist at Wells Fargo, said the report might be a modest benefit to Obama but does not change the overall picture of the economy. "It's better than expectations and prior months were revised higher. We've got sustained growth of about 2 percent a year and no return to recession," he said.

subset: commoncrawl


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More pictures!
Crown Prince Pavlos and family
I wonder if these two are done with kids? Not that 5 wouldn't be enough, but if they wanted more, there's now the right distance to Prince Astride… Maria Olympia is cute, isn't she? But damn that's a short little dress.
Here with Marie and Joachim you can see why the wedding was set at this time of day because wow, that is nice lightning of the scene.
My Theodora… Half a cup size more would have been good, you know? Mh, but in armour, shield and sword? Scary girl, scary. Get yourself in a film or a crime procedural.
We did get a few Brits after all. Lady Gabriella Windsor (who we've already seen), Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Prince Michael is the son of Princess Marina, herself a Greek Princess. His sister is Princess Alexandra, Honorary Lady Ogivly.
You know Iran still has an empress? Well, here she is. Exiled, of course, but there's hope yet.
The former King and Queen of the Hellenes
I still am of the opinion the Greeks should take their King back. Not because that would give us another royal family showing up, but rather because I'd trust him (or rather, Pavlos) to get that state out of its misery again within a generation.
Rainbow dress for Máxima, but I quite like it
Princess Alexia and her family. Another 4 little kids.
I admit, these days I always look at Vikkan's belly first. I'm practically waiting for a pregnancy announcement… Although I'd still prefer a summer baby *g*


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Irving, Texas (PRWEB) December 29, 2012
Despite global economic uncertainty and a downturn in the worldwide composite materials industry, China's composites market grew by more than 2% through the worst of the recession in 2009. The Chinese market's growth momentum is expected to surge, reaching approximately US $11.5 billion in 2017 with a CAGR of 7.3% over the next five years. For 2012, the Chinese composite materials market is expected to surpass US $7 billion.
Lucintel, a leading global management consulting and market research firm, has analyzed the Chinese composites industry and presents its findings in its report, "Growth Opportunities in the Chinese Composites Market: 2012-2017."
Lucintel's research outlines how the rapid growth in China's economy has grown the demand for glass fiber. Transportation, construction, and aerospace are expected to drive growth during the forecast period of 2012–2017. Over the long term, growth in the composite materials industry is sustainable with more than 5,000 composites applications worldwide. The industry has great future potential as increasing numbers of composite materials applications are being researched and developed.
Lucintel's chemical research report provides trend scenarios and forecast statistics for 2012–2017; details the industry's drivers and challenges in China; analyzes eight segments of the Chinese composites industry; provides market sizing for various raw materials such as fiber, resin, thermoset, and thermoplastic compound materials; examines the export and import markets; details the Chines governments tariffs on resins and fiberglass materials, and much more.
For a detailed table of contents and pricing information on this timely, insightful report, contact Lucintel at +1-972-636-5056 or via email at helpdesk (at) lucintel (dot) com. Lucintel provides market research reports, strategic growth consulting and due diligence services to clients around the world. To find out more, please visit http://www.lucintel.com.
Lucintel now offers free Live Chat on its website to answer visitors' questions in real time with precision. Visitors can directly chat with our experts through Live Chat to receive assistance and information regarding Lucintel's product and service offerings


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- Home >
- Water Safety & Flow Control >
- Discontinued Products > Divertaflo 343318 Series
Divertaflo 343318 Series
Bronze Culligan® Style A By-pass Valves
3/4 and 1 in. (20 and 25mm)
Divertaflo 343318 Series Bronze Culligan® Style A By-pass Valves are 100% factory tested & approved and are designed to provide simplicity & dependability in by-pass control in an easy to install, economical package. They feature house ports on 1.875 in. center, a low profile, symmetrical design, maximum flow, premium grade Noryl® push rod and installation in any position. An installation kit is included with these valves. Options include Teflon® coating & nickel plating and brass push-rod, consult factory.
There are currently no BIM drawings available for this product.
Disclaimer: Watts product dimensions in U.S. customary units and metric are approximate and are provided for reference only. For precise measurements, please contact Watts Technical Service. Watts reserves the right to change or modify product design, construction, specifications, or materials without prior notice and without incurring any obligation to make such changes and modifications on Watts products previously or subsequently sold.
Please Note: Watts literature requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.


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ESPN and Turkish Airlines collaborate on new documentary series
ESPN and Turkish Airlines announced today an innovative production partnership and multi-platform sponsorship deal. The collaboration is centered on Basketball Capitals presented by Turkish Airlines, a new documentary series profiling the culture and passion for basketball within the world's most iconic cities.
The new, multi-faceted partnership takes viewers on a journey through four premier destinations that Turkish Airlines serves: Madrid, Berlin, Istanbul, and Athens. Basketball Capitals is developed and executive produced by ESPN's International Marketing Solutions in collaboration with Academy-Award® winning production company 100bares and Euroleague Basketball. The series helps illustrate the strong relationship Turkish Airlines has with European sports through first-hand accounts and profiles of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague teams that call these destinations home, including Real Madrid, Alba Berlin, Besiktas JK Istanbul, Fenerbahce Ülker Istanbul, Galatasaray Medical Park, Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Olympiacos Piraeus, and Panathinaikos Athens.
Illustrating the cities further will be special in-content vignettes, titled Turkish Airlines City Voices, providing viewers another look at what makes each city a sought-after travel destination.
"Basketball is a global sport and we're pleased to extend our commitment with the Euroleague and work with ESPN on the creation of Basketball Capitals," said Faruk Çizmecioğlu, Chief Marketing Officer of Turkish Airlines. "The series provides the perfect opportunity to showcase the basketball fandom in some of the great cities in Europe, where we proudly serve over seventy destinations."
Basketball Capitals is the next iteration of ESPN's 'Capitals' franchise that is entering its third season in Latin America and illustrates football culture in the greatest cities around the world. The franchise is the company's most successful original content series in the region with an audience of over 20 million viewers.
"Great sports stories are often about cities," said Esteban Apraez, Senior Director, ESPN International Marketing Solutions. "The four cities featured in Basketball Capitals have been uniquely shaped by sports and the fans that live in them. The series illustrates our approach to successful branded content, which is guided by a simple philosophy—create great content that can help deliver a powerful brand message that is about more than just how often a product appears on screen. Basketball Capitals aligns beautifully with Turkish Airlines aim of connecting people to some of the world's great cities."
Added Mr. Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague Basketball President and CEO: "It is a true honor that both Turkish Airlines and ESPN selected Euroleague Basketball and its participating teams to give this particular vision of European basketball, through a breakthrough branded content series that bring us the opportunity to promote and show the quality and passion our fans feel for our sport"
Basketball Capitals will be featured across a multi-faceted, multi-platform execution that includes:
· Documentaries - Four 30-minute original documentaries premiering on all ESPN networks in EMEA (ESPN UK, ESPN America, ESPN Classic, ESPN Middle East/Israel, ESPN Atlantic) on May 14th.
· City Voices presented by Turkish Airlines – Eight special in-programme branded vignettes that give viewers an additional look at what makes each city a sought-after travel destination.
· Syndication – Documentaries will be distributed and syndicated to other TV partners and will be available for exclusive in-flight viewing in Turkish Airline flights and airport lounges.
· Comprehensive Multimedia Marketing – A full multimedia marketing campaign, featuring special co-branded creatives and digital media, will launch across ESPN networks and sites in April. Additionally, trailers and promotional materials will appear in various stadiums during games leading up to and during the Euroleague Final Four.
· Digital Hub – Launching in early April, www.basketballcapitals.com will house series details, news, features, and bonus content.
· ESPN Basketball coverage - Ahead of the documentaries premiering, Turkish Airlines commercial TV spots will be featured on ESPN TV networks' coverage of key basketball content such as the Euroleague, NBA and NCAA March Madness across EMEA, as well as in other ESPN programming.
Basketball Capitals Overview—- premiering May 14th
In a city divided by the Manzanares River, an underlying passion for Real Madrid Basketball unites. The cousin of the European football powerhouse and perhaps the most successful basketball team in European history, Real Madrid has won more than sixty titles including two separate streaks of seven and ten consecutive championships in the Spanish League. The city's passion for the game permeates its culture and has helped develop some of the world's top players.
Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the German capital has seen ongoing social and cultural changes, reflected in Berlin's connection with basketball and Alba Berlin, which continues to grow at a rapid rate and establish the city as a hub for the sport.
In the ancient city of Istanbul is at the crossroads of the world, where cultures meet and basketball rivalries run deep. Teams including Fenerbahçe Ülker, Beşiktas, Galatasaray, and Anadolu Efes compete for supremacy and passionate fans swarm to the stadiums to support their favourite clubs. Istanbul's strong basketball structure has developed top players on the world stage, including Hedo Türkoğlu and Ömer Aşik, and continues to be a hub for talent.
The birthplace of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, sport has been a central pillar of life and culture in Athens for ages. In the sport of basketball, Greece has been the birthplace of exceptional talents who have achieved on a world stage, and the country's capital is home to a passionate rivalry between clubs Olympiacos Piraeus and Panathinaikos Athens.


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European Commission
Press release
Brussels, 23 September 2013
EU is making major contribution to global fight against poverty
Over the last decade, thanks to EU funding, almost 14 million pupils could go to primary school, more than 46 million people were helped with cash or other in-kind benefits to ensure their food security, and over 7.5 million births were attended by skilled health workers, saving the lives of mothers and babies.
These are just some of the new results published today by the European Commission on how it has helped reduce global poverty and supported the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), improving the lives of millions of people.
The new results, which cover EU activities between 2004 and 2012, come some days ahead of a UN Special Event in New York that will discuss how progress on eradicating poverty can be accelerated and how a comprehensive global agenda for development after 2015 could be shaped. José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, will take part in the event, and will be accompanied by Development Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, and Environment Commissioner, Janez Potočnik.
President José Manuel Barroso commented: "The world has made impressive progress in fighting poverty and we can be proud of the European Union's great contribution to this success. I firmly believe that eradicating poverty within one generation is possible. My vision is of a world where everyone lives in dignity and prosperity, with access to clean water, sanitation and energy, as well as education and health services; a world where fundamental human rights are universally respected, and where development is sustainable. Investing in fair and sustainable globalisation is not just the right thing to do. It is also a matter of strategic vision."
Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said: "The EU is the most generous donor in the world and our work has really made a difference to the lives of millions of people. We will continue to make every effort to ensure that the MDGs are met by 2015, notably through the implementation of the €1 billion MDG initiative which already benefits almost 50 partner countries. This UN MDG Special Event is a unique opportunity to step up a gear in global action for the next two years and make the MDGs a success. I also expect this event to steer the international community towards an agreement for a post-2015 agenda which should tackle the eradication of poverty and sustainable development challenges. The EU is determined to help ensure a decent life for all by 2030 and beyond."
Some key results of European Commission programmes in the period 2004-2012:
In the year 2000, the international community agreed to reduce global poverty and save millions of lives, defining eight specific Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), to be achieved by 2015. They cover issues such as poverty and hunger, education, gender equality, health, environment and a global partnership for development. The European Union has been committed to helping achieve the MDGs ever since and has led the way in integrating them into its development policy and practice. In 2010, President Barroso announced a special European MDG initiative worth one billion euros to help countries achieve those MDGs most off track – hunger, maternal health, child mortality and access to water and sanitation. Today, almost 50 countries receive support under this pledge.
The full list of key results from European Commission programmes and an overview of EU policies and activities that contribute to the eight MDGs can be found in the brochure "EU Contribution to the Millennium Development Goals": http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/documents/mdg-brochure-2013_en.pdf
A UN Special Event is scheduled for 25 September 2013 in New York to review the MDGs and consider ways to accelerate progress towards achieving them. It will also look forward, beyond 2015, and discuss the way ahead on a post-2015 global development framework that coherently combines the full eradication of poverty with targeted measures to boost global sustainability, which are mutually reinforcing.
Discussions on shaping this global agenda for the time after 2015 are on-going. In September 2012, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon formed a "High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development", of which Commissioner Piebalgs was a member. The Panel delivered its report "A New Global Partnership: Eradicate Poverty and Transform Economies through Sustainable Development" in 30 May 2013.
In February 2012, the European Commission had already set out its own position on an overarching future development framework, entitled "A Decent Life for All – Ending poverty and giving the world a sustainable future"
For more information
MEMO/13/809: The Millennium Development Goals and a global development agenda after 2015
IP/11/1063: EU €1 billion Millennium Development Goals initiative to support maternal health, contribute to fight against child mortality and hunger and improve supply of water and sanitation
Website of European Commission President José Manuel Barroso:
Website of the European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs:
Website of EuropeAid Development and Cooperation DG:
Website of the European Commissioner for the Environment, Janez Potočnik:
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Speech by Mr. Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General
OECD Forum Paris 2007
Paris, 14 May, 2007
Access to reliable and safe water represents one of the greatest challenges facing humanity in the 21st century. Indeed, the demand for water is unprecedented and it is expected to increase by 50% in the next 30 years. Besides, by 2025, about 3.5 billion people could be living in water scarce or water stressed areas, compared to 1 billion in 2005, according to the World Water Council.
Most of the increased demand for water will occur in the developing world, and especially the countries we call the BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India and China – which are growing rapidly. One of the Millennium Development Goals is to cut in half by 2015 the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. Actually, access to clean water is one of the indicators that could well serve as a proxy to measure how much progress we do in the other Development Goals.
But it is also a serious challenge for the developed world, where in many countries there is significant water wastage due to failure to reinvest in water supply systems to keep them in good working condition, underpricing of water leading to wasteful use, and failure to improve water systems management and technology. A recent OECD report estimates that France and the UK will have to increase their spending on water as a proportion of GDP by about 20 percent just to maintain water services at their current levels, while Japan and Korea may have to increase their water expenditures by more than 40 percent. Improving its use in the agriculture sector, that accounts for more than 80% of water usage, is also a test for all of us.
In Africa, according to the OECD Development Centre's African Economic Outlook to be launched later today, the abundance of water on the continent remains unexploited through a deplorable lack of infrastructure. The situation in sanitation is even worse. On present trends 370 million people in sub-Saharan Africa will lack access to safe drinking water by 2015 and 550 million to improved sanitation. Even if sub-Saharan Africa were to meet the Millennium Development Goal on this matter, some 230 million people would still lack access to safe drinking water by 2015 and 320 million to improved sanitation.
This situation is unacceptable and fortunately also avoidable. With an approach that emphasizes the need for economic viability many of the obstacles to providing African people with these basic facilities can be overcome.
On top the current challenges for all regions, the prospects of climate change are imposing increasing pressures, as changes in the global environment will also mean acute scarcities of water in some regions, due to increased evaporation, and increased precipitation in others. Indeed, the recent impact report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change points to an alarming future.
The need to ensure access to water will test our ability as policymakers, farmers, industrial leaders, and consumers to work together, not only within our individual countries but among countries around the world, to prevent this grim possibility of serious water shortages, and water conflict, from becoming a reality. The participation of the private sector is of the outmost importance. I welcome the presence of Nestle's CEO, Peter Brebeck-Letmathe, as one of the leaders in the private sector who wants to contribute to the solution, and congratulate him for his achievements to significantly reduce water consumption in its manufacturing process. This commitment could well be followed by other actors not only in the private sector, but in all areas of society.
The reality is that water is a global challenge. At the OECD we have made it a priority and are working to develop policy ideas and identify best practices to assist developed and developing countries meet future water needs in a sustainable way and thereby help avert a global crisis. As an economic organization, we emphasize the use of economic tools to manage this good, and also of economic incentives for its best utilization. We also work with developing countries, including the BRICS, and donors to develop strategic financial plans for water supply and sanitation, which supports efforts to favour sector-wide approaches (SWAPs) and can lead to a strengthened link of sector planning into Medium-Term Expenditure Frameworks.
There is also an urgent need to adopt coherent policy principles to deal with the main water challenges, as well as a parallel need to invest significantly in new water and sanitation systems both directly and, where this is preferred, through public-private partnerships.
The first requirement is to make better use of market mechanisms, both to ensure the most efficient use of water supplies and to help finance water infrastructure to encourage greater supply.
This means pricing water so that there is full cost recovery and capacity for reinvestment. Making consumers of water pay for the full cost of water supplies is an effective public policy instrument to encourage responsible use. It is critical for effective demand management.
True pricing of water also provides an incentive for the development of new technologies and for greater participation by private investors in helping to build and operate water supply systems. This is particularly important in agriculture, where the use of water for irrigation, which accounts for the greatest use of water in the world, is generally underpriced and hence leads to wasteful use.
I should note, though, that while this objective can be attained in most OECD countries in the sort term, for many developing countries a longer transition, involving significant public budget spending, may be needed in order to help overcome affordability constraints that exist in the population. In any event, a measures need to be set in place to ensure affordable access by the poorest to adequate water supply and sanitation.
Eliminating wasteful uses of water and giving users, especially industry and agriculture, a greater incentive to find ways to use less water, is an essential part of any effective water management strategy. Over a decade Denmark reduced per capita consumption of water by 20 per cent through real cost pricing. Through effective demand management we can reduce the level of investment needed to provide additional water supplies.
There is also a need to pursue more effective systems of water management, including the adoption of new business models and greater use of private financing to build and operate water systems. Pension funds and other institutional investors are seeking opportunities where they can put their capital to work on projects that generate assured income streams. Such financing can play an important role in meeting future water supply needs, consistent with safe water standards and pricing procedures set out by public authorities. The OECD has recently launched the OECD Principles for Private Investor Participation in Infrastructure that provides guidance to governments that wish to increase private participation in these sectors.
New technologies are also important. For example, advances in sensors and wireless technologies will allow a much improved monitoring of water systems. This is especially important in detecting waste and abnormal demand, as well as regulating irrigation. Likewise, the biosciences offer the opportunity to develop genetically modified crops that can deliver high yields in drier soils, as well as the possibility of processing waste water. Similarly, the world will need to develop more cost-effective systems of water desalination.
Ladies and gentleman. The reality is that we know what we must do. We have the opportunity to avert a potentially huge human crisis, and even potential conflict, by acting now. Water must move to centre stage in the global debate.
Thank you.
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Site Update: 21st April 2015 April 21, 2015Posted by admin in : Updates , trackback
Hi everyone. 15 new resources have been added to the main website this week. Full details (and links) are given here. Thanks to everyone who sent in contributions this time! Find out how you can support the site by clicking this link.


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Confused and have questions? We've got answers. With Chegg Study, you can get step-by-step solutions to your questions from an expert in the field. If you rather get 1:1 study help, try 30 minutes of free online tutoring with Chegg Tutors.
From Biology-Online Dictionary | Biology-Online Dictionary
No match for puts
Sorry, the term puts is not in the dictionary. Check the spelling and try removing suffixes like -ing and -s.


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Measuring Health Disparities By Income Level using California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) Colorectal Cancer Screening Data
In this exercise, we will calculate several measures of health disparities by poverty index for colorectal cancer screening using California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) data. We will use CHIS screening percentages from 2001 to 2007 to see if the disparities have narrowed or widened over that time period.
For this example you will not be using SEER*Stat. Your data will come from the California Health Interview Survey. The instructions in Step A assume that you are familiar with the survey, and that you already know how to retrieve data from the CHIS public-use datasets. (Please note: Other population based health data can be imported into HD*Calc in a comma delimited or fixed column format.)
HD*Calc requires a variable that specifies time points (e.g. Year), and one that specifies the groups to be compared for disparities. In addition there must be a statistic (e.g. a Rate or a Percentage) for which disparities can be measured, and a population count. Other variables can be included but are not essential to create the summary disparity measures.
Step A: Create an export file from CHIS data
- Use all of California as your Geographic Area, but limit your population to persons 40 years old and older (the ages for which colorectal screening would apply).
- Select the following question from the Cancer Prevention/Screening section of the survey:
Had a Colonoscopy/SIG/FOBT in Past Five Years (CRC_SCRN)
- Use Gender and Federal Poverty Level (FPL) as your "Compare By" variables.
- Be sure to include all groupings for Poverty Index (Income % of FPL):
- 0-99%
- 100-199%
- 200-299%
- 300+%
- For Gender use both of the following groupings:
- Male
- Female
- Be sure to include all groupings for Poverty Index (Income % of FPL):
- Retrieve data for the years 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2007. If each year is analyzed separately, you will need to combine the results for all years into a single file with the year value as a field (column), and with the extra column headings removed. The following fields should be included in each year's data
- Screening Percent (% with Yes responses)
- Population
- Confidence Estimates (Standard Errors)
- Request your output in Excel comma-delimited format. You can download and compare your resulting file with this sample: health.disp.chis.colon.fpl.csv (CSV, 3 KB) .
Step B: Import the Data into the HD*Calc Program
- When you start the HD*Calc application you will get a message that reminds users to open a data file in order to view the disparity measures.
- Select Open... from the File Menu to open your data file. In the Select Health Disparities Input File dialog, change the File Type at the bottom to Import Text File (*.csv). Find the same file that you generated from CHIS in Step A.5 above.
- When your file is opened, you will be taken to the HD*Calc Data Import dialog where you will provide all the information needed to identify the fields in your input file. In the edit box at the top please provide a Title for your input data. This title will be displayed with the resulting disparity measures.
- Use the Dictionary edit box to select a file for storing your data input specifications.
- The checkbox indicating that your Data File Contains Column Headers should not be checked.
- Check the box to indicate that your Statistics are Sorted by All Variables In Their Order. This will speed up retrieval of records during computation.
- The Fields Are Character Delimited radio button should be selected, and Comma should be selected as the Delimiter.
- You must now specify a Field Type for each field in the List of Fields. To do this, select each Field individually (one field at a time) and press the Change button to the right. You will be taken to the Edit Format dialog:
Select a Field Type from the dropdown at the top:
- Gender is a Stratification Variable
For Gender, you must specify the format values and enter them into the text box:
- 1=Male
- 2=Female
- Poverty Index is the Disparity Variable
For Poverty Index, you must specify the format values and enter them into the text box:
- 4=300% FPL and Above
- Survey Year is the Time Variable
For Survey Year, you must specify the format values and enter them into the text box:
- 2001=2001
- 2003=2003
- 2005=2005
- 2007=2007
- Percent is your Rate Statistic
- Population is your Population Count
- SE % is your Standard Error Statistic
- For all the others, select Ignored as your field type
- Gender is a Stratification Variable
- When all your file fields have been defined, press OK. You will then be taken to the main Disparity Measures dialog where your results will be displayed (Step C).
Step C: View Disparity Measures In HD*Calc
- When the Disparity Measures (results) dialog opens you will be asked to specify whether the disparity groups in your data are ranked (e.g. by income or education). There are some disparity measures that will only be presented if the groups are ranked. Since this example uses Poverty Index as the basis for the disparity groups, there is an inherent ranking, so press Yes as your response.
- Use the Selection dropdown list to select Male or Female sex from your input data. Whenever you choose from that list, all the disparity measures are re-calculated for the selected set of records.
- On the Disparity Groups tab, in the Ranking Disparity Groups box, see that the groups in your file are ranked and that the least advantaged group is first. The checkbox below that indicating that a higher rate means healthier (i.e. more screening), should be unchecked. Upon changing this option, a warning dialog box will appear alerting you that some of your resulting disparity measures will be inverted if that setting is incorrect. Press OK.
- On the Disparity Table tab you will see all the measures that have been calculated for your data. If you click on the title of a disparity measure, the help system will display a description of that measure.
- On the Disparity Chart tab, you can select any measures you wish to view in the graph. You can use the checkbox (top right) to show the percent change over time instead of the actual measures.
- The Data Table and Data Chart tabs show the rates read from you data, and some additional fields calculated from your data for use in the computation of disparity measures.
- The Combined Chart tab can be used to present input data values and disparity measures on the same graph at the same time.
- The Pair Comparison tab allows you to select any two disparity groups to be compared. For the two groups, the Rate Difference and Rate Ratio are calculated and presented on the graph.


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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Jay Haas matched the Champions Tour record with a 10-under 60 to take a five-stroke lead on Friday in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
The 58-year-old Haas made a 5-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th after hitting his second shot into a greenside bunker and leaving his eagle blast short. He is 14-under 126 for the tournament.
The player topping the Champions Tour points list at the end of the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship will receive a $1 million annuity.
Haas became the eighth player in the history of the 50-and-over tour to shoot 60, breaking the course record on Desert Mountain's Cochise Course.
Tom Lehman was second after a 63, moving into position to win the season-long Charles Schwab Cup points race. Bernhard Langer, 211 points ahead of second-place Lehman, was tied for fifth at 6 under after a 65.
Haas' playing partner Fred Couples was third at 8 under after a 66.
"It was just a very magical day for me," Haas said. "I had a great pairing. I love playing with Freddie. ... It was a wonderful day. One of those that you don't want to end."
"I can't remember another time that I've had a chance to shoot a 59. I was thinking about it without question. I hit a decent bunker shot. It stopped a little quicker for me than I thought."
He closed with a 7-under 28 on the back nine to finish a stroke off the tour's nine-hole record.
"Wow! What a round he had," Couples said about Haas. "I had a good time, 4-under par. I'm not going to complain, but when a guy is shooting 10 under it seems like you're shooting 80."
Haas, a nine-time PGA Tour winner, won the Principal Charity Classic in Iowa in June for his 16th victory on the senior tour.
"The course is magnificent," Haas said. "The fairways are like carpets. The greens are perfect. So, if you hit a poor shot, it's my fault."
Couples is playing for the first time since a back injury forced him to withdraw during the first round of the Boeing Classic in late August. Before this week, he hadn't completed a competitive round since winning the Senior British Open in July for his second victory of the year.
Lehman's 63 was his lowest round on the Champions Tour. Langer and Lehman would win the season title with a victory, while third-place Roger Chapman needs a victory and some help to top the standings.
Jay Don Blake, the defending champion and first-round leader, followed his opening 64 with a 71 to drop into a tie for eighth at 5 under. Blake won last year at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco.


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Franck, Caspar (1543-1584)
Caspar Franck (Casparus Francius Ortrandus) was the son of strict Lutheran parents. While he was serving as chaplain at the court of Duke Ladislaus of Haag in Upper Bavaria, Germany, he experienced the first Counter Reformation decrees of Albrecht V of Bavaria, and in 1568 he entered the Catholic Church at Ingolstadt, remaining there as Professor of the Holy Scriptures at the university. His epitaph lauds him as a defender of the Catholic faith and church. Among his numerous polemics, his Catalogus Haereticorum (Ingolstadt, 1576) lists the names of all the opponents of the Catholic Church. Luther, Melanchthon, and other Protestant leaders are treated at length. Briefly but not incorrectly he names the Anabaptist leaders, Hans Denck, Balthasar Hubmaier, Ludwig Haetzer, and Melchior Hoffman. The sections on the Hutterites and Anabaptists present utter nonsense. The Batenburgers and Davidjorists are also touched. The book is of very little historical significance.
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon, 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. I, 668.
Wetzer, Heinrich Josef and Benedikt Welte. Wetzer und Welte's Kirchenlixikon, oder Encyklopaedie der katholischen Theologie und ihrer Huelfswissenschaften. 1885
|Christian Neff
|Date Published
Cite This Article
MLA style
Neff, Christian. "Franck, Caspar (1543-1584)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1956. Web. 25 Aug 2019. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Franck,_Caspar_(1543-1584)&oldid=144130.
APA style
Neff, Christian. (1956). Franck, Caspar (1543-1584). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 25 August 2019, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Franck,_Caspar_(1543-1584)&oldid=144130.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 363. All rights reserved.
©1996-2019 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.


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Updated: 2018-01-05 01:05:49pm
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Thinking about a Gap Year? Read on...
A Special Message from the Dean of Admissions to
All Applicants Admitted for September
The waiting is over.You have been admitted to Middlebury. Is it time for you to step back and think about what your education is really all about?
The convention in this country is that after we graduate from high school in June, we head off to college in September; that's likely what you have in mind as well. However, as earning admission to a top college has become more and more an end in itself, we can lose sight of the primary goal of our education: to discover what it is we truly care about and want to pursue further, and thereby come as close as possible to realizing our potential.
Middlebury has been at the forefront of endorsing the concept of taking time off between high school and college through our February admissions program. The students who enroll here in February bring more to their college experience and, as a result, derive more from it. They also hold a disproportionately high number of leadership positions on campus and, on average, perform better academically.
Every year some students who are admitted for September choose to defer their enrollment for an entire year and step off the academic treadmill. Many benefit greatly from the opportunity to travel, work, or pursue other interests, and all of those options can help contribute to an even more enriching college experience, much as happens for our "Febs."
If you decide to defer your matriculation at Middlebury, all you need to do is send us your deposit and request the deferral. We would also appreciate knowing what your plans are for the year. We ask only that you not enroll in a degree-granting program at another institution, and you will need to verify in writing that you will not apply to other colleges during your time off. We consider this to be a binding agreement, and if you apply elsewhere, you will thereby forfeit your admission to Middlebury. Also, if you have received financial aid from us, you will need to resubmit the forms again next year, but unless your family's financial circumstances change significantly in the meantime, it is likely that your financial aid package will be similar to what we have currently offered you. Because we have already admitted our cohort of students for February, we normally only defer admission for one full year, not for six months.
The deadline to request deferral is June 1st, 2014.
We invite you to consider this option. Whether you come next fall or the following year, we are delighted at the prospect of having you join us, and we look forward to welcoming you to Middlebury.
Best wishes,
Greg Buckles
Dean of Admissions


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Anthony Omari
Late on the night of January 23, 2012, a 24 year-old Kenyan uber-hero named Anthony Omari awoke to find three gigantic dudes with machetes standing over his bed. He knew right away that they weren't there to sell Girl Scout cookies or ask him for a jumping mid-air high-five.
Omari is the custodian of Faraja Children's Home in Ngong, Kenya – a sanctuary of healing and love that over the past several years has grown from a tin-roofed one-room shack in the slums of Nairobi into a decent-sized facility that has taken in 37 boys and girls who have been abandoned or orphaned from the street. A place of hope and peace for children who have tragically slipped through the cracks of Kenyan society. Omari's mother, known to her charges only as "Momma", runs the Home, and, ever the diligent son, Anthony lives at the facility and helps his mom make sure that the children are provided for with a warm bed, a hot meal, a primary school education, and medical attention when they need it. As the only adult male at the Home, he's by default charged with ensuring the physical security and safety of all 37 kids in his care. You'd be hard-pressed to find a dude less deserving of taking a fucking machete to the face.
The second Omari snapped awake, he immediately recognized the jokers standing around him – it was the fourth time this month that the Faraja Children's Home had been broken into, and it was at least the second time that these exact assholes had paid the orphans a visit in the middle of the night. I honestly have no idea what the hell people are doing breaking into an orphanage so dirt-poor that it has to struggle just to provide basic life necessities to its children, but needless to say, it probably ain't good.
A Kenyan machete, also known as a panga.
The last time Anthony Omari had encountered this gang of home invading douchebags, he'd had the advantage of surprise. A noise had awoken him in the middle of the night, and as he Solid Snake'd his way through the Home pursuing the noise, came upon the would-be thieves/kidnappers/child soldier conscription agents/god-knows-what-else jackasses rummaging through one of the rooms.
Omari shouted, and when the guys turned to see what the hell was going on, he whipped a hammer into the face of the closest guy, chucking this thing like a tomahawk and hopefully cracking him in the teeth with the claw end.
The gang had seen enough. They ran for it.
The next night they came back looking for revenge. And now they were all in Omari's bedroom, carrying ferocious machetes like a horrible posse of orphan-hating Jason Voorhees.
But Anthony Omari wasn't impressed by this cowardly display of dickhead behavior. In a super-scary situation that would have resulted in most rational human beings wetting the bed and then dying, he did the last fucking thing these guys expected.
He reached under his bed and pulled out his thief-smashing hammer.
As soon Omari pulled out the vicious instrument of blunt-force douchebag annihilation that had wrecked their shit so hard the night before, the dude who had been on the receiving end of Omari's 90 mph fastball of blunt force trauma immediately had post-traumatic stress disorder flashbacks and, in a knee-jerk reaction, threw his machete right at Omari's head. Omari ducked, the machete clattering against the wall, then rolled out of bed, weapon at the ready, determined to take down three assholes with machetes at the same time and protect those fucking orphans at all costs.
The thugs didn't know what the hell hit them. Omari charged in, swinging hard, beating back three giant thugs with machetes. Screaming like a madman, not only to make himself more intimidating but to warn the children what was going on, Omari rushed ahead, furiously clubbing at his enemies. After a brief, intense battle, Omari somehow managed to force the intruders out of his room, down the hall, and finally sending them retreating out the front door of the Home, chasing them out into the yard.
With all three men out in the front yard, Omari continued to menace them with his weapon (a home improvement tool which, somehow, in the hands of this righteously hardcore badass was even more threatening than a trio of gigantic machetes). Then, from behind, he heard the sounds of children crying – the kids had come to the door, and now were frightened by the battle taking place inside their home.
Overcome with worry for the kids, Omari ran back to the open door, quickly trying to assure the kids that everything was alright. He turned back around just in time to see a machete swing down at his face.
But Anthony Omari didn't go down immediately. Bleeding intensely from the face, his vision obscured by blood and rapidly becoming dimmer and more blurry by the minute, Omari swing wildly, connecting with his assailant, driving the cowardly asshole back once again. Stumbling, his strength failing him, Omari ran to the front door of the home, closed it, and locked it. Only after the orphans were safe did he allow himself to pass out.
It took 11 stitches, and it's going to leave the kind of badass scar that action movie characters can only dream about (the closest thing that comes to mind is Kurt Russell in Soldier) but after only two days in the hospital Omari was back at the Faraja Children's Home, taking care of his beloved orphans once again.
In the end, Anthony Omari saved the orphans not only with his hammer, but with his incredible story of personal bravery in the face of incomprehensible danger. When word of his battle reached Ben Hardwick, a 21 year-old Penn State student working as an intern at a facility nearby, Ben came to talk to him. Impressed by the story, and further concerned for the safety of both Omari and the children, Hardwick put the dude's story up on Reddit, asking for $2,000 in donations so Omari could build a bigger fence to keep those assholes out.
He received $65,000 in the first twenty-four hours. At last count, the total was up to $83k in donations from Blues Brothers in 46 countries, or roughly 40 times the amount requested – more than enough to build the 8-foot stone fence Omari needed, plus new beds for the kids (some of whom were just sleeping on mattresses on the floor), two full-time night security guards, and extra padlocks for the doors, while still having enough left over to purchase dogs that shoot bees out of their mouths and automated robotic anti-douchebag defense turrets. For a tiny, cash-strapped orphanage in a remote part of Kenya that has spent the last decade struggling just to provide food for their children, eighty grand can go a long way.
"I was sitting on the floor just watching the donations come in. I just couldn't believe it — $83,000 is what it's at now. I still get chills just thinking about it, and it's only been five or six days"
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We have had so much rain that things are pretty soggy right now, but that was not an issue where we rode. The route was not a new one, so I did not take too many pics. We were pretty focused on moving it as this is a 5.5 hour ride at a decent pace. (More pics here from the last time on this ride where we did take more pics).
This was a new route for some. We had Ed the Tall, Navy Mike, Weekend Warrior, and FFW on this ride and they were placing themselves in my hands for the day. The fools. But they are all fit dudes and good riders so I expected a good pace. FFW is over 50 and is a climbing genie, seemingly levitating up the slopes. He led the big climbs while Ed was just a bit back from that having been off the bike with knee issues lately. Mike, WW and I made up the rear section of the pack.
|Navy Mike all smiles at the start. Ignorance is bliss after all.
|Ed The Tall on the JET9, XL version.
I have a test bike in the house right now, a very white and very XL new JET9 from Niner. This is the type of epic ride that the JET9 was made for, so I wanted to get another rider on it to contrast my thoughts on the bike so far. I have found it to be a super ride for long day rides over varied terrain. It climbs well without Propedal, although it is there if you want it, tracks the ground quite nicely thanks to the CVA rear suspension, and feels solid overall (where the first generation JET9 was a bit flexy).
|I asked Ed if he would buy a JET9...he said, "Yep". Man of few words, that Ed.
The recent rains have really soaked the ground and there were little waterfalls and cricks running everywhere. Yes, I said 'crick'. Look it up, city boy. This area is unique in the rock formations here. There are signs of Native American presence here if you know where to look.
|Hard to see, but there is a waterfall here.
At the top of the second climb, Navy Mike is no longer smiling. This is a pretty good grunt of at least an hour, maybe 90 minutes and it comes after a 45 minute climb that we warmed up with. As well, beyond this point along the ridge, there are many false summits to make you go "uuughhh".
|Navy Mike and Weekend Warrior at the top of the second pitch. Less smiling here.
It was not only FFWs birthday, but also WWs (well, within a week or so) so both of them enjoyed a metric 50 miler+ to celebrate their milestones. Good going! Old guys rule.
We hit up the country store to lick our wounds. I had run out of water at the middle of the last singletrack downhill, so this was good timing. That was 100oz of Elete tinted water in the Camelback and one bottle of 50/50 Cytomax. For the first time in a long time, I got one leg cramp in the same place as before...inside/right/thigh at adductors. I think there is something out of balance that I need to work through here.
|Navy Mike, WW, Ed the Tall, FFW, left to right. All hail the conquering heroes.
On the way back, FFW was spinning down the road in his 1000 mile Double Century road weenie jersey off the front and WW was tucked in behind. We were all just beyond earshot when they rode right past a crucial turn off the highway and disappeared around the corner. See you boys. Moral of this story? If you don't know the route, don't be in the lead.
They figured it out soon enough, had backtracked a couple of miles, and came rolling into home base with tails tucked between their legs like two lost lambs. Funny, but someone had to do it. Glad it was the birthday boys. They needed the extra miles to work off all that B-Day cake, I guess.


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17 December, 2008
13 December, 2008
Tagged in a Meme! 5 Things
I got tagged in a meme by Sasha of Yankee in a New World, a resource for people living or traveling in Europe, targeted specifically to Americans who want to stay connected with home.
This is just for fun and has little to do with travel. Here are the Five Things Meme questions:
What are 5 things you were doing ten years ago?
- Studying in unit 6B at SBUES (South Brunswick Upper Elementary School) with Mr. Miller as my homeroom teacher.
- Dating a boy for 2 weeks, my longest relationship to that point.
- Hanging out with Mashaal Ahmed, Shweta Desai, Christina Amatto, Crystal Stepp, and a bunch of other now-distant friends.
- Being a smartie pants in math class.
- Looking forward to the next bomb scare so we could all get out of class early and go to Pierre's Italian Deli. This was pre-9/11 and post-Columbine.
What are 5 Things on your to do list for today?
- Work on my Technology in Marketing paper that's due Tuesday. I need to come up with an ethical issue in marketing that involves technology (such as privacy issues, security issues, etc) that is not terribly dry or boring to write about.
- Figure out a killer outfit for tonight's Heinously Atrocious Christmas Sweater Party.
- Update Facebook photos - people are bugging me and I'm only up to September.
- Eat dinner.
- Go to bed at a normal hour so I can be productive tomorrow.
What are your 5 Favorite Snacks?
- Avacoado in any form - guacamole with tortilla chips, sliced on a salad, etc.
- Cheese. Especially the Cracker Barrel cheddar sticks, but any kind I can get my hands on will do.
- Smartfood white cheddar popcorn.
- Almond Joy, when I'm in the mood for chocolate. Or Andes chocolate around the holidays.
- Dried cranberries. They're good for you (especially if they're "no sugar added" and easy to pack for on-the-go snacking.
What would you do if you were a Millionaire?
- Like Sasha, I'd love to pay off my student loans first.
- Buy an apartment so I wouldn't have to rent anymore. NYC would be nice, if a million dollars would even cover it.
- Invest some so I'd have an income with the interest.
- Go on a shopping spree.
- Buy a hybrid car.
Where are 5 places you have lived?
- My parent's house
- Several college dorms
- A sorority house / mansion on the side of a mountain
- An apartment in Philadelphia
- In Second Life
- And bonus: An apartment in Rome, Italy
12 December, 2008
Hope's Chest: Do You Have Old Prom Dresses?
The teens at my church in NJ are working with the community to collect lightly worn, cleaned prom dresses, long evening dresses, nice bridesmaid dresses and accessories (evening bags, shawls, formal shoes and costume jewelry). These will be given to juniors or seniors who may not be able to afford new gowns for the 2009 Proms. Please help give these young ladies the prom of their dreams by bringing your lightly-used dressed back from the winter break with you.
I will accept your donations during the spring semester before the donation days on Sat., 3/21/09 and Sun., 3/22/09. St.Barnabas Church is located on 142 Sand Hill Road, Monmouth Junction NJ, 08852, so you can also bring them there between 9am - Noon if you are nearby. For more information, visit the Church's website at www.stbarnabas-sbnj.org or get in touch with Wanda Garrin firstname.lastname@example.com or Linda Grant firstname.lastname@example.com.
Girls from the expanded community (South Brunswick, North Brunswick, Trenton, New Brunswick, Franklin etc…) are welcome to these dresses until our inventory runs out. Students must present a valid ID. "Shopping" days are Sat., April 18, 2009 and Sat., April 25, 2009 from 10 am – 1 pm at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church.
09 December, 2008
5 Signs That You're a Tech-Savvy Individual
- You know the difference between a mouse and mice.
- You know at least the first step in double-sided printing.
- You can send an e-mail with an attachment, without any attachment.
- You have thought about saying "lol" out loud, rather than actually laughing.
- You can put a white sock in the washing machine and take out a pink sock.
For those of us getting a bit stressed out over finals and life. I thought I'd write this to lighten the mood. Pass on if you liked it!
06 December, 2008
Happy 4th Birthday, Numa Numa Dance!
- The Numa Numa dance has its fourth anniversary tonight, actually at this very moment because I am posting the entry exactly 4 years after the original was uploaded on Newgrounds flash community, back when webcams still pixelated your face if you moved too much.
- The Romanian, "Dragostea Din Tea" song used in this video was recently resampled in Rihanna's song, "Live Your Life," a credit to its ubiquity and legacy.
- According to many sources, the Numa Numa video has been seen a few HUNDRED MILLION times around the web, making it one of the most popular "viral" videos of all time (according to a few sources, the second most popular). However, according to other statistics, such as the "NewNuma" channel on YouTube where this was found, Gary Brolsma didn't do as well in subsequent attempts at stardom. I think part of "viral" is how organic it all is. Many marketers are now realizing that you can't PLAN viral. Viral is a thing which occurs, not a thing that is. So, enjoy the laugh and the spontaneous entertainment provided here, and "miia hii miia haa" along.
If that's not enough, read Cesar Brea's "Dissecting Numa Numa" for some in-depth analysis and pondering on whether this Brolsma video may have been a bit more than just a happy accident.
04 December, 2008
Gadget I've Been Dreaming Of
Just learned of a new gadget via this press release: "SANYO Internet Radio Makes It Easy to Listen to Thousands of Free Internet Radio Stations, With No Computer Required."
Silly me, I've been searching "bluetooth speakers" for so long now I was beginning to give up on the idea of a wireless music-listening experience. But this solution uses your existing wifi connection to connect directly to the internet, giving you access to internet radio stations and your own shared music from anywhere in the house.
It's so quiet downstairs right now. We don't have a CD player / radio / mp3 dock. Just a TV with basic cable. And the only noise from that contraption comes on Sundays during the football games, now that the political debates are over. I'd love to bring some music into our lives without having to burn CDs all the time, or relying on traditional FM radio to play the songs we like. Unfortunately this Sanyo thingamajig (omg: ff spellchecker knows thingamajig - did I add that myself?) won't be out in the US until January 2009. So no pleading with Santa possible :-(
01 December, 2008
Happy CyberMonday
I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday break. Did you shop on Black Friday? I didn't make it out this year but I hope the sales continue to Christmas so I can shop in peace! All the "door busters" and "last minute sales" and "today only" things drive me a little nuts.
I saw a lot of good deals on Thanksgiving, but I haven't been in the shopping mood lately. There's a lot of stuff I'd "like to have" but I think I'll wait until December 26 to spend my hard-earned savings from my internship this semester. Plus I have to get my car fixed from the fender-bender I had a few weeks ago. I don't know if the economy is contagious or what, but I've been in a SAVING mood lately. So strange! (Che strano!)
Did you go out and shop or did you buy online? According to the National Retail Federation, Americans spent an average of about 7% more this year than last over the Thanksgiving weekend. So despite this declining economy, retailers did well this weekend. They say online shoppers helped a lot.


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When Art Becomes a Sin
A swing seat fashioned from a pedal-driven rickshaw sways back and forth in a dimly-lit space. In the background, on a series of huge panels, a naked man and a naked woman assume different photographic poses in a utopian jungle. There are no obscene gestures or positions. White circles neatly conceal both models' genitals, as well as the woman's breasts. The whole artistic installation is vaguely reminiscent of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. "Pinkswing Park" is the title of this work by Indonesian artists Agus Suwage and Davy Linggar, which was briefly shown in Jakarta in September 2005 at the CP Biennale, the leading international exhibition of contemporary art in Indonesia.
At the time, the artists, models and curators had no idea that they would soon find themselves at the heart of a heated debate on pornography. Since the male nude model is none other than the popular soap star Anjasmara, several tabloids and TV gossip show producers sent reporters to cover the event, which usually attracts only minor interest among the general public.
Two weeks later, 250 supporters of the radical Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) descended on the show and declared the work a blasphemous representation of Adam and Eve, forcing the exhibition to close. Since then, the affair has gone to the courts, and Suwage and his colleagues face a possible 5-year prison sentence on charges of producing pornography.
Legal punishment for kissing
The artists' timing couldn't have been worse. It just so happens that the Indonesian parliament is currently debating controversial new laws on pornography, and the artwork has become a test case. If the proposed legislation passes in its current form, public kissing and erotic dance movements could be punishable with long prison terms, along with anyone flaunting "a sensual body part" (including hips, navel and plunging necklines) in films, songs, books, photos and paintings. "We are not interested in the artistic technique of these so-called works of art. This is about pornography – and as long as it is easily accessible, it undermines the morals of our nation," says Habib Riziek, head of the FPI and a leading proponent of the new bill.
Meanwhile the FPI and other Islamic groups and parties are mobilizing their supporters against other targets, including mass demonstrations to block the planned publication of an Indonesian edition of Playboy. In Jakarta, Police have seized hundreds of thousands of hardcore VCDs, porn magazines and men's publications, including FHM and Rolling Stone. Balkan Kaplale heads the parliamentary committee finalizing the proposed new legislation and is confident that the anti-pornography laws will already be in effect by June: "This is the only way that we can prevent publications like Playboy. In Indonesia it would be a time bomb. Who can guarantee that these magazines will not fall into our children's hands and corrupt the next generation?"
Indonesian traditions would become illegal
Women's organizations are alarmed. They fear that the new laws could reduce women to mere objects, and place them under constant control. Critics also point out that the definition of pornography is far too vague: "Women in Indonesia have always worn sexy clothing. Even our traditional costumes are rather tight-fitting. This law has nothing to do with our culture. We still have bare-breasted women on Bali and Papua", says women's activist Gadis Arriva.
The head of Bali's tourism authority has also expressed deep concern. Gede Nurjaya says that the embattled tourism industry on the island can ill afford to have foreign tourists arrested for taking sunbaths on the beach. "According to these new laws, traditional dances and art on Bali could become illegal," comments Nurjaya.
Women's activists, artists, and representatives of the entertainment industry see the anti-pornography movement as part of a broader agenda to transform the multi-cultural democracy of Indonesia into a strict Islamic state. In this day and age of globalization, pornography is perceived as a symbol of decadent Western culture, which many Muslims believe is out to destroy Islamic culture.
Agus Suwage is convinced that the Islamists intend to make an example of him. The 47-year-old has joined other artists in founding a movement to resist this development. In late February, the Indonesian Arts Community for Civil Liberties published a manifesto defending the freedom of artistic expression. "It's very dangerous for freedom of expression, but it also threatens many other aspects of society," warns Suwage. "I simply don't believe that an image can change a person's moral attitudes. Morals come from deep inside each individual."
Christina Schott
© Qantara.de 2006
Translated from the German by Paul Cohen
Between Piety and Modern Life
How Moderate Is Indonesian Society?
Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, is currently doing its level best to position itself as a leader of moderate Islam in Asia. Stephen Fleay reports
Islamism in Indonesia
Democracy's Enemy Within
Indonesia's Justice and Prosperity Party, PKS, threatens Indonesia with ballots more than bullets, writes Sadanand Dhume. It shares the radical beliefs of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and threatens the nation's success in a globalizing world
Syncretism in Indonesia
Where Islam Mixes with Old Rituals
Many Indonesian Muslims still practice a rather syncretistic mix of beliefs, combining Islam with other cultural and religious traditions. They are often criticized by Muslim purists for their eclecticism. Christina Schott reports


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Unless the Dodgers expand their postseason starting rotation beyond three pitchers, there will be no rest for the weary the remainder of the National League Championship Series.
Ricky Nolasco is the scheduled Game 4 starter for the second consecutive postseason series. Should his spot in the rotation be passed over again today, it could mean Dodgers starters will be pitching on short rest the remainder of the NLCS.
Manager Don Mattingly left the door open for Zack Greinke to start today in what would be the first on three days rest in his nine-year career. Clayton Kershaw likely would follow with a Game 5 start on short rest.
Mattingly acknowledged the result of Game 3 could affect who will take the mound Game 4, but even when the Dodgers weren't desperate during the NLDS they aligned their rotation as if they were.
Now that the Dodgers are desperate, Greinke would seem the more likely option today. Of course, there are dynamics currently in play that weren't applicable in the NLDS.
Starting Kershaw on three days rest in the NLDS-clinching Game 4 set up a NLCS rotation that began with the ideal pairing of Greinke in Game 1 and Kershaw in Game 2, with both pitchers on normal rest.
Should the exclusive three-man rotation — and the series — continue long enough, Greinke, Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu could start the final three games of the NLCS on three days rest.
All Nolasco can do is wait in anticipation of his first career postseason start.
"Until somebody says otherwise, I'm focused on going out there and pitching (todayy)," Nolasco said. "Those things are out of my control. I'm only concentrating on the things I can control."
Even the ideal scenario of a 2-1 lead over the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS wasn't enough to earn Nolasco a start following a rocky end to his regular season. After posting an 8-1 record after being traded to the Dodgers from the Miami Marlins on July 6, Nolasco posted a 12.75 earned-run average over his final three starts of the regular season.
Having admitted to weeks of discussion over replacing Nolasco with Kershaw in the NLDS, the Dodgers likely have been talking for some time about Greinke taking the mound for Game 4 of the NLCS today.
Prior to Monday's game, Mattingly freely admitted he wasn't sure who would start Game 4.
"Well, we don't know," Mattingly said. "Ricky's ready to go. I'll probably be able to tell you a lot more after the game."
Nolasco hasn't made a start since Sept. 25, but said he threw around 80 pitches in a simulated game at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday.
Waiting in limbo isn't easy, but Nolasco is doing his best to prepare for the most significant start of his life.
"I think anybody would want to pitch in a postseason game," Nolasco said. "You're pretty pumped up and get some adrenaline going. Just stay focused. When they tell me, hey, my time will come."


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Seeding date can have an effect on everything from fertilizer use to disease development.
By Robert Klein, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Seeding date can have a major effect on winter wheat yields. Wheat seeded early uses more soil water in the fall, leaving less in the profile for yield production. One research study showed a 50 bu./acre yield difference in the same field between a low-lying area with sufficient moisture and the rest of the plot where moisture was limited. Also, early planted wheat will face insect, weed, and disease pressures for a longer period in the fall.
How Seeding Date Affects Tiller Development
Date of seeding greatly affects development of tillers in winter wheat, the source of as much as 70% of the grain yield in a normal year. Seeding during the optimum period enables wheat to form sufficient but not excessive tillers. Early seeding results in too many fall tillers, which may compete with each other, become diseased, and deplete soil moisture so that grain yields are low. Late seeding gives plants little time to develop tillers, resulting in an inadequate numbers of spikes (heads) for high yields the following spring.
Senescence and death may eliminate excessive tillers that form during the fall. Conversely, if too few tillers develop during fall, additional tillers may form during spring; however, the yield potential may differ between tillers that develop during fall and those that develop during spring.
Tillering also enables the plant to adapt to different conditions. Few tillers develop when moisture, nutrition, and other conditions are poor, whereas numerous tillers that increase the yield potential form when conditions are favorable.The recommended seeding date represents a goal for seeding completion. As farm size and the number of acres increases for individual farmers, so does the length of time needed to complete seeding. The goal should be to have all the wheat planted by the ideal date. Plan your field order for planting accordingly. For example, plant higher elevation fields and those containing sandy soil first and leave lower fields and those with higher clay content until last.
How Planting Date Affects Fertilizer Use
If the seeding date is delayed or growing conditions prevent or delay root growth to the dual placement fertilizer band, seed fertilizer placement is the preferred application method. Poor root growth for whatever reason limits root-fertilizer contact and tillering, which affects yield.
How Planting Date Affects Disease Problems
Delayed planting dates also may be due to a need to avoid wheat streak mosaic virus, Russian wheat aphid, crown and root rot, and too much fall growth. Excessive fall growth causes excessive moisture use and stress. There are several other reasons for planting early. One is to get adequate ground cover to avoid erosion from wind and water. Another is to get adequate plant growth to assure winter hardiness. A third reason is to quicken maturity the following summer and avoid excessive heat stress.
Research Shows Effect of Wheat Planting Date on Yield
A study by Kansas State University to determine how seeding date affects tiller development and productivity of winter wheat was conducted in a corn/soybean rotation at Hutchinson, Kan. Two hard red winter wheat varieties, Jagger and 2137, were planted on four dates in the fall of 1995 (Table 2). The first date, September 28, was during the early part of the recommended period, September 26 to October 20. The second date, October 11, was one day after the Hessian fly-free date, and the last two dates, October 28 and November 11, were after the recommended period. Wheat varieties were planted at 60 lb/ac of seed in plots. Plots received 70 lb/ace of nitrogen and 25 lb/ac of phosphorus before planting and 50 lb/ac of nitrogen in late February 1996.
Data for Jagger and 2137 were pooled, since results for the two varieties were similar. Nearly equal numbers of seedlings emerged after all planting dates except October 11, when considerably more plants emerged (Table 2). Plants from the first two dates tillered profusely, developing most of their tillers before they became dormant in late fall. Plants from the latter two seedings did not form any tillers before they became dormant, but those from the October 28 seeding developed a few tillers over winter. Only 46% and 65% of the fall tillers on plants from the first two dates, respectively, survived the winter, whereas 100% of the fall tillers on plants from the last two dates survived. About 50% to 60% of the surviving fall tillers from the first two dates formed spikes, while approximately 80% of the surviving tillers from the last two dates produced grain.
Plants from the first three seeding dates developed nearly 600 spring tillers per square yard, but plants from the last date formed only 213 spring tillers per square yard (Table 2). About 30% of the spring tillers from the first two dates, 45% of the spring tillers from the third date, and 68% of the spring tillers from the fourth date produced grain. The total number of productive spikes ranged from 260 to 552 per square yard or 1.8 tillers per plant from the last seeding to 3.4 tillers per plant from the first seeding.
2013 Midwest Crop Tour: South Dakota Roundup
Putin Clamps Down on Ukraine Exports to Sway Kiev into Venture


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My friend Katie had her birthday this week. I crocheted her a cheeseburger purse! A couple weeks ago I came across a picture of a woman who sewed a donut purse out of felt. It inspired me to make junk food purses of my own. Luckily Katie's birthday fell around this time and she received my first one. I'm also thinking of making a pizza purse too.
I didn't follow a pattern, I just winged it (wong it? wanged it??). I used worsted Red Heart yarn and a size 4.0mm crochet hook. It's a pretty cool bag if I do say so myself. I took it out on a date to Little Big Burger so I could shoot some photos with it.
Name: Birthday Burger Bag
Pattern: my own
Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver
Hook: 4.0mm
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Birthday Burger Bag
Posted by MaiyaMayhem at 1:19 PM
Labels: bag, birthday, cheeseburger, crafts, crochet, diy, eugene, hamburger, katie aaberg, oregon, purse, tote, yarn
1 comment:
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Is it a canine revolution?
When Jackson Herald editor Mike Buffington left work Friday around 6 p.m., he found several pieces of dog poop scattered along the sidewalk in front of the newspaper's office in Jefferson.
"I guess Fido didn't like my editorial this week," he said.
The freshly broken pieces of fecal matter were spread about 8 ft. apart in the middle of the sidewalk starting at the newspaper's property line.
The newspaper is offering a reward of two bones to any canine who fingers, uh paws, the offender.
"Scooby Doo's on the case," Buffington said.
Dog poops at Herald
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As the initial burst of postwar house building swelled to fulfill the demand, mere affordability could not be relied upon to satisfy an increasingly demanding marketplace. 'Business Week' magazine remarked as early as 1953 that new buyers were beginning to expect more in their home purchases, and builders were going to have to be creative to satisfy their increasingly discriminating tastes. Eichler would continue to improve his designs—adding rooms and refining the plans—and his architects continued to refine their distinctively minimalist aesthetic. The elegant, stripped-down look and indoor-outdoor connections of this open planning suited an idiosyncratic but growing segment of the Bay Area population. In the South Bay, that included engineers and researchers who worked in the developing aerospace industry. The pure forms of Eichlers homes would appeal to this engineering crowd, who thrilled to the clarity of Eichler's solution to the modern California house. The author David Beers recalls his Lockheed-engineer father enthusing about the Eichlers. "The Eichler design stunned us," he said. "The low lines, all that glass. It had this California look to it." Feelings similar to this engineer's were common throughout the early subdivisions. A 1951 Stanford University business school survey noted the aspect of the Eichler homes that residents liked the most was the "modern design." The second most appreciated was the radiant heating, suggesting again the large numbers of engineering types who were attracted to the homes. Elsewhere in the Bay Area, the Eichler design appealed to a variety of people with specialized tastes, from researchers at Stanford to artists and architects in Marin.
Former Eichler salesman and three-time Eichler homeowner Frank LaHorgue indicates that Eichler residents have always been an interesting collection of people. He recalls that when he interviewed prospective buyers, it did not take long for him to decide whether they would be a good prospect. The Eichler buyers were a very heterogeneous group, he said—different races and ages—but all of them shared certain "core tendencies." They tended to be somewhat adventurous and often creative. Many were doctors, architects, and advertising people, none of which was looking for a traditional house. Those qualities that united Eichler buyers made them good neighbors regardless of their backgrounds, and the mix—unusual for suburban developments—made for especially vital communities.
Over time, the makeup of Eichler neighborhoods has often defied the stereotypical suburban demographic. Whereas suburbs are more often defined by a cycle of ownership from young families of fairly uniform income in newer developments to older, wealthier, and retired people in the more established neighborhoods, Eichler communities have tended to retain a broader cross section of residents. LaHorgue cites his own neighborhood of Upper Lucas Valley as an example, where retired people on fixed incomes live next door to the affluent and upwardly mobile. The income distribution suggests that there is something more compelling about an Eichler subdivision than prestige. Whereas a generally acknowledged sign of success, as well as a means to establish wealth, is a home in a "good neighborhood," there would seem to be plenty of Eichler residents who could afford luxurious settings, but chose instead to stay in their more modest, but perhaps more hospitable, communities.
The mix of people—old, young, affluent and middle-income, those with young families and those whose children have grown - compose a community more often associated with urban areas or traditional villages than with the transient suburban metropolis. The hospitality of Eichler Homes' community planning seems particularly well developed at Lucas Valley, where a combination of elements - both fortuitous and preconceived - create a suburban model that might challenge some of the assumptions at the foundations of more ambitious and self-conscious efforts of the New Urbanists. Unlike the traditional town forms proposed by some of these architects, Lucas Valley suggests that modern planning can enable the patterns and habits of everyday life better than nostalgic replays of old village themes. Lucas Valley, with its rural backdrop, semi-casual arrangement of streets and multipurpose community center, seems to offer ample opportunities for the kind of formal social gatherings and accidental meetings between neighbors and neighbor children that traditional urban settings are famous for. At the same time, the houses offer the degree of privacy that may enable residents to be more tolerant of one another's differences than if they were always on display by way of the front porch or picture window.


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Child Safe Blinds & Shades
- Ensures the safest room for children
- All products have cord-free options
- WCMA approved cordless options
- Cordless operation is easy at low heights
- Add motorization for hard to reach windows
Blindsgalore supports the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) and the Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA) in providing window treatments that meet the highest standards in cord safety to avoid any unwanted injuries or mishaps. The WCMA has created the Certified Best for Kids label to help identify products that are both suitable and strongly recommended in homes with young children. This certification program is the first of its kind and cordless lift options with this label have undergone rigorous third-party testing to ensure they meet stringent safety criteria. Select lift options labeled as Certified Best for Kids for utmost safety. Blindsgalore also recommends upgrading to a motorized blind or shade when available for extra protection and greater accessibility. Window treatment options that have been Certified Best for Kids are the smartest and safest choice for all of your blinds and shades.
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customer reviews for child safety
"Easy process to find, order and install blinds"
By Mike from Vail
We renovated a Mountain Cabin in CO, and these blinds were the perfect compliment to our decor. Trying to match a sample to the website was a little difficult but they do offer to send a sample if you can't decided from the photo on the website. We were pressed for time, so we took the best match and it turned out perfect. Installation was easy, and the quality added to the renovation. We are very happy with this product.View this product
"Simply Beautiful"
By Golfergirl from Indiana
I love my 2" Estate wood blinds. Our home was built in the 1890's and I love the blinds because they look great without additional drapes or valances. I prefer simple.View this product