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Each and every week, we at EC&M select one of the latest and greatest products the industry has to offer, presenting it every Monday morning on our Web site as the Product of the Week. Because we're committed to bringing you the best new products and innovations the electrical industry has to offer, we continue to make it a priority to carefully go through every press release we receive. Considering the overwhelming number of new product press releases we get on a weekly basis, that's quite an undertaking. Featuring everything from ballasts to testers to work boots, you never know what you'll find as the featured product, but you can be sure it's something unique and useful. So just in case you haven't made it to www.ecmweb.com lately, here's a compilation of the chosen products from the past 52 weeks.
LED fixture
May 28, 2007 — Designed to replace 75W to 250W HID light sources in hazardous location applications, the SafeSite LED fixture meets UL Class 1, Division 2 requirements, allowing for installation on walls, stanchions, and pendent mounts with 1-inch or ¾-inch conduit entrances with an internal splice box for full retrofit capabilities. According to the company, the fixture provides better quality light, higher fixture efficiency, and 30% greater energy efficiency than traditional HID light source technology. The fixture provides "instant" on response, long life, and "T" rating levels of T4 and T5.
Circle 300
Fluorescent tube replacement
June 4, 2007 — The EverLED TR fluorescent tube replacement allows existing fluorescent fixtures to be converted to LEDs by simply changing the bulb. The product uses the existing fluorescent ballast to achieve the equivalent light output of the tube it replaces. Mercury- and lead-free, the 48-in.-long "S" model T8 replacement is available in five industry-standard shades of white, providing the equivalent light output of a 40W tube while consuming 25W. In addition, it is made of recyclable materials and has a 10-year service life, according to the company.
Circle 301
Adjustable downlight
June 11, 2007 — The DL2DGZ adjustable downlight features a round, recessed, adjustable trim with a round, regressed, black, knife-edged aperture. According to the company, its die-cast interior eliminates aperture flash and glare. In addition, the product's die-cast gear drive has a two-axis self-locking adjustment of fixture rotation and tilt to 45° when using it with up to a ⅝-in. ceiling or 30° with a 1-in. ceiling. The trim is available for use with low-voltage halogen, 20W MR-16 HID, or 39W MR-16 HID-style lamps. An optional ceiling-mounted appliqué is available for zero sightline applications.
Lucifer Lighting
Circle 302
Plugs and receptacles
June 18, 2007 — The Decontactor Series of plugs and receptacles is UL-approved for use as a motor circuit disconnect switch and as a branch circuit disconnect switch. According to the company, the units feature an integral switching mechanism that helps ensure the safe make or break of live connections and that the contacts are dead before the plug can be removed. In addition, when re-inserting the plug into the receptacle, the male contacts do not engage the live female contacts until after they are fully enclosed inside the device's arc chambers, thus preventing outside exposure to arc flash — even in short-circuit conditions up to 100kA. They are available in sizes up to 200A or 60 hp.
Circle 303
Power protection system
June 25, 2007 — The Pulsar MX 5000 RT power and battery module and Pulsar MX Frame is a fully scalable solution that can grow as customers' power needs increase. Using 3U (5.25 in.) for the combination of power and battery sub-modules, the 5kVA 3U rackmount/tower units feature hot-swappable battery and power sub-modules, auto battery-test, switched outlets, multilingual LCD display, and intuitive power management software that is compatible with most popular operating systems — including Microsoft's Vista. For high-density rack environments, the 15kVA and 20kVA models can be used as standalone or integrated into a standard 19-in. rack.
MGE Office Protection Systems
Circle 304
Blueprint layout grid
July 2, 2007 — E-Z Scale is a translucent scaled grid sheet that is laid over blueprints or scale drawings to obtain fast and accurate scaled measurements in two directions at one time, according to the company. For quick retrieval, each scale is color-coded and printed on durable, clear vinyl laminate. The set includes one storage envelope and three 8½-in. × 11-in. color-coded translucent grid sheets for ¼-in., ½-in., and 1-in. scale plans.
E-Z Scale
Circle 305
Pull line installation tool
July 9, 2007 — LaserLine propels varying lengths of nylon pull line using a small projectile. Equipped with a laser-sighting device, the tool will accurately install a pull line up to 120 ft in seconds through most web trusses, across suspended ceiling systems, over hard-to-move objects, under subflooring, or in limited access areas. Constructed of quality-machined aluminum with an adonized finish, the kit includes a gun, three darts, two CO2 cartridges, two 1,200-ft line spools, and a rugged carrying case.
West Industries
Circle 306
Daylight harvesting controls
July 16, 2007 — The Servodan line of Luxstat daylight harvesting controllers provides up to three channels of continuous dimming or on/off control from a single photocell. According to the company, individual adjustments of each channel allow for precise control to maximize savings and provide uniform lighting. In addition, the controllers can be integrated with occupancy sensors for automated on/off control. Manual override controls permit adjustment of lighting levels by the occupant.
Hubbell Building Automation
Circle 307
Ballroom floor box
July 23, 2007 — The ballroom box is a multi-service floor box designed for rooms that host large gatherings, meetings, mini trade shows, and other functions, but do not require full-size convention center boxes. The box combines high capacity for power, communication, and AV devices with a cover assembly that has a load rating of 10,000 lb. The cover features a carpet cut-out area that allows it to blend into various carpet styles. In addition, these covers are scrub water-compliant for carpet or tile floor applications.
Circle 308
Earth ground tester
July 30, 2007 — The Fluke 1621 basic earth ground tester detects reliable ground connections in most work environments. The lightweight tester features basic ground testing methods, including 3-pole fall of potential and 2-pole ground resistance, and enables users to capture values with a single button. The instrument also offers automatic noise voltage detection and will alert users to measurements outside of an adjustable limit setting. In addition, it features a large, dual backlit display, a hazardous voltage warning, and a rugged holster.
Circle 309
Premise cable puller
August 6, 2007 — The Kati-Blitz premise cable-pulling device slips around curves and travels through long sections of conduit, as well as pipe systems where cables have already been laid, according to the company. In addition, the device consists of a Polykat fiberglass rod that is manually wound in and out without knotting or forming loops. Threaded rod ends are attached at both ends of the rod, in which cable grips, pulling eyes, or guide heads can be screwed on. With lengths of 50 ft, 100 ft, and 150 ft, the rod is housed in a solid, compact, heavy-duty case.
Circle 310
Electrical safety tester
August 13, 2007 — The Primetest 100 is a battery-powered handheld tester designed to check tools and portable electrical equipment. In addition, the instrument can perform cord polarity tests as well as check that power sockets are wired correctly. Universal graphics on the case of the device guide users through the three test modes available, and a single push-button operation establishes the appropriate sequences for the selected tests. Tests are carried out against preset pass/fail limits, and the large LCD gives a clear pass/fail indication, as well as test values. Supporting PDA-based software also is available, allowing test results to be recorded for subsequent transfer to a PC-stored database or other record-keeping system.
Seaward Group USA
Circle 311
Toolbox wheel caddy
August 20, 2007 — The Hi-Viz toolbox wheel caddy provides mobility for the company's Hi-Viz sit/stand three-tier toolbox. Featuring durable wheels and a rugged axle, the toolbox wheel caddy locks into position and can be maneuvered by a telescoping handle with comfort foam grips. Measuring 20¾ in. × 13½ in. × 16¾ in., the orange-colored sit/stand three-tier toolbox is constructed of weather- and impact-resistant resin. According to the company, positive locking latches help prevent accidental opening, and the lid features a no-slip surface.
Klein Tools
Circle 312
Electronic transformers
August 27, 2007 — This redesigned series of electronic transformers complies with the new UL standard (2108) for low-voltage lighting systems. Using an enhanced "auto reset" function, the transformers are protected against normal and abnormal short circuits for at least 8 hr. In addition, soft-start technology protects both lamps and transformers on cold start-ups. According to the company, the units have been reduced in size by 25%. Heat dissipation of their internal components has also been improved, as well as their reliability and effectiveness. If the case temperature rises above 120°C, the transformers will automatically shut down and continue to cycle until the temperature falls below the 120°C threshold.
W.A.C. Lighting
Circle 313
Transient voltage surge suppressors
September 3, 2007 — This line of transient voltage surge suppressors (TVSS) features thermally protected metal oxide varistor (TPMOV) technology, an advancement that includes a safety feature that shuts down the TVSS to prevent overheating. According to the company, the products can be used without a dedicated breaker and still comply with UL 1449 2nd Edition requirements. Designed for service entrance, distribution, and point-of-use locations, the TVSS line is available in three configurations: wall-mount construction, box extension for attaching directly to the top or bottom of branch panels, or as an integrated construction within the company's panelboards and switchboards.
GE Consumer & Industrial
Circle 314
Reel jack stand
September 10, 2007 — The MaxJax jack stand adjusts to a variety of reels up to 48-in. tall. According to the company, the product's clamping jaws prevent the reels from coming off or falling over when pulling wire. In addition, the jaws are lined with encased bearings, allowing one person to roll off heavy wire. Each stand features a Max Lever, designed to lift the heavy reels off the ground.
Circle 315
Rental power unit
September 17, 2007 — Certified to meet EPA Tier 2 emissions standards, this 1,000kW rental power unit provides temporary power for construction as well as emergency power for commercial buildings, industrial plants, and public works facilities. Other product features include low emissions, increased running time, selectable voltages, and easy operator access for maintainability. Users can choose from two styles: one model that allows quick voltage changes from 208VAC to 480VAC or a 600VAC model. According to the company, running time at 75% load has been increased to 30 hr. In addition, the rental power unit's enclosure features 110% fluid containment, can operate in ambient temperatures up to 113°F (45°C), and produces only 75 dB(A) measured at 23 ft.
Cummins Power Generation
Circle 316
Harmonic mitigating transformers
September 24, 2007 — Guard III harmonic mitigating transformers curb harmonic currents, reduce transformer heating caused by harmonics, and improve upstream power quality, according to the company. UL- and CSA-listed, the units feature a K-factor load profile of 20 and a crest factor load profile of 5. In addition, they meet or exceed NEMA TP-1 and CSA C802.2 efficiencies. Additional product features include copper windings, a 220°C insulation system, and a NEMA 3R enclosure.
GE Consumer & Industrial
Circle 317
October 1, 2007 — Gemini Twin Pack gen-sets feature a rating of 1,000kW. Designed as a replacement for the company's 600kW and 750kW Gemini gen-sets, the product's platform is powered by a pair of 16-liter Volvo 6-cylinder inline Tier II diesel engines — each powering a 500kW alternator at 1,800 rpm. According to the company, up to seven units can be combined and paralleled for applications requiring up to 7MW. In addition, all units are UL 2200 listed.
Generac Power Systems
Circle 318
Power distribution units
October 8, 2007 — Powerware enclosure power distribution units (ePDUs) are designed for data centers across all power densities. According to the company, these PDUs complement UPS systems, distributing power from 24 or 45 receptacles in high-density rack environments or where conditioned power must be distributed to multiple pieces of equipment. Additional product features include: single-phase and 3-phase applications up to 17kW; a user-selectable combination of NEMA, IEC, and hardwired inputs and NEMA and IEC output receptacles; and flexible mounting options, including 1U, 0U, wall, and floor mounting.
Circle 319
Receptacle box installer
October 15, 2007 — The RBI receptacle box installer increases the speed and accuracy of installing electrical outlet boxes, according to the company. The tool includes a built-in "quickcheck" feature that allows users to verify the set of the box with a simple flip. Available in ⅝-in. and ½-in. sizes and three styles, it works on double and triple studs as well as beams and waned lumber.
Alaska Tool Design
Circle 320
Clamp meter
October 22, 2007 — According to the company, the 3291 digital clamp-on hi-tester is the industry's first flip clamp. CAT III 600V safe, the pocket-sized clamp measures conductors up to 30 mm in diameter with a low-profile sensor core that is 8-mm thick. The device can be clamped in place to measure circuit breakers and other conductors as long as there is 12.5 mm of space between wires. In addition, the flip-down display rotates to a maximum of 180°, allowing readings at any angle.
Hioki USA
Circle 321
Adjustable-frequency drive
October 29, 2007 — The V1000 adjustable-frequency drive features a hybrid sink drive that allows side-by-side mounting capability. Offering 25 hp to ⅛ hp, the drive has a 2-msec scan cycle. In addition, the device includes dual ratings — heavy duty (150% overload for 60 sec) and normal duty (120% overload for 60 sec). Other product features include open-loop current vector control, function block diagram programming, and a y-stick option.
Circle 322
Installation templates
November 5, 2007 — According to the company, CUTzOUT Installation Templates are the first reusable templates designed for use with most standard spiral saws and rotary tools. Users can choose from five styles: single-gang, double-gang, StraitCUTz, and two CIRCLEz templates. In addition, some designs are available with two or more patterns each.
Praxis Products
Circle 323
Lockout/tagout storage stations
November 12, 2007 — Ready Access Storage Stations ensure lockout devices remain accessible and ready for use when needed. The stations are available in two styles. The Ready Access Padlock Station holds padlocks, group lockout hasps, and tags. Measuring 7 in. ×13 in. × 2.5 in., the Ready Access Lockout Station offers storage for large and small lockout devices, with a 5-in.-deep storage pocket and four detachable hanging hooks. Both products are made from injection-molded polypropylene and include an attachable handle as well as screw slots for permanent wall mounting. In addition, a semi-transparent cover allows the contents to be viewed while protecting the lockout devices from exposure to harsh chemicals. The cover's lockable feature protects contents from harsh environments.
Circle 324
Safe discharge device
November 19, 2007 — The portable SD300 is a long-life battery-powered tester for use in situations with 1,000VDC and a maximum capacitance of 1,200uf. UL-listed, the device incorporates a two-handed push-button operation to initiate and maintain the energy discharge. According to the company, users are isolated from the discharged energy by a fully insulated and robust instrument case rated at IP66. In addition, it is available with fully shrouded test leads as well as an inbuilt test lead and fuse proving facility. Other product features include an automatic pre-use self test, protection against prolonged connection to live operating circuits, and monitoring of critical component temperatures with automatic cutoff.
Seaward Group USA
Circle 325
Lighting controls
November 26, 2007 — PulseWorx Generation II lighting controls now include a split-phase repeater for enhanced reliability. In addition, the product's new auto-off function allows the load to automatically shut off after a preset period of time. According to the company, LED presets allow keypad buttons to better track the state of the lights. Other product improvements include the ability to activate a flashing alarm scene, a modernized look featuring cool blue LEDs, and a money-back guarantee.
Powerline Control Systems
Circle 326
Lighting control system
December 3, 2007 — The Vari-Ballast Control (VBC) is a standalone energy management system in a box that reduces demand on power in real time, according to the company. The system replaces magnetic ballasts, timers, relays, control panels, and the wiring required to connect individual lighting fixtures to external parts as well as the control panel. Additional product features include: an electronic ballast for fluorescent lighting; microprocessors that regulate the current flow; dimming and monitoring controls with thermal monitoring; and onboard, real-time diagnostics. Measuring 6 in. × 6 in. × 4 in., it provides input voltages from 90V to 300V and variable output wattages from 14W to 430W.
Circle 327
Integrated power module
December 10, 2007 — This integrated power module is designed for use with the company's Mega Snake high-capacity overhead cable tray. According to the company, the overhead power distribution module allows users to terminate electrical requirements right from Mega Snake. The power module simply attaches to the cable tray's accessory rail to offer overhead power distribution. In addition, the module can be pre-configured to a user's electrical requirements.
Snake Tray
Circle 328
Pull box
December 17, 2007 — According to the company, the EZ Form pull box assembles in 15 sec without tools, bending along pre-scored fold lines. In addition, the box's sides interlock and snap in place. Available in three standard sizes with or without knockouts, the product is made of 16-gauge steel and features a grounding provision as well as flat covers that can be removed for easy wiring access.
Circle 329
Flame-resistant fabric
December 24, 2007 — Thinsulate insulation FR has now been quilted to Indura Ultra Soft flame-resistant fabric. Made from a blend of aramid, modacrylic, and polyester fibers, Thinsulate insulation FR is designed as a mid-loft product with quality drape characteristics. According to the company, the fabric's lofty fibrous webs trap more air and contain more of the body's radiant heat than higher-density, needle-punched webs.
Circle 330
Cable tie remover
December 31, 2007 — This cable tie removal tool features a proprietary cutting head design that slips behind a cable tie to pull it away from the wire harness and simultaneously cut it without nicking or damage. Additional product features include double-insulated and cushioned grips, a return spring, lock, and properly leveraged scissor-action cutter. Made from heat-treated alloy steel, the ergonomic hand tool is suitable for retrofitting and repairing wire harnesses in assembly and field service applications. In addition, the product can safely remove plastic, copper, or aluminum cable ties up to ½ in. wide.
ACT Fastening Solutions
Circle 331
Outdoor luminaire
January 7, 2008 — The PathMaster composite LED bollard is an outdoor architectural fixture ETL-listed to UL 1598 and 1838 standards. Designed to provide energy-efficient illumination for normal and emergency use, each light engine uses three white LEDs for illumination and can be applied from one to all four sides of the bollard. In addition, the bollard can be affixed by an anchor base, lag bolts, or direct burial. Fabricated from fiberglass-reinforced polymers, the product's exposed hardware is stainless steel, and the light engines are constructed of die-cast aluminum. Standard finishes include black, bronze, and white. Custom finishes are also available.
Chloride, a Genlyte Co.
Circle 332
LED work light
January 14, 2008 — The TwistBrite LED work light features a flexible neck, allowing the LED bulb to be positioned in multiple directions. In addition, the work light includes a PVC-coated magnet on the base of the unit for quick attachment to metal surfaces. According to the company, the product's LED bulb has a life expectancy of 50,000 hours. The unit operates on three AA batteries, which are included.
Coleman Cable
Circle 333
Industrial-grade power supplies
January 21, 2008 — The Quint SFB family of industrial-grade power supplies features selective fuse breaking (SFB), a technology that provides up to six times nominal current for 12 msec, according to the company. Additional product features include expanded diagnostics and a wide temperature range. The company also says these power supplies are an average of 30% narrower than earlier generations.
Phoenix Contact
Circle 334
Electrical outlet
January 28, 2008 — OutletLinc is an Insteon-compatible electrical outlet designed to replace a standard receptacle. Controllable from any Insteon-compatible wired or wireless controller, the remote-control outlet inserts into any X10 network. In addition, the duplex receptacle features one always-on outlet and one controlled outlet, which the company says can be added to lighting scenes in seconds. Available colors include white, almond, ivory, and black.
Circle 335
Electrical design/drafting software
February 4, 2008 — Design Master Electrical 7.0 is an update to the company's integrated electrical design and drafting software program. New product features include the ability to model electrical systems in 3D, improved photometric calculations, and an expanded voltage list — including less than 50V, U.S. medium voltages, and international low voltages. Additional improvements include equipment schedules, an expanded layer list, improved branch circuit wire sizing calculations, and multiple floors on a single drawing. A 30-day free trial is available for download at the company's Web site.
Design Master Software
Circle 336
Manual transfer switch
February 11, 2008 — StormSwitch ready-to-install commercial manual transfer switches are designed to provide safe, portable generator hook-up to a building when utility power is out. According to the company, integral utility and generator manual disconnects are interlocked to prevent cross connecting the power sources. The disconnects can be supplied as either molded-case circuit breakers or switches. UL-listed, the units feature a safety-interlocked door and dead-front panel.
ESL Power Systems
Circle 337
Electronic equipment cleaner
February 18, 2008 — Contact Cleaner 2000 VC is a precision cleaner designed to remove contaminants from electronic equipment. An alternative to HCFC 141b-based cleaners when sensitive plastics are not a concern, the company says the product has no flash point, is compliant in all 50 states, contains no Class I or Class II ozone depleting chemicals, and is non-flammable. In addition, it is NSF K2 registered for use in meat and poultry plants. Available in a 16-oz aerosol can, the product is not recommended for use on Noryl or polycarbonate-type plastics.
CRC Industries
Circle 338
Fiber-optic downlight
February 25, 2008 — Bebop is a recessed telescopic accent light designed for galleries and displays. Available in three sizes, the accent light can be transformed from its recessed position in a matter of seconds without tools, according to the company. Additional product features include 90° vertical adjustment, 110° horizontal rotation, multiple lens options, and variable beam angles.
Visual Lighting Technologies
Circle 339
"Toolless" cable tie
March 3, 2008 — The Catamount Twist Tail is the industry's first "toolless" cable tie, according to the company. Once the product is in place, no tools are required for removal of the excess length. The tail is removed with a "bend, bend, twist" motion, which the company says leaves behind no sharp edges. Available in 7-in., 11-in., and 14-in. sizes, the product comes in either white or UV-resistant black.
Thomas & Betts
Circle 340
Solar racking system
March 10, 2008 — Designed for residential and commercial applications, the SolaRak solar racking system can be used with almost every type of solar panel from any manufacturer, according to the company. Featuring a low-profile installation, the racking system adapts to any type of roof and uses minimal roof penetrations for a leak-proof fit.
REC Solar
Circle 341
March 17, 2008 — DEMANDflex ballasts feature a wireless control technology to receive commands without the need for extra control wires, making them suitable for both retrofit and new construction applications. The initial product offering includes a 2-lamp F54T5HO ballast and 2-, 3-, and 4-lamp ballasts for F32T8 lamps. According to the company, all ballasts incorporate program start technology, making them suitable for use with occupancy sensors, THD<10%, and universal input voltage. The ballasts also meet or exceed the appropriate CEE high-efficiency requirements, making them eligible for various rebate programs.
Universal Lighting Technologies
Circle 342
Low-bay emergency light
March 24, 2008 — The LBE Series of low-bay LED emergency lights is designed for warehouse, industrial, and retail applications where the typical mounting height is 15 ft to 25 ft. The light is available in two AC variations — a 320W and a 400W pulse-start metal-halide lamp. In addition, the product offers the option of adding LED emergency backup light for 4 hr to 8 hr during a power failure.
Big Beam Emergency Systems
Circle 343
Tool bags
March 31, 2008 — The OT line of open-top tool bags features two large-capacity top-loading compartments designed to carry hand tools and larger items, such as cordless drills, handsaws, and clamps. Constructed of ultra-rugged PVC-impregnated, 1800 denier fabric riveted to a 3-mm injection-molded polypropylene base, the bags come in three sizes to accommodate a range of hand tools and gear to perform a specific task or tasks.
Veto Pro Pac
Circle 344
Fiber-optic cable light
April 7, 2008 — TapeLite is a passive optical lighting flat cable technology. Measuring 0.5-in. to 3.6-in. wide, the product is driven by RGB LED, metal-halide, or quartz halogen illuminators. Because the cable carries no electricity, there are no bulbs to burn out or electro-luminescence to degrade. In addition, color wheels can be added to provide a variety of constant and changeable color options.
Amphenol SpectraStrip/TapeLite
Circle 345
Extension system
April 14, 2008 — The Quick Connect extension system is available in four lengths ranging from 12 in. to 60 in. According to the company, the system enables users to drill holes through multiple joists from one location by customizing the length needed to reach their destination. In addition, the product's ¼-in. quick connect receiver accepts most ¼-in. quick change drilling and pulling accessories with a ¾-in. diameter and under. Four lightweight shafts are available in 12-in., 18-in., 24-in., and 36-in. sizes that weigh between 2 lb and 4 lb.
Greenlee, a Textron Co.
Circle 346
Repair sleeves
April 21, 2008 — Quick Shrink Wrap (QSW) heat-shrinkable wraparound repair sleeves feature self-adhesive tapes as well as the sealing and insulating capabilities of heat-shrinkable tubing. According to the company, the black, adhesive-backed polyolefin wraparound sleeves permit fast, permanent repairs of minor damage to cable insulation without requiring the connector to be removed from the cable prior to repair. Available in flat sheets with widths of 60 mm or 100 mm and lengths of 100 mm, 200 mm, 300 mm, and 400 mm, the product installs with a small propane torch, high-output heat gun, or production oven. In addition, the adhesive bonds to most common insulation materials and to copper, steel, and other metals. With a continuous operating temperature of -45°C to 110°C, the sleeves have a minimum shrink temperature of 70°C, with full recovery at 130°C.
Tyco Electronics
Circle 347
Surge protector
April 28, 2008 — The Eco-Logical Smart Strip surge protector guards electronics from damaging power surges while lowering electric bills, according to the company. When devices are plugged into the control outlet and then go into "sleep" mode, the surge protector automatically cuts power to peripherals, such as computer monitors and speakers. Available in either seven or 10 outlet models, the product includes two or three "always-on" outlets for use with equipment that should not be turned off, such as fax machines, cordless phones, or cable and satellite receivers.
Coleman Cable
Circle 348
Disconnect switch
May 5, 2008 — The PowerSwitch EDSR-23 combines a 30A, 600VAC safety disconnect switch and NEMA locking receptacle in one enclosure. Measuring 6¼-in. wide, the device is slim enough to fit between an I-beam's flanges. In addition, the product accepts standard 20A or 30A NEMA locking flush receptacles rated up to 600V and is shipped complete with grounding plate and wires for connecting the receptacle to the switch. Made from impact-resistant, non-conductive Valox PBT thermoplastic, the enclosure features a spring-loaded flip lid and a bottom hinged cover. Other product features include four mounting feet with 5-position settings, interior wiring space, and drill marks for bottom or top conduit feed.
Circle 349
Conduit fittings
May 12, 2008 — ETP Flexel EMT flexible fittings are available in 1¼-in. to 4-in. trade sizes with stub fittings on both ends to allow for use with set-screw and compression fittings. According to the company, the fittings can couple or connect EMT to other EMT runs, panelboards, or junction boxes when or where a change in direction is needed. In addition, the product maintains internal diameter per NEC specification — even at a full 90° — and can be re-bent at will. UL-listed and CSA-certified, they are suitable for indoor and dry locations wherever EMT is used as a raceway.
EGS Electrical Group
Circle 350
Torpedo levels
May 19, 2008 — The 9-in. Savage and 6-in. Lil' Savage are precision-machined, solid billet aluminum torpedo levels. Both levels feature milled vial ports that capture and reflect light for enhanced readability and accurate measurement of 0°, 30°, 45°, and 90° angles. Top-read viewing windows offer a straightforward view of the 0° and 30° vials. In addition, both tools feature laser-engraved SAE and metric rules. Other product features include rare-earth, neodymium magnets and an extra-wide V-grooved edge that accepts a 10-in. pipe diameter. The Lil' Savage also includes a TRI-LOC "anti-dog" attachment that offers three points of contact that lock the level onto the pipe.
Swanson Tool
Circle 351


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Join us in the Dragoon Taproom on select Saturday mornings for yoga! This is a 21+ event. Please bring your own mat. $6 includes a beer (cash only please!) and you'll enjoy an hour of all levels vinyasa yoga and a beer to follow! 10:30 AM check in, 10:45 class starts. Spaces are first come first serve, please arrive with enough time to check in and grab your spot! Remember to bring your growler to fill, so you can take home some fun!
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Earlier Event: March 1Food Truck: Ricuras de Venezuela
Later Event: March 3Brewery Bootcamp

subset: commoncrawl


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Consumers Pick Their Favorite Vehicles and Exhibit at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show
Chicago Auto Show
February 20, 2013
CHICAGO (February 20, 2013) - For the eighth straight year, consumer voters proclaimed their favorites in five categories in the Chicago Auto Show's "Best of Show" balloting.
In voting conducted over the 10-day public run of the nation's biggest auto show, winners in the contest's five categories were:
Best All-New Production Vehicle: 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (36 percent of vote)
Best Concept Vehicle: Chevrolet "Turbo" Camaro (27 percent of vote)
Best Green Vehicle: Fisker Karma (24 percent of vote)
Best Exhibit: Jeep (27 percent of vote)
Vehicle I'd most like to have in my driveway: 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
"Best of Show voting has become a benchmark measure, and winning in any category is quite meaningful for our manufacturers and exhibitors," said 2013 Chicago Auto Show Chairman Michael Ettleson. "In a year where the show featured three indoor test tracks and six outdoor test drives, consumers had a better chance than ever to evaluate the competitors and let their voice be heard."
Each of the first four winners beat out seven other vehicles. The eight finalists in Best All-New Production Vehicle, Best Concept Vehicle, Best Green Vehicle and Best Exhibit were selected by a jury of automotive experts. In the fifth category, "Vehicle I'd most like to have in my driveway," voters could choose from any of the nearly 1,000 vehicles on the show floor.
According to the results, voters considered the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray the Best All-New Production Vehicle. Though the Stingray took a commanding victory, the SRT Viper and Jaguar F-Type also garnered a considerable number of votes, finishing second and third, respectively.
The Fisker Karma took the honors for Best Green Vehicle. It topped runner-up Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel and third-place finisher Cadillac ELR. The Karma is a strikingly styled luxury sedan with an extended-range electric powertrain.
Best Concept honors went to the defiant Chevrolet Turbo Camaro. Unlike most other concepts, the Turbo Camaro gets a Broadway debut this July in a DreamWorks Animation movie, "Turbo." Runner-up for Best Concept was the elegant Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupe.
Retaining its top spot as Best Exhibit for the third year in a row was the Jeep brand. Jeep's exhibit featured a ride-and-drive experience with an 18-foot drop, rock-climbing wall and mini Jeep course for kids. Posting a close second was the rejuvenated Chevrolet display that featured the new Corvette Stingray and the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado.
Every year the tightest race of all is the pick for "Vehicle I'd most like to have in my driveway." This year was no different as the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and Lamborghini Aventador battled neck and neck to the last day. Chevy fans mashed the gas on the final day to put the new Corvette on top.
In all, nearly 8,500 consumers voted for best of show, which was sponsored by the Chicago Tribune. Each consumer who voted was entered for a chance to win one of five Apple iPads. The awards for Best of Show will be presented to the winning manufacturers at the annual Midwest Automotive Media Association Spring Rally.
For more information about the Chicago Auto Show, please visit www.chicagoautoshow.com.
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GERD patient satisfaction hinges on medication type and physician bedside manner
Patient satisfaction with their medications and the quality of interactions with their doctor reflect the success of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) therapy, according to a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute. "Although patient satisfaction is a complex issue, improvements in recognition of GERD can improve management of the disease as well as patient satisfaction with their care and treatment," said Peter Bytzer, MD, PhD, of Copenhagen University and lead author of the study. "Patient satisfaction can be influenced by a number of factors including treatment regimen, general level of well-being, the 'bedside manner' of the physician, the patient's expectations and the quality of patient/physician communication."
The researchers found that patients who were given prescriptions for proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) tended to be more satisfied than those given H2-receptor antagonists. Partial responders were likely to be more dissatisfied than patients whose symptoms were fully resolved. In addition, a decrease in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was associated with greater dissatisfaction. In fact, decreasing HRQoL was correlated with decreasing satisfaction with medical care in general. Patients were more likely to be satisfied if they were taken seriously by their physician and if their symptoms were investigated. They were also more likely to be satisfied if the patient/physician consultation was interactive.
"Of the various factors influencing patient satisfaction, the quality of patient/physician communication is probably the most amenable to improvement. This can be done by using validated questionnaires to help physicians identify more effectively which symptoms patients have, and the impact of these symptoms on the patient's well-being," added Dr. Bytzer.
Researchers reviewed the possible reasons why patients were dissatisfied with the way their disease is managed. Studies published between 1970 and 2007 were identified from PubMed, EMBASE and the author's existing database; 11 studies were found to be appropriate for use in this review. A key strength of this review was the fact that the searches identified a wide range of studies with varying methodologies.
Typically characterized by frequent or troublesome heartburn and/or acid regurgitation, GERD is a chronic, painful condition that impairs HRQoL. GERD may result in disturbed sleep, reduced productivity at work and impaired daily activities. Despite the efficacy of PPIs as therapeutics for patients with GERD, a number of studies have shown that a proportion of patients with the disease are not satisfied with their treatment. In fact, population-based surveys show that at least one-third of individuals taking medication for GERD are not satisfied with their treatment. This is particularly true for those taking over-the-counter medicines to relieve symptoms.
Source: American Gastroenterological Association
Articles on the same topic
- NYU Langone Medical Center researchers find altered micriobiome prevalent in the diseased esophagusSat, 1 Aug 2009, 4:49:31 UTC
Other sources
- Altered Micriobiome Prevalent In Diseased Esophagusfrom Science DailySat, 1 Aug 2009, 14:14:12 UTC
- Altered micriobiome prevalent in the diseased esophagusfrom PhysorgSat, 1 Aug 2009, 10:56:06 UTC
- NYU Langone Medical Center researchers find altered micriobiome prevalent in the diseased esophagusfrom Science BlogSat, 1 Aug 2009, 5:21:26 UTC
- NYU Langone Medical Center researchers find altered micriobiome prevalent in the diseased esophagusfrom Science BlogSat, 1 Aug 2009, 4:56:11 UTC
- Altered Microbiome Prevalent in the Diseased Esophagusfrom Newswise - ScinewsSat, 1 Aug 2009, 4:49:03 UTC


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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa—Givemore Gift Nhidza is not dead.
Over the last year, several newspapers have reported that Nhidza, a political activist in Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change opposition party, is dead. But he is alive, and like 3 million other Zimbabweans, he is living in South Africa until the day he can return home without fear of being killed or going hungry.
South Africa's refugee population is massive. In 2009, the country received more than 222,000 new asylum requests, according to UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency, making it the No. 1 asylum destination in the world, ahead of the United States, Sweden, France, and Germany. Africans go to South Africa to escape violence and poverty because it is a beacon of stability and economic growth on the continent. They arrive by bus after journeys that last weeks from countries such as Congo, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Sudan, Somalia, and Tanzania. When they get close to the border, those without legal papers walk through the bush and swim across rivers to avoid being sent back.
The vast majority of South Africa's refugees come from Zimbabwe. Approximately one-quarter of that country's population has gone to South Africa in recent years to escape political and economic devastation under the autocratic rule of President Robert Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party. The situation has hardly eased in the last two years, despite the creation of a unity government with the MDC. According to the United Nations, 3.3 million people in Zimbabwe are at risk of hunger, and the country frequently tops lists of the world's most failed states.
To see this crisis firsthand, you only need to visit the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg, where, on any given night, you will find as many as 2,000 homeless Zimbabweans. Young orphans, HIV-positive mothers, and former members of parliament sleep head to foot on the church's floors and staircases. New arrivals show up at the makeshift refugee camp on a daily basis. Médecins Sans Frontières, a humanitarian organization that prides itself on working in the most desperate conditions around the world, runs a clinic next to the church to provide them with medical treatment. Paul Verryn, the 58-year-old bishop who runs Central Methodist, says the refugees started coming in 2002, and perhaps as many as 40,000 have come through the doors since then, staying anywhere from a few nights to months. "Joburg became a magnet for people who were running for their lives," he says. "Their expectation was that they were coming to safety." The reality is entirely different.
The South African government has repeatedly taken a "quiet diplomacy" posture toward Mugabe, and it has labeled Zimbabweans undocumented "economic migrants" and therefore illegal in South Africa and subject to deportation. The refugee crisis, says Human Rights Watch, is really a failure of South Africa's foreign policy to acknowledge the political crisis across its border. Furthermore, refugees are resented by South Africans who believe they have come to take the few jobs that are available to them, and they are vulnerable to attacks like those that killed 60 people in 2008 and reignited after the World Cup.
The root of this violence, says Verryn—whose religious services contain a strong element of liberation theology—is poverty. South Africans are fighting with refugees over the few scraps of opportunity available to the masses. "If this country doesn't face the unacceptable disparity between the rich and the poor," he warns, "we are going to face a deluge of violence that will be difficult to measure."
When 34-year-old Nhidza arrived in South Africa, he also went to Central Methodist. "When I came here, I was totally dead," he explains. As someone who has been a political activist for the MDC in Zimbabwe since 1999, Nhidza was arrested and beaten on multiple occasions. The bottoms of his feet are covered in dozens of black scars, the result of electric shocks during these imprisonments, he says. But the worst came in June 2008, during the presidential runoff election between Mugabe and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, when he was abducted by ZANU-PF militias and taken to a torture camp.
"I was [held] for about two weeks at Spiro Farm, receiving torture every day," he says. "But the three days from the 25th of June to 27th of June, it was the bad days for me. It was when I was put on the electric shocks, they just plug the electric wires on my genitals. They break my legs and my hands. They ordered me to drink 10 gargles of sewage. They ordered me to take some feces. It was part of my meal, I should eat someone's feces."
ZANU-PF made an example of Nhidza, and his torture was watched by hundreds of villagers, he says. When it was over, he was left for dead on the side of a road where his brother managed to find him and bring him to a hospital for treatment. For eight months, sympathetic doctors kept him hidden, and medical documents from this period detail Nhidza's injuries: nerve damage, severe soft-tissue wounds all over his body, and multiple fractures, including in his spine.
In 2009, still on crutches, Nhidza escaped to South Africa. Like many other Zimbabwean refugees, his legal status is precarious. Initially, he was granted a temporary asylum-seeker permit, which has since expired. His application for refugee status was rejected after he was asked to pay the equivalent of $200 by the review officer. Nhidza could not afford the bribe, and today he faces deportation back to Zimbabwe if he is caught by police.
"It is so easy to forget," says Verryn of his country's treatment of refugees like Nhidza. "It is so tempting, once you've managed to climb onto the ladder, to dispossess others who haven't got there. I think that we're suffering from incredible amnesia."
The nightly display of destitution at Central Methodist is particularly harsh when considered in light of the church's role in South Africa's apartheid history. "ANC people would come here to hold meetings during the apartheid years," explains Rachel Subila, a minister at Central Methodist. "And they would run here if there were problems outside, running to the church because the doors were always open, as they are open now." Nelson Mandela is a member of Central Methodist, and his daughter Zindzi was married there in 1993.
While Nhidza tries to avoid deportation, he finds ways to continue to be politically active, creating advocacy groups like the Zimbabwean Victims Foundation Forum and working with an HIV/AIDS group to educate refugees.
What does he think of the newspaper headlines announcing his death in Zimbabwe? "No, no, no, they have missed the point," he says. "I am still alive. … I am still going back for them."
Like Slate on Facebook. Follow Slate and the Slate Foreign Desk on Twitter.


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-- Network Sees Double-Digit Gains in All Major Demos --
(Silver Spring, Md., March 27, 2012) - Animal Planet finished first quarter with record-setting achievements, delivering its best quarter ever among P2+ viewers (441K) and Households (355K) in total day. The network also had its best quarter ever among M25-54 in both prime (156K) and total day (97K), up 36% and 26% compared to year-ago respectively.
Posting double-digit gains over last year in prime among key demos, Animal Planet earned its strongest first-quarter prime ratings in eight years among P2+ viewers (667K, +14% ) and in nine years among HH (500K, +17% ).
"Since the New Year, viewers have flocked to Animal Planet week after week, drawn in by our new series and returning hit shows like FINDING BIGFOOT," says Marjorie Kaplan, president and general manager of Animal Planet. "We expect to continue the momentum with new seasons of our top two performing series of all time, RIVER MONSTERS, premiering this Sunday, and WHALE WARS, coming later this spring."
Animal Planet's success is fueled by hit series, including FINDING BIGFOOT, which remains one of the network's top three performing series of all time among P25-54, and TOO CUTE!, which ranks as the second strongest Animal Planet series year to date among P25-54 and W25-54. In first quarter, FINDING BIGFOOT experienced a strong second season, averaging 1.4M P2+ viewers , up 15% vs. season one. The FINDING BIGFOOT episodes "Baby Bigfoot" and "Buckeye Bigfoot" each brought in 1.6M P2+ viewers and rank as the series' most-watched episodes ever. Season to date, TOO CUTE! has exceeded 2011 premieres by more than 40% among P2+, delivering more than 1.1M viewers.
Animal Planet Media (APM), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the world's only entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of life in the animal kingdom with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment, information and enrichment. APM consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in more than 96 million homes in the US; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the 24/7 broadband channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.


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UST has added a lot of products worth taking a look thru their website.
Their Paracord firestarter is a uniques product.
The 30' length could be a useful clothesline, then, in an emergency strip down the paracord to the red inner cord to use as a firestarter.
This could make all the paracord enthusiasts happy
UST Paracord firestarter
Useful information that may come in handy in an emergency situation. It can be hiking related or any other area of every day life situations. Icestorms, huricanes, tornados, floods etc.
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UST Paracord firestarter
Do more with less http://ultralightbackpackingonline.com
Re: UST Paracord firestarter
Murphy's law says an emergency will arrive in the most undesirable weather that means shiver weather Stripping down the cord to get to the center will be a chore me thinks
Re: UST Paracord firestarter
I like my little SPARK-LITE kit for backup.
Do more with less http://ultralightbackpackingonline.com
Re: UST Paracord firestarter
It's my first choice. Easy to start a fire with one hand. I have a video somewhere.
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My name is Gary Zidek. Welcome to The Arts Section. Tune into the radio program every Sunday morning on WDCB 90.9 & 90.7 FM or listen to it online here. I'll be showcasing a variety of arts & entertainment, as well as.highlighting some creative ideas.
All tagged Earth Wind & Fire


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Nevada Patient Busing
Vegas mental hospital goofed on patient's discharge to Sacramento, official concedes
CARSON CITY, Nev. – A state psychiatric hospital in Las Vegas "blew it" by discharging a mentally ill patient to a Greyhound bus bound for Sacramento last month without ensuring he had care and housing in California, Nevada health officials admitted Thursday.
"We own it. We blew it, and we are taking corrective action," Michael Willden, director of the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, told a legislative committee.
Nevada lawmakers scheduled the hearing in response to a story in The Bee this month about James Flavy Coy Brown, who arrived in February at the Loaves & Fishes homeless services complex in Sacramento carrying his walking papers from a Nevada state mental hospital and a schedule detailing his 15-hour bus ride from Las Vegas.
Staffers at the homeless agency described Brown, 48, as confused and frightened, and said he told them he had never been to Sacramento before his arrival Feb. 13.
From what she could glean, staff member Molly Simones said, "he had absolutely no reason to be here," other than instructions from personnel with Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services, who gave him a bus ticket to Sacramento and told him to dial 911 for help when he got to the capital city.
Simones was among those who called it an extreme case of "patient dumping" – in this case busing a mentally ill man across state lines without showing that he had a place to stay or receive care in California.
In testimony Thursday before a legislative panel led by Nevada state Sen. Justin Jones, who chairs the Health and Human Services Committee, Willden said mistakes were made in Brown's case but that he saw no pattern of misconduct in the discharge of patients from state mental facilities.
Based on a preliminary investigation, "we believe that this is not systemic" within the state's mental health system, Willden said.
Nevada health officer Tracey Green said the state's policies allow for psychiatric patients to be sent to other states if they desire, but require that staff make sure that each client has "housing or shelter available and a support system" to meet the person at the destination.
There was no evidence of such arrangements in Brown's case. The discharge papers prepared for Brown last month at Rawson Neal Psychiatric Hospital in Las Vegas list his address at discharge as "Greyhound Bus Station to California."
"Discharge to Greyhound bus station by taxi with 3 day supply of medication," said the discharge letter that he handed to Loaves & Fishes staffers. "Follow up with medical doctor in California."
The paperwork shows he is to take three powerful psychiatric medications daily, one that is commonly used to treat schizophrenia and another for depression.
Upon his arrival in Sacramento, Brown contacted police, who directed him to the Loaves & Fishes complex. Staffers there have since lost track of him.
Nevada sent 99 state psychiatric patients to California between July 1, 2012, and the end of February, Green told lawmakers. She said 81 percent were California residents who wanted to go home.
Nevada's numbers stand in contrast to figures from other neighboring states.
Between July 2012 and January, Oregon State Hospital discharged one patient to family in California, and that patient's family paid the fare, hospital spokeswoman Rebeka Gipson-King said in response to The Bee's inquiry.
Donna Noriega, chief operating officer at Arizona State Hospital, said in a statement, "We have not purchased any patients any bus tickets to California or any other city during this timeframe or as long as I can remember."
Nevada health leaders said they respect the rights of patients to go where they choose when sending them to California or anywhere else.
An internal investigation of discharge policies at Nevada state hospitals should be completed this week, Willden said. Separate probes by the Office of Health Care Quality and Compliance and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services are ongoing.
Brown reportedly told homeless advocates in Sacramento that four other mental patients were given bus tickets out of Nevada at the same time he was released. Willden said the internal probe so far has uncovered no evidence of those discharges.
He said the review has included "hundreds" of files, none of which show someone was improperly discharged to the bus station.
"I'm not saying it never happened," he said in an interview. "We don't see a pattern."
Richard Whitley, administrator of the Nevada State Health Division, told the legislative panel that officials are trying to nail down who is responsible for the improper discharge of the patient who ended up in Sacramento.
The staff members responsible face possible discipline ranging from loss of pay to termination, Wellden said.
Under questioning by Jones, Whitley said nurses and social workers act on "a doctor's order" in discharging patients out of state. In the future, he said, the hospital administrator will approve all discharges outside of Nevada.
Green told the panel that Nevada is "under a tight budget" and that beds for mentally ill patients are sometimes hard to find.
"There is a lack of sustained housing options" for psychiatric patients, she said. "We truly have a gap in that area."
Call The Bee's Cynthia Hubert, (916) 321-1082. Follow her on Twitter @cynthia_hubert.


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Bounded on three sides by a mountain range, and endowed with a deep natural harbor, Subic Bay was once the home base of the U.S. naval forces in the Pacific. It was America's largest naval installation outside the United States, until it was turned over to the Philippine government in 1992.
All that sand and sea have not gone to waste, as Subic Bay is now a premier holiday destination for visitors from all over the world. They come for its pristine beaches, first-rate amenities and friendly services. In fact the waters and beaches of Subic Bay feature attractions for all types of folks: miles of fine sand and calm waters for beach lovers and picnickers, spectacular corals and underwater fauna for divers and snorkelers, mysterious sunken wrecks for history aficionados, and even choice spots for a relaxing afternoon of fly fishing.
But there's more to Subic Bay than sun-drenched shores. Its blessed location at the foothills of the Zambales mountain range has given it lush tracts of preserved tropical forest, which have become favorite venues for eco-tourism activities and sports events. U.S. Marines used to hone their jungle-survival skills in these mountains, trained by local indigenous people called the Aetas who have learned to live in harmony with their natural environment.
Subic Bay is one of the best places to train and tri in the Philippines.
Here's our program book (Click Here)
There are 60 qualifying age group slots for the 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Taupō, New Zealand on November 28-29, 2020.


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IMF: Changing of Lagarde (part 2)
Issued on: Modified:
Christine Lagarde may be the first woman to run the International Monetary Fund, but is it the same "old boys' club" of Europeans in charge? Either way, panellists warn of the baptism of fire that awaits with Greece, where Sony Kapoor warns "the Fund's credibility is at stake".
- Romain RANCIERE. Former Economist at the IMF; Professor of Economics, Paris School of Economics.
- Tarik MOUAKIL. Economist - Terra Nova.
- Sony KAPOOR. Managing Director, Re-Define (re-define.org) - from Brussels.


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NEW YORK CITY — Get ready for $112 monthly MetroCards and $2.50 single rides.
The MTA board voted unanimously to hike fares on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after news broke that board Chairman Joseph Lhota would be stepping down to run for mayor.
Under the plan, which will go into effect March 1, single bus and subway rides will jump 25 cents, from $2.25 to $2.50 a swipe.
Thirty-day unlimited MetroCards will jump from $104 to $112 and 7-day passes will rise from $29 to $30.
The MTA also voted to reduce the automatic bonus on pay-per-ride cards from a 7 percent bump to a 5 percent bump. However, the bonuses will now kick in on purchases as low at $5, instead of the current $10.
To bring in extra cash, the MTA will also begin to implement an already-approved plan to charge $1 for every new MetroCard purchased.
The fee, which is expected to bring in an extra $20 million a year, will not apply to straphangers who hang onto their existing cards or whose cards are damaged by wear and tear, Lhota said.
Drivers who use the MTA's bridges and tunnels will also be forced to pay more, with the tolls on most crossings rising from $4.80 to $5.33 for E-ZPass holders, and from $6.50 to $7.50 for riders paying cash. That means a round trip over the Robert F. Kennedy and Throgs Neck bridges or through the Queens-Midtown or Brooklyn-Battery tunnels will now cost $15 in cash.
The non-resident toll for the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is set to rise to from $9.60 to $10.66 for E-ZPass users and from $13 to $15 cash, but will be less for residents who use the bridge three or more times a month. For those residents, each trip will cost $6, compared to $6.36 for infrequent users.
Long Island Rail Road and the Metro-North tickets will also rise by about 8 to 9 percent, depending on the type of ticket and travel zone.
Board members said the plan, which is intended to raise $450 million in new revenue, was the best option for the cash-strapped agency, which is deeply in debt.
The board had considered other fare hike combinations, including plans that would have boosted weekly unlimited cards far higher and eliminated bonuses. But after a series of public hearings, members said they tried to minimize the burden on frequent users and poorer riders, who rely on 30-day MetroCards and automatic bonuses.
"What you have before you, I think, is the best of a not-so-great situation," said board member Andrew Albert before casting his vote to adopt the plan.
He said that, "in a perfect world, we would not be going through these increases every year," but said that a lack of funding from the state and federal governments leaves the agency on precarious financial footing.
Still, he warned that fares are reaching the point where taking public transit will no longer be viable for low-income families already struggling to pay the bills.
Board member Mitchell Pally, who represents Suffolk County, said the vote marked a "sad day" for the board, but that the money had to come from somewhere.
"This board is left with only one option," he said.
But residents and elected officials fumed about the impact the hikes would have, especially on Staten Island.
Rep. Michael Grimm, who represents parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island, called the Verrazano Bridge toll hike an "outrage" and warned it would hurt Staten Island's economy and slow hurricane recovery efforts.
"The MTA board has made it crystal clear that we are nothing more to them than an ATM machine to pay for its complete inability to work within a budget," he said in a statement.
"As the families and businesses of Staten Island struggle to rebuild and recover from Superstorm Sandy, this toll hike is just another blow to a borough that has already been knocked down."


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How We Nailed 2450% On TSLA
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The Filibuster
"With the Cubs, Cardinals and Astros all over the 30 win mark at the end of May, when are the baseball pundits going to admit that the NL Central is actually one of the better, more exciting divisions to watch this season? Must this love affair with all things New York continue while both teams are in the bottom of their respective divisions?"
Mr. Lung, you are a bitter man. I respect that, being a bitter man myself. And I fully agree with you about the New York-ophilia that taints the world of sports journalism. However, bitterness will not change that.
Here's the thing. Sports exist to make money. And sports journalism, being the leech that it is, flourishes in direct proportion to the events they cover. The National Spelling Bee became popular so now it takes over a primetime slot on ESPN. Three years ago it was on ESPN2 and 20 years ago (when I was competing in spelling bees) you couldn't even dream of an event like that being shown live on television. So what does this have to do with the lack of love for the NL Central?
Everything. The networks go where the money is and the money is in NY, Boston and LA. The flyover states are, well, flyover states. It's not in the interest of the writers and pundits to follow a team like the Cardinals because the people in their major markets won't watch. There's a reason that the networks were praying for a Celtics-Lakers NBA championship and it wasn't just because they wanted to do a feature on how Kobe has rehabilitated his image. It's the same reason why the entire world descended on Iowa in January and now couldn't care less what happens in the Hawkeye state.
So, to answer your question here's a very simple response. The baseball pundits are never going to admit that the NL Central is an exciting division. Just like they aren't going to start showing the Rays or Marlins on Fox Saturday baseball. Well, unless they're playing the Yankees or Mets, of course.


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The $5 Dinners Weekly Meal Plan with Printable Grocery List
Every week I will post 5 links to archived recipes, plus an additional 1 or 2 recipes for breakfast, snacks or batch cooking recipes. You can click through to see the original recipe and print that recipe if you like. (Or go green and just come back to this post to get to the recipe.)
Hope y'all had a lovely holiday weekend…if you need any help or inspiration getting back to meal planning this week, I've got you covered!
The Recipes
And feel free to check out all the previous weekly meal plans with printable grocery list for other options!
Scroll down and you'll see a list of ingredients for each of the recipes included, in the order they are listed above. I'll include ALL ingredients, including many that you already have in your pantry, refrigerator, or freezer. If you have those ingredients, just don't click them!
Put a check mark by each of the ingredients, and a cute little box will appear at the bottom of your screen with your grocery list. Once you've clicked all the ingredients you need, print your list and be on your way to the grocery store!
Ingredients List
If you are seeing this in an email or in your reader and you'd like to print your grocery list, then click here to access the list feature, which is only available on the website.
Find this useful and want to get a FREE $5 Dinners Weekly Meal Plan, complete with printable grocery list options, delivered to your inbox every Sunday evening…just in time to make the week's meal plan!?
Subscribe to the Weekly Meal Plan Email, and be entered to win a copy of The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook, given away to 2 weekly meal plan newsletter subscribers once a month. And don't forget to share it with a friend!


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Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie (Xbox 360) review
"Theres brilliance included, and stand-out moments litter the game like pinpricks of inspiration, but they tend to get lost in the bog of over-championed ideas best explored in moderation but dished out mercilessly in servings of pure overkill."
Staff review by Gary Hartley (May 22, 2010)
Gary Hartley arbitrarily arrives, leaves a review for a game no one has heard of, then retreats to his 17th century castle in rural England to feed whatever lives in the moat and complain about you.
More Reviews by Gary Hartley [+]
If you enjoyed this Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie review, you're encouraged to discuss it with the author and with other members of the site's community. If you don't already have an HonestGamers account, you can sign up for one in a snap. Thank you for reading!
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Christopher Anderson Workshop
January 28, 2013
by Christopher Anderson
View profile
Emotion and narrative are key concepts in this inspirational workshop by Magnum photographer Christopher Anderson, currently working for New York Magazine as their first ever photographer-in-residence.
Develop your personal visual language alongside learning efficient strategies for your career in order to take your next professional step.
The focus of this workshop will be to equip students with tools to find and define their personal visual language. Emphasis will then be placed on mapping a strategy for your projects and career. Through critiquing, photographing, editing and sequencing, we will explore the path to your vision as an author. Each photographer brings their own unique life experience to the act of image making and this workshop will concentrate on channelling that individuality into accomplishing your goals as a photographer.
Together, we will build on defining your photographic voice in ways that push beyond the boundaries of single image making. We will concentrate on emotion and narrative rather than the mechanics of pretty pictures. It is Christopher's hope that you come away from this workshop changed in how you view your own photography and with a clearer understanding of who you are as an author.
The workshop begins with a critique of your work. The goal of this critique is not to see if your pictures are good or bad, but rather to give Christopher a chance to understand you. During the next days we will spend time together to discuss and review pictures and part of the day will be spent photographing a subject with the goal of building towards a narrative at the end of the week. This will be a week of discovery and growth. We will work hard, but we will also have fun. You will be challenged, even pushed, but I hope you will come away inspired.
This workshop is geared to serious photography students and recent graduates as well as mid-career professionals and artists.
The workshop starts each morning at 10:00 am and ends late each day. Portfolio reviews and feedback sessions are mixed with presentations and critique of participants' photo projects, as well as discussions on photography. You will also work shooting your own individual projects.
1. Students will come with a portfolio. This can be in any form and of anything you like. Often students choose to present a digital slide show, but that is up to you. Christopher only asks that it be kept under 50 images for time. Don't show what you think he wants to see. Show him the photographs that best represent WHO you are and what you do.
2. This will be a shooting workshop, so you will need a digital camera. You will present your images digitally since there will not be time to process and print your photos. It would also be good to think about a subject to shoot during the week. Maybe even do a little research for it. It would be helpful to have a couple of back up ideas just in case.
Christopher Anderson was born in Canada in 1970 and grew up in west Texas. He first gained recognition for his pictures in 1999 when he boarded a handmade, wooden boat with Haitian refugees trying to sail to America. The boat, named the Believe In God, sank in the Caribbean. In 2000 the images from that journey would receive the Robert Capa Gold Medal. They would also mark the emergence of an emotionally charged style that has come to characterize his work since. Read more here. Or watch this short video documentary on Christopher made by Vice.
Christopher is currently New York Magazine's first ever photographer-in-residence. He is the author of two monographs: Nonfiction, published in 2003 and CAPITOLIO, published in 2009 by RM and named one of the best photography books of 2009/10 at the Kassel Photo Book Festival in Germany. In May 2012, his third book, Bleu Blanc Rouge will be released and SON is scheduled for release in spring of 2013.
He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Christopher Anderson's workshop is held at the Academy at Fotografiska in Stockholm, Sweden. All participants will share a small lounge where you can have coffee and tea and hang out with your fellow workshop participants as well as the participants form other workshops next door.
The price includes the workshop fee, lunch Wednesday until Sunday, and afternoon snacks.
You are expected to bring all necessary equipment (bring your laptop too, if you have one). You are also expected to make your own travel arrangements and find accommodation in Stockholm.
If you cancel your booking 45 days or more before the workshop starts, you will receive a full refund of your workshop fee (- 850 SEK processing fee). If you cancel between 45 and 14 days before the workshop starts you will receive a 50% refund of your workshop fee. If you cancel less then two weeks before the workshop starts, you will only receive a 50% refund if the position is filled by another participant. If you decide to cancel your registration you may not transfer or sell your place to another photographer yourself. Fotografiska will transfer your place to the first person on the waiting list.
More information and application
Christopher Anderson Website


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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., April 25 (UPI) -- Tiny spherules embedded in layers of rock reveal details of the early history of asteroid impacts on Earth, U.S. scientists say.
The tiny rounded nodules are the result of asteroids crashing into the planet, vaporizing rock that expanded into space as a giant vapor plume that then settled back to Earth -- with small droplets of molten and vaporized rock in the plume condensing and solidifying into the spherules.
Preserved in layers of rock, they are providing researchers with precise information about asteroids impacting Earth from 3.5 billion to 35 million years ago, Purdue University reported Wednesday.
"What we have done is provide the foundation for understanding how to interpret the layers in terms of the size and velocity of the asteroid that made them," Purdue researcher Jay Melosh, an expert in impact cratering, said.
The findings support a theory that Earth endured an especially heavy period of asteroid bombardment early in its history, from 4.2 billion to 3.5 billion years ago, when changes in the early solar system altered the trajectory of objects in an asteroid belt located between Mars and Jupiter, sending them on a collision course with Earth.
"Impact craters are the most obvious indication of asteroid impacts, but craters on Earth are quickly obscured or destroyed by surface weathering and tectonic processes," researcher Brandon Johnson said. "However, the spherule layers, if preserved in the geologic record, provide information about an impact even when the source crater cannot be found."


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David Hasselhoff hits the beach again - in Cannes
CANNES, France -- Performer David Hasselhoff took to the stage at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity on Sunday for a seminar about brand relevance. Yet, there was no doubt this1980s heartthrob remained relevant to many audience members. Just after the formal presentation wrapped up, festival attendees swarmed the stage to snap photos of the man now known as "The Hoff."
The Baywatch and Knight Rider star joined executives from public relations firm Golin for the first presentation at this week-long festival, which is the marketing industry's biggest awards competition and trade show.
HASSELHOFF'S EVERYWHERE:Photobomb gag an Internet hit
Later, the jovial and chatty Hasselhoff sat down with USA TODAY to talk about the diverse elements of his career, which includes acting in TV shows, singing at concerts and appearing in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.
"It's all about not taking life too seriously," he says.


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"I don't use a knife when I eat, if need one it means the food hasn't been cut up enough."
"Forks are unnecessary, I can do everything I want with a pointed knife." [1]
One of the things we realised when writing "Growing Object-Oriented Software":http://www.growing-object-oriented-software.com, is that the arguments about mocks in principle are often meaningless. Some of us think about objects in terms of Alan Kay's emphasis on message passing, others don't. In my world, I'm interested in the protocols of how objects communicate, not what's inside them, so testing based on interactions is a natural fit. If that's not the kind of structure you're working with right now, then testing with mocks is probably not the right technique.
This post was triggered by Arlo Belshee's on "The No Mocks Book":http://arlobelshee.com/post/the-no-mocks-book. I think he has a really good point, buried in some weaker arguments (the developers I work with don't use mocks just to minimise design churn, they're as ruthless as anyone when it comes to fixing structure). His valuable point is that it's a really good idea to try setting yourself style constraints to re-examine old habits, as in this "object-oriented calisthenics exercise":http://binstock.blogspot.co.uk/2008/04/perfecting-oos-small-classes-and-short.html. As I "once wrote":http://www.higherorderlogic.com/2008/06/test-driven-development-a-cognitive-justification/, Test-Driven Development itself can have this property of forcing a developer to stop and think about what's really needed rather than pushing ahead with an implementation.
As for Arlo's example, I don't think I can provide a "better" solution without knowing more detail. As he points out in the comments, this is legacy code, so it's harder to use mocks for interface discovery. I think Arlo's partner is right that the ProjectFile.LoadFrom is problematic. For me the confusion is likely to be the combination of reading bytes from a disk and the construction of a domain structure, I'd expect better structure if I separated them. In practice, what I'd probably do is some "annealing" by inlining code and looking for a better partition. Finally, it would be great if Arlo could finish up the reworking, I can believe that he has a much better solution in mind but I'm struggling with the value of this step.
There is one more thing we agree on, the idea of building a top-level language that makes sense in the domain. Calling methods on the same object, like a Smalltalk cascade, is one way, although there's nothing in the type to reveal the protocol—how the calls relate to each other. We did this in "jMock1":http://jmock.org/jmock1.html, where we used interface chaining to guide the programmer and the IDE as to what to do next. Arlo's example is simple enough that the top-level can be inspected to see if it makes sense. I've worked in other domains where things are complicated enough that we really did need some checked examples to make us feel confident that we'd got it right.
1) of course, most of the world eats with their hands or chopsticks, so this is a culturally-opressive metaphor
Some mocks
"I don't use a knife when I eat, if need one it means the food hasn't been cut up enough."


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But God had other plans for John, which were gradually revealed to him in the next several years. During a chance meeting with M. Nyel of Raven, he became interested in the creation of schools for poor boys in Raven, where he was stationed. Though the work was extremely distasteful to him at first, he became more involved in working with the deprived youths.
Once convinced that this was his divinely appointed mission, John threw himself wholeheartedly into the work, left home and family, abandoned his position as canon at Rheims, gave away his fortune and reduced himself to the level of the poor to whom he devoted his entire life.
The remainder of his life was closely entwined with the community of religious men he founded, the Brothers of the Christian School (Christian Brothers, or De La Salle Brothers). This community grew rapidly and was successful in educating boys of poor families using methods designed by John, preparing teachers in the first training college for teachers and also setting up homes and schools for young delinquents of wealthy families. The motivating element in all these endeavors was the desire to become a good Christian.
Yet even in his success, John did not escape experiencing many trials: heartrending disappointment and defections among his disciples, bitter opposition from the secular schoolmasters who resented his new and fruitful methods and persistent opposition from the Jansenists of his time, whose heretical doctrines John resisted vehemently all his life.
Afflicted with asthma and rheumatism in his last years, he died on Good Friday at 68 and was canonized in 1900.


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Earning Cubits in an unrated game?
I want to play unrated game because I don't want to lose rating.But at the same time I want to earn cubits.My question is that: How can I play an unrated game for cubits?
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Exercise can't control the
HIV infection. But exercise may help you feel better
by reducing stress. Exercise may also help your
immune system work better.
Start exercising while you are healthy, and do your best to find new
ways to keep yourself motivated to maintain your exercise program.
The ability of a person who has HIV to improve his or her fitness
through training is similar to that of a person who does not have HIV. But
people with HIV may find it harder to continue with a training program because
of fatigue or muscle wasting.
Participation in competitive sports does not pose a risk of spreading
HIV to other athletes or coaches. In sports in which exposure to blood can
occur, the risk of spreading HIV is very small. But if a person
(HIV-infected or not) does start to bleed, he or she should be taken out of the
game and the wounds should be covered before the person returns to the
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text: Power Rangers are back! Each figure has a new, sleek style, making these Power Rangers Samurai stand out from the rest of the pack. Included is a basic weapon, and a special unique weapon, these figures are ready for battle! You can play, collect or display these figures, and recreate scenes from the show!


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The Democratic Civil War Over Energy
Green demands to stop drilling for natural gas come at an awkward time for Obama and his party.
The environmental left is seeing Democrats the Keystone XL pipeline, and raising them natural-gas exports. The question of who folds on this issue will play big in this midterm election year.
A split is growing in the Democratic Party, one that ought to rival the divisions on the right that the headlines trumpet. Greens are increasingly bitter about President Obama—annoyed that he's dropped climate legislation, scaled back green subsidies, ignored fracking. They've channeled their frustration into the fight against Keystone,...


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Private Wedding Gettysburg PA
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Link to read me page with more information.
Check out Circa Blue's calendar of upcoming shows. The band really gets around.


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Splitscreen: A Love Story from JW Griffiths on Vimeo.
Vulture: 9 Hit Songs That Musicians Gave Away to Other Artists
Christian Science Monitor: Airline baby ban: Why Malaysia Airlines says no babies in first class (thanks IndianJones!)
Socialite Life: Miley Cyrus Reacts to Casey Anthony Verdict
The SixPack: Want This (podcast)
Movieline: It All Ends (With Laughter): The Harry Potter Cast Reunite for One Last Photocall
Just Jared: James Spader Joins 'The Office'
Vulture: Vinny Guadagnino May Really Have Left Jersey Shore
LA Now: Woman, 83, dies after being struck by skateboarder


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A US Patriots Union (USPU) Division
Letter sent to ALL conservative state legislators, all states
A Declaration To Restore The Constitutional Republic
11.11.11 video
The FACTS about the federal supremacy clause
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Colonel James Harding is one of the most decorated military leaders and pilots of our time and we are honored to welcome him aboard the Veterans Council of the United States Patriots Union. Bio
A note from the founder...
As veterans, we swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America and to defend it against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. Quite simply, unlike any period in our long history, our freedoms are in jeopardy. Our domestic borders have been silently invaded with people who intend to harm us. There are thousands of terrorists and terror cells within the United States borders who have one goal as their agenda - the destruction of America as we know it. This simply cannot take place.
You, as a veteran, have training, skills and experience that uniquely enable you to prepare your family and community in the event of disasters, either natural or man-made. REMEMBER, we ALL can contribute some of our skilled training, in some small way. Together, we are a strong force.
May God bless you, your family and our nation. The time is now, join us.
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text: Frances Swigart Steg creates original work, both prints and paintings. She personally prints and signs each limited edition. These are traditional intaglio and relief prints, not reproductions. Most are on handmade paper, often water colored. Her paintings are oil on gold, silver, and copper leaf on wood. Atelier Frances Swigart has been a source for the designer, architect, and collector for 40 years.


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A blueprint for high-volume, high-quality lung cancer screening that is detecting cancer earlier—and helping to save lives
What's the difference between the pharmacy benefit in a consumer-directed health plan and a traditional health plan? Greater generic drug utilization is the overriding answer.
But that increase may be the only provable measure of change seen with CDHPs to date.
"Adopting a CDHP is a two-fold process," says Al Heaton, director of pharmacy at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota. "Very early on, within the first month of rolling out a CDHP, you don't see a lot of behavior change among members because not everyone gets a prescription filled or not everyone sees a physician. There is a catch-up phase.
"In our CDHP products, utilization is down about two prescriptions per member per year and the use of generics is way up. The prescriptions for nonsedating antihistamines, proton-pump inhibitors, NSAIDs — even before COX-2s were taken off the market — have dropped. But for our members with chronic conditions — heart disease, diabetes, depression — their utilization rates are stable."
Eric Estes, RPh, vice president for sales and product management for pharmacy at Aetna, says that the metrics Aetna follows to see the effect of these plans "start with the use of consumer tools. Members can use Aetna's secure Web site to identify the drug that they are about to take or are currently taking. The site shows members the price of the medication, and they see alternate medications that might be just as effective, but that cost less.
"So one of the metrics that we use is the number of members who are signing up for access to the Internet site," Estes continues. "We can also see the amount of traffic going to the site.
"We are also seeing an increase in mail order benefit in the CDHP population. Generally speaking, the mail order benefit becomes a cost-effective delivery system at a reduced price, in some cases when compared to the retail price."
How does a consumer-directed plan factor in the idea that sick members should pay less for drugs?
"There are some ways a CDHP responds to that way of thinking," says Estes. "Employers can determine funding amounts before the plan is implemented or employers can decide how to divide the benefit between the pharmacy and medical side. So for members who need chronic therapy, that may carry a lower copayment than an acute therapy. Generic drug versus branded drug comes into play here: Most of our chronic therapy has been available for so long that a generic version is available. And members who are very sick are protected by a cap on out-of-pocket costs."
Tim Kotas is vice president for product development at Lumenos, a consumer-directed health plan that has been acquired by WellPoint. "There are also ways to design incentives for the individuals with a chronic condition," says Kotas. "We've provided the consumer with health coaches and established graduation requirements. If a consumer in our plan calls to speak with a health coach about his condition, he's paid between $50 and $100. If the consumer participates in health coaching classes, learns about his condition, and achieves health goals, he receives between $100 and $200 for participating in and graduating from the program. That money goes into his funded account.
"It's thinking about the consumer as the payer," continues Kotas. "You need to trust that the consumer can be educated and competent in making health care decisions."
Kotas characterizes the level of involvement in a traditional health plan compared with the involvement in a consumer-directed health plan as equal, but different.
"The best-practices model design has to be retooled with the consumer in mind," he says. "For example, CDHPs need to give the consumer the questions to ask the physician. Providing the price of drugs is a start, but it's not enough. They should list alternate treatments, including generic and over-the-counter options. The ability to sort the drugs by price is useful to the consumer."
In Lumenos's version of CDHP, the consumer sees the discounted and nondiscounted cost of the drug, with the mail order or retail cost clearly designated. The pricing is set at the plan level.
While Kotas says there is a "different level of involvement" for the pharmacy benefit, Al Heaton of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, says there is more involvement.
"Pharmacy is one of the most commonly used benefits," says Heaton. "Nationwide, people are averaging about one prescription a month. They're not averaging a laboratory test or an office visit every month.
"And in many respects, the pharmacy benefit is well-suited for consumer-directed health plans," continues Heaton, "because of the ability to see account balances, to see deductions, and to understand what these drugs really cost.
"That's why we see such a turnaround, in terms of costs and generic utilization, on the pharmacy side, because heretofore, the consumer only had a $10 or $15 copayment. The cost has been hidden. In these types of plans, the costs are visible, and the consumer sees the costs very quickly." Heaton says that BCBS Minnesota's CDHP offering has on average a 7-percent higher generic drug utilization rate than its conventional plans.
Estes says that helping consumers make good choices about drug therapy is more than helping the member have a good conversation with his physician.
"It's not just having the physician do the prescribing, but allowing the patient to participate in a discussion before the prescription is written," says Estes. "The discussion should include not just cost but also compliance and appropriate care, so that the patients understand the course of treatment they are about to undergo.
"Members going to the doctor might prepare by identifying the different types of medications used to treat their condition," continues Estes. "For example, after having a cholesterol test completed, the member may receive a call from the doctor's office requesting a visit to discuss treatment for elevated cholesterol. By going to the Web and printing a list of all of the drugs in the treatment category, he will be able to discuss the alternatives. This discussion should include effectiveness, generic availability, side effects, and claims costs and amount of copayment."
Even after changing philosophy, companies offering CDHPs will run into barriers. Perhaps the greatest barrier is data integration — the ability for the claims data processing that is carried out at the pharmacy to be accurately reflected in the member's account online with noted deductions immediately, in real time.
Data integration can be a barrier, especially when the CDHP covers both the medical and pharmacy benefit through the same reimbursement account. The CDHP must be able to distinguish the medical from the pharmacy charges, and be able to quickly communicate updated information to members. These plans rely on giving members immediate access and information so they know how much they have spent and how much is left for pharmacy coverage. Heaton explains that when members get a prescription from a physician, often, that prescription is filled the same day.
"But physician offices may or may not have electronic billing," says Heaton. "They may be submitting paper claims, which may show up two months later. One of the areas that we've made great strides in is making sure we have electronic billing on the physician side to accommodate CDHPs. If you have old paper claims on the physician side, it's hard to keep up with the pharmacy side and often the billing cycles are different.
"In the real time point-of-service world, which the pharmacy operates in, we had to create an environment where members could go in, access their pharmacy benefit, and not interfere with the pharmacist's ability to adjudicate the claim," Heaton says of the BCBS Minnesota version of CDHP, which has about 90,000 members. "We wanted to create a system that wouldn't interfere with the pharmacy process."
The response from providers has been somewhat muted. "They don't typically practice this way," says Heaton. "Based on the limited feedback I've seen, most providers do not know what this benefit design is all about. Most comment that they're getting more questions from their patients: 'How much does this cost?' or 'Is there something available OTC now that will work, too?'
"Employer groups like this type of benefit design. They see changes in utilization [the number of prescriptions filled] and the cost per prescription. We had a couple of groups that were early adopters two years ago. They went from 38 percent use of generic drugs to 63 percent within a month of adopting a CDHP."
Estes, the Aetna official, says that another barrier may be the actual price of the drug as consumers recoil from sticker shock, "but we haven't seen that to be the case so far. Our studies are showing a significant increase in the use of generic drugs and a decrease in prescription utilization. On the other hand, we have not seen a decrease in compliance with chronic or maintenance drugs."
"Once the consumer gets used to seeing his account balances, he becomes a pretty savvy shopper," says Heaton. "Consumers ask if they really need the drug, or if a generic version is available."
But will consumers care about this ability?
They will care if they have a stake or an incentive says Kotas. An effective consumer-directed plan is going to include "price transparency, choice, and the ability for the consumer to save directly," says Kotas. He goes on, "our plans and tools are designed to allow consumers to prospectively compare prescribed drugs to all the alternatives, including other brands, generic versions, and over-the-counter options.
"But the challenge is that everyone has a different definition of what a consumer-directed health plan should entail. If you believe that CDHP is merely cost-shifting, but in a different form, then it will not work. What makes CDHP different from the traditional plan is that CDHP provides the consumer with incentives to make the right decisions.
"To be successful, two characteristics need to be designed into the plan: one, the ability to access information and act on that information must be convenient and straightforward for the consumer, and two, the incentives have to be properly aligned so that if there is any money to be made, it should go to the consumer."
The movement toward consumer-directed health plans is part of a bigger picture to push consumers to both understand the true costs of today's health care and to bear more responsibility for their overall financial and physical health. The pharmacy benefit is well-suited for this push, although it requires a shift in focus — making consumer adoption easy and convenient.
Members can use the Lumenos Web site to see the price of the medication and they can review alternate medications that may be just as effective, but cost less.
A blueprint for high-volume, high-quality lung cancer screening that is detecting cancer earlier—and helping to save lives
ZULRESSO™ (brexanolone) injection CIV
Multiple Sclerosis: New Perspectives on the Patient Journey–2019 Update
Summary of an Actuarial Analysis and Report


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Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry
Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry is a writer and fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. His writing has appeared at Forbes, The Atlantic, First Things, Commentary Magazine, The Daily Beast, The Federalist, Quartz, and other places. He lives in Paris with his beloved wife and daughter.