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Looking for talent in the electrical industry? Let us
introduce you to your next top hire!
Egret Consulting Group is the largest recruitment firm dedicated to serving the electrical industry. We work with our clients to deliver individualized, full-service recruiting solutions, whether your need is retained, contingent or something uniqueSCHNEIDER ELECTRIC LR3-E004 LR3E004 (NEW IN BOX). Our seasoned recruiters truly understand and care about the unique challenges of your industry's market segment. Armed with Egret' s proprietary process, they systematically locate the most dynamic, industry-savvy candidate for your next mid-level to top manager or V- or C-suite team from our vast global network of connections.
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Recruiting talent with expertise in LED, SSL, IoT and smart lighting systems for lighting manufacturers, lighting design firms, ESCO's, MEP's etcPHOENIX CONTACT FLK-D25-SUB B FLKD25SUBB (USED TESTED CLEANED)
1pc YOKOGAWA module F3XD64-3N testedFilling sales through executive positions in commercial construction, OEM, MRO, utility, datacom, government, industrial, process industries and more.
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Egret Consulting is a specialized electrical industry recruiting firm that offers contingent, retained and consulting services.Avery Index,Lsr Ij,5tab,25st Bx 11443 - 1 Each We are a full-service search firm with customized solutions and search processes that can range from contingency to full executive retained search. NKE NSH-24V NSH24V (USED TESTED CLEANED)We help educate our clients on the attributes of our varying search processes to ensure that we manage expectations of the process, deliverables and speed.
Rob was friendly, knowledgeable, and a great communicator. Fca0689engaps829a Vere Famille Crest Coat of Arms Ouvre-LettreHe was very thorough and professional...the best agency experience I've ever had by far. I would highly recommend Egret Consulting.
Rob was incredible. He interviewed me very well to ensure that job was a match for me. 2pcs Diaphragm for JBL 4674 4675 2445-J 2440H 2441H 2445H 2447 2446 8 ohm driverHe also provided interview tools (Word document) as well as coached me about the customer and what they were interested in knowing. By far, the best recruiter I have ever talked with.
You're (Brooke) the only recruiter we've worked with that actually understands what lighting designers do and present us with qualified candidates.
Brooke was very professional and informative throughout the process.
Every time I was about to e-mail Prudence about something she would e-mail me first and her email completely anticipated what I was going to ask. Almost if she had ESP! She kept me fully advised of the process and kept following up with the company. Prudence is a fantastic recruiter.Pyle Pro PSUFM837BT 800W Disco Jam Powered Active Passive PA blueetooth Speaker We have talked over the years when positions became available and we would talk them over. For one reason or another they didn't seem to fit, which was probably a good thing. I could tell she was trying to find the right person for the right job and not just trying to 'fill the position'.PARTNERS BRAND JTH254 Top Loading Self-Adhesive Holder,9 x12 ,Clear,PK50 On this recent opportunity she did a great job helping me navigate the process and help align both of our goals to match. Something I appreciated greatly.


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Having read the phpbb forum a little, it seems that there is a place where people who want to spam our boards can get help and information - including lists of answers to captcha questions. The nett result is that a lot of forums using the same software as ours are also being heavily spammed. Purps was talking about 50 spammers in a day!jamesandkatherina wrote:such a shame that the PITA's have decided to invade this board.
Riocaz wrote:In this case pushing the number of links to your website up and thus making your page go up google's search list.
With luck, especially if you make sure your store your login and pword carefully, you should never need to use it. In fact I suspect that a question like "what's the fourteenth word on our login page?" might be harder for the automatic spam engines to suss.uschi wrote:But I shall suffer for the sake of the community.
aero280 wrote:I need to get to my spare computer where I'm not automatically logged on to check, but my first thought is, does your password meet the new rules? It has to have letters and numbers and things in it.
aero280 wrote:Rosie, when you login with a new password, are you ticking the "log me me automatically each visit" box?
If you don't you will have to log in each time.
aero280 wrote:We can see you. So you are not blocked by Wildfood.
There is nothing being done by Wildfood that is making you log in each time.
Some ISPs use a thing called "dynamic IP addresses" . This means that the unique IP code you use will change every time you log in to the service. This may cause you to lose the auto log in. BUT it won't change your name or password.
Postby earthmaiden » December 21st, 2012, 1:13 am
I have to log in nearly every time as well - I thought it was my laptop being awkward.
aero280 wrote:That's a good call Uschi!
If you have borrowed a computer, is the computer set to refuse cookies? Or some other restriction?
amazing wrote:Rosie next time you come on here, bookmark the front page and do not log-off. Just change the page to something else. This is what I do and usually don't have any bother.
Rosie wrote:amazing wrote:Rosie next time you come on here, bookmark the front page and do not log-off. Just change the page to something else. This is what I do and usually don't have any bother.
I am sorry but I am obviously not making myself clear.
I never log off. I have never logged off. Neither my own computer nor this, when I have had it, are ever switched off. Just set to "sleep" mode at night.
And this log-on problem started on 20 December. It is nothing to do with this loan computer.
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The AAVSO is now offering you the opportunity to purchase streaming videos of the popular CCD school taught by former Director Arne Henden during the summer of 2014.
The AAVSO Guide to CCD Photometry, first published in September 2014, is designed to be a basic introduction and guide to using CCDs to perform photometry of variable stars. With care, you can use a backyard telescope to obtain astrophysically useful data that matches the quality of those produced by professional astronomers, using exactly the same principles and techniques that are used at larger research observatories around the world.
A Polish translation of the AAVSO Guide to CCD Photometry is now available!
Many thanks go to Maciej Nowaczyk who organized a team of volunteers to work with him to complete this work:
Roman Korczyk
Łukasz Socha
Dominik Gronkiewicz
Adam Popowicz
Krzysztof Kida
Przewodnik po fotometrii CCD AAVSO (wersja 1.1) (3.2 MB)
Thanks to a lot of hard work by a team of volunteers from both sides of the Atlantic working together, we now have a French translation of the AAVSO Guide to CCD Photometry. You may download this Guide (free-of-charge) from here.
We would like to send our sincere thanks to:
Manon Bouchard (Canada)
Pierre Cheyssac (GAPRA, France)
Jean-Bruno Desrosiers (Canada)
Jean-Claude Mario (GAPRA, France)
Jean-Bernard Pioppa (GAPRA, France)
Florian Signoret (GAPRA, France)
Please click the link for any video that interests you to read more about it. Then follow the instructions on the Gumroad website if you wish to purchase it. Once you have purchased a video, the link you will use for streaming it will be sent to you by email immediately.
If you experience any problems or you prefer to pay for your video(s) by credit card over the phone, please do not hesitate to contact AAVSO Headquarters by phone - 617-354-0484 (ask for Owen) or by email: email@example.com.
Note: CCD Views is no longer being published. Articles related to CCD observing may be found in the AAVSO Newsletter
This page is currently being created from archives of the old AAVSO website. It will be completed as staff time permits. (2011 June 30)


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Phone: 503-823-4375
Fax: 503-823-3903
Phone: 503-823-4375
Fax: 503-823-3903
Resources from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) on preparing pets for disaster.
Information from DoveLewis on how to prepare pets in advance of a disaster.
TIps from the Humane Society on how to keep pets safe in natural disasters and everyday emergencies.
Pet preparedness information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Planning tips from the American Red Cross for preparing pets for disaster.
Resources from RedRover.org on how to keep yourself and your pets safe if disaster strikes.


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Puzzle A-Z Capital 2t Letters Ages 3-6
$ 9.99
Kids can feel letter shapes and learn sequences with these classic Lauri crepe rubber alphabet puzzles. Letters are 2" tall and fit into an 11.5" square puzzle frame. A picture pattern helps kids match letters. Just remove the pattern to vary the challenge. For ages 3+. Contents: 26 Lauri Crepe Rubber Uppercase Letters, 11.5" Square Lauri Crepe Rubber Puzzle Frame, Picture Pattern, Storage Tray. CHOKING HAZARD - Small parts. Not for children under 3 years.


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2012 has ended and there is no cure for MS yet in the books.
That does not mean that I am not hopeful for the progress that is to be made. I am encouraged by some of the research upon which we reported this past few months. Not all of the research was "positive", but even research that seems to debunk theories is research in a positive direction; in my opinion.
As Caryn set up Skype accounts and we spent the holidays video chatting with family and friends, I was reminded as to how quickly science fiction can become science fact. Dr James Bowen said in my interview with him last month that while there are a number of great advances in the treatment of MS in the pipeline, a "cure" is going to take a breakthrough. I can't help but think that the speed at which things that were once thought fanciful have become part of our everyday lives, that such a breakthrough may be in the offing within my lifetime.
I'm not Pollyanna slipping on my blushed spectacles in saying that. I believe that great things which will change the way doctors treat MS are in the offing.
Am I disappointed that the "magic pill" hasn't been found? Of Course! Am I unhappy with the disease modifying treatments as they stand? You betcha… But there is real progress taking place and the number of very smart people, working across boarders and former barriers is more than encouraging to me.
Rather than a year in review, I look forward to what 2013 will bring for those of us long affected by MS, those new to our "club" and for those souls yet to hear our inanition speech, "you have multiple sclerosis".
I would like to take this opportunity to thank your Life With MS Blog community for your continued support of this platform, for your patients with me as I made a rather large life change at the end of this year and for your willingness to share and be here for one another. I believe this to be one of the most unique places on the interweb and it's all because of YOU.
With and old year ending and a new one set to birth I am, as always, wishing you and your family the best of health.
You can also follow me via our Life With MS Facebook page, on Twitter, and in our group on MS Connection.org. Also, check out our bi-monthly MS blog for the United Kingdom, look for our very special new monthly blog for the National MS Society, and don't forget to check out TrevisLGleason.com.


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Microsoft Windows Azure Disaster Recovery Options for On-Premises SQL Server
One of the use-cases for a cloud solution is to serve as a Disaster Recovery option for your on-premises servers. I'll explain one particular use-case in this entry, specifically using Windows Azure "IaaS" or Virtual Machines as a Recovery Solution for SQL Server (more detail here: http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/home/features/virtual-machines/). In future installments I'll explain options for other workloads such as Linux and Windows Servers, SharePoint and other solutions. Some architectures also allow for using Windows Azure SQL Database (Formerly SQL Azure) in recovery scenarios; I'll cover that separately.
Using Azure as a Disaster Recovery site gives you a range of options, uses world-wide datacenters that you can pick from, and does not require traditional licensing and maintenance paths. You can also integrate the offsite data into other uses, such as reporting (in some cases) or to leverage within other applications. However, the cost-model is different, so make sure you do your homework to ensure that it makes sense to use a cloud provider for safety. You may find that it is cheaper, more expensive, or that you require a mix of technologies and options to get the best solution.
NOTE: The Microsoft Windows Azure platform evolves constantly. That means new features and capabilities, as well as security, optimizations and more improve on a frequent basis. As with any cloud provider, ensure that you check the date of this post to ensure you are within six months or so. If the date is longer than that, then check each of the "Details" links to ensure you are working with the latest information.
The options you have range from simple off-site storage for database backups to systems that your users can access when your primary options are offline. To select which options to use, evaluate the databases you want to protect, and then create your Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) and Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) for each workload. Those two vectors will provide the starting point for each choice you make.
NOTE: If you're not familiar with RPO and RTO on a database system, learn those terms carefully before designing a recovery solution – on any platform. RPO and RTO are business/technology terms, and are not vendor or platform-specific. http://wikibon.org/wiki/v/Recovery_point_objective_-_recovery_time_objective_strategy
The range of protection you have is very similar to the on-premises options for SQL Server (on-premises details here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms190202.aspx), with the primary limitation being bandwidth. While Microsoft has the largest connections we can get into our datacenters, depending on where your systems are and their connection to the Internet, you will need to consider how much data you transfer, and how often. For backup files, a single, larger transfer is acceptable, using Log Shipping or Database Mirroring, smaller, more frequent transfers are preferable.
Another limitation is controlling the hardware on the Windows Azure Virtual Machine. That means hardware-based clustering isn't possible, as of this writing. You're also limited to the size of the Virtual Machines that Windows Azure (or any other cloud provider) offers. It's important to keep in mind that you're building a Disaster Recovery solution, not necessarily a full Highly-Available system. The difference is that in this case DR provides a means to recover and operate at a more limited fashion than a full on-premises HA (with matching hardware and licenses) involves. Storage, however, isn't as affected. You can mount large amounts of storage on a Windows Azure Virtual Machine, so it's more memory and CPU that you need to consider for your solution.
The final consideration is security. There are two aspects in security that you need to consider: data security and authentication and access. For the first consideration, the Windows Azure system does hold multiple certifications and attestations that you can find here: . In some cases those certifications are agreements on the part of security each party will hold liability for; so it's important to carefully read and understand what the agreement states. There are also methods of encrypting data (such as the backups) using your own certificates or hardware devices and then storing them externally. This means no one can easily un-encrypt your data.
For the authentication portion, you can create a secure "tunnel" between your network and Windows Azure. This involves a certificate that is installed on your hardware firewall at your facility, and an agent that is enabled with the same certificate on Windows Azure. This gives you a "point to point" connection, encrypted but over a public connection. From there you can use Active Directory to connect the authentication for the systems involved in the DR solution.
The First and most simple DR solution using Windows Azure is to store your backup files ( *.bak) in Windows Azure storage. Windows Azure Storage is triple-redundant across multiple fault-domains within a single datacenter, and then all three copies are replicated to a geographically separate (although data-sovereignty same) location. That translates to six copies of data stored remotely. In case of a disaster, you connect to storage, download the images, and restore them to a new server. The server can have the same name or different, and unless you're using contained databases, you'll need to re-create and re-authorize the security accounts needed for the database.
Note that you also have the option of using an "appliance", which is a piece of hardware you install at your facility which will act as a backup device or share location (or both). The device handles the encryption, de-duplication and compression for the files, and then stores those files on Windows Azure. More information on that option is here: http://www.storsimple.com/
RPO: As of last backup
RTO: (Time of transfer from Windows Azure + Time of Restore to New System + Bringing System Online with User Accounts) - Time of Backup
More detail on storing files on Windows Azure: http://sqlblog.com/blogs/sqlos_team/archive/2013/01/24/backup-and-restore-to-cloud-simplified-in-sql-server-2012-sp1-cu2.aspx
Free Client: http://azurestorageexplorer.codeplex.com/
Database Mirroring
Database Mirroring is a deprecated feature in SQL Server, which means it will be removed in a future release. It is, however, still supported in SQL Server 2012, and it can be used between on-premises SQL Server Instances and Windows Azure VM's. Using connection strings and .NET languages, clients can actually point to the partner server automatically.
The granularity of this solution is at the individual database level. Machines can retain their individual identities. You can use certificates to connect the systems, or you can use the point-to-point solution and Active Directory.
There are limitations, however. You won't use a Listener in this configuration, and you'll be using Asynchronous mode. If you are not running in the same Active Directory, you'll also need to factor in the time to re-create and tie out those accounts when calculating the RTO value.
RPO: As of last good synchronization
RTO: (Time of failure + Time of client redirect to New System ) - Time of last good synchronization
A complete tutorial on setting up this configuration is here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj870964.aspx
Log Shipping
Another feature available for DR in a Hybrid fashion is using Log Shipping, which also protects your system at a database level. Log shipping involves an automated log backup of your database, and the log is copied and then applied at the secondary server. Because the log file is copied to a Windows share, this solution requires both networking access and an Active Directory integration.
RPO: As of last good log backup application to the secondary system
RTO: (Time of failure + Time of manual client redirect to New System + Time of Manual Failover ) - Time of last good log backup
Log Shipping information is here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms187103.aspx
AlwaysOn Availability Groups
SQL Server 2012 introduces a new set of features called "AlwaysOn" that encompass many of the HA/DR features in previous releases. One feature within that set is called "Availability Groups", and with certain caveats that feature is available for a Hybrid on-premises to Windows Azure VM solution.
AlwaysOn requires a Windows Cluster (WFSC), which is where the caveats come into play. You're able to set up a multi-subnet WSFC cluster, but you won't have access to the Availability Group Listener function, so you need to consider the client reconnection.
RPO: As of last good synchronization
RTO: (Time of failure + Time of manual client redirect to New System + Time of Manual Failover ) - Time of last good log backup
A complete tutorial on setting up this configuration is here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj870959.aspx
Real-world notes and testing here: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/igorpag/archive/2013/09/02/sql-server-2012-alwayson-availability-group-and-listener-in-azure-vms-notes-details-and-recommendations.aspx
Other Solution Options
Taking an overview approach, you can use other data transfer mechanisms. While these involve more manual coding and architecture, you do have more control. For instance, you could copy the data to multiple locations, platforms and more, and allow reading and manipulations of the data at the destination. You can use code options or even SQL Server Replication (blog on this process is here: http://tk.azurewebsites.net/2012/07/17/how-to-setup-peer-to-peer-replication-in-azure-iaas-sql-server-2012/)
RPO: Varies
RTO: Varies
A whitepaper on the information I've discussed throughout this article and other options is available here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj870962.aspx
The "SQL AlwaysOn" Team Blog (where you may find more current information) is here: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/sqlalwayson/


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The soon-to-be-jailbird Lauryn Hill dropped 'Neurotic Society (Compulsory Mix)' last month, with was met with a lot of praise as well as a lot of confusion. Below, taken from her Tumblr, she explains the meaning behind her latest single.
Neurotic Society is a song about people not being, or not being able to be, who and what they truly are, due to the current social construct. I am not targeting any particular group of people, but rather targeting everyone in our society who hides behind neurotic behavior, rather than deal with it.
The world we live in now is, in many ways, an abhorrent distortion, an accumulation of generations and generations of response to negative stimuli. Many don't even have a concept of what normal is, by virtue of having lived afraid, ashamed, as victims of abuse, or inadequately handled for so long. I believe in coming up from under that fear and allowing the psyche/soul to truly heal. I understand that healing is a process, but I also believe that it is our responsibility to seriously care for ourselves, so that we can extend that level of concern for others and positively affect our environment.
I want what is best for Humanity. Humanity, aligned with the Spiritual principles, that help each individual conquer fear, and transcend limited circumstance. I believe in healing and dealing with the traumatizing events of our lives, both in this lifetime, as well as those passed down to us, or inherited, so we can live as fully as possible.
The whole world suffers from a lack of honest dialogue. Character and integrity have suffered at the hands of political correctness and corporate agenda, while our society moves further and further towards unhealthiness and breakdown. I oppose these trends.
Everyone has a right to their own beliefs. Although I do not necessarily agree with what everyone says or does, I do believe in everyone's right to protest.
The overarching message of my music is to get up and stop compromising! And hopefully it will stimulate and motivate the changes that our society needs.
Artists are constantly under media and public scrutiny. This is not a one-way street. Those of us with the charge of putting out faithful vibrations, have a responsibility to report what we see, and to write about what we know. I have seen some of the best and also some of the worst representations of human behavior. The same way that I exalt that which is high, is the same way I expose that which is abusive, in order to motivate and remind if not all of us, than as many as possible, of the Higher Calling.


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Honda Racing has withdrawn from the Vauxhall International North West 200 following John McGuinness's crash on Thursday.
A statement released by the team on Friday evening said: "Honda Racing has an update regarding John McGuinness, following his incident at the North West 200 Superbike qualifying on Thursday, May 11.
"John has been diagnosed with a compound fracture to his right lower leg, while in theatre on Thursday night it was not possible to plate the leg as initially thought due to the extent of the injury, and tomorrow an external fixator will be fitted.
"In addition, John has also suffered four broken vertebrae and has three broken back ribs, John will wear a cast for up to six weeks in treatment for the vertebrae. John will remain at Royal Victoria Hospital for around one week as part of the recuperation process.
"Honda Racing has received John's bike from the race organisers and will perform a detailed analysis of the bike and ECU data at its headquarters in Louth. As a result, the team has withdrawn from the Superstock and Superbike races at the North West 200.
"The team will next be on track at Castle Combe in a couple of weeks' time as part of its preparation for the Isle of Man TT."
Jonny Twelvetrees, team manager, said the team would regroup before the TT, where practice gets underway on Saturday, May 27.
"Unfortunately John's incident at Primrose Hill during qualifying has resulted in quite a substantial injury to his right Tibia and Fibula.
"It is a real blow to John and the team, but he's got an incredible amount of spirit and is in very good hands with the medical staff at the Royal Victoria Hospital.
"We now need to determine what happened and will sit out the Superstock and Superbike races, get back to Louth to analyse John's bike and re-group ahead of our next test at Castle Combe in a couple of weeks before we head to the Isle of Man."
An official statement from the NW200 organisers said they fully understood Honda's decision and wished the 23-time Isle of Man TT winner a speedy recovery.
"Honda Racing have informed us today of the team's withdrawal from the 2017 Vauxhall International North West 200 following John McGuinness's crash during the Thursday qualifying session. We fully understand and accept Honda's reasons for this action.
"The MCUI Medical team were on the scene providing treatment to John very quickly following his crash at Primrose yesterday and the race organisers would like to thank the team for their excellent work.
"John has competed at the North West 200 since 1994 and is one of road racing's greatest ambassadors. Everyone at the event will miss his presence on Saturday and we would like to offer him a very speedy recovery from his injuries.
"Guy Martin, John's Honda Racing team-mate, will continue to compete in the 2017 Vauxhall International North West 200, riding in Saturday's Supersport event on the Wilson Craig Honda."


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John 14:26 King James Version (KJV)
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
You'll get this book and many others when you join Bible Gateway Plus. Learn more


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I hadn't written anything in a couple days, yet I found myself in an odd ongoing mood of wanting to write without having a focus to write about. And then, of course, last Saturday happened. I don't want what follows to be taken as any kind of pity party or a rant or anything of that nature. Truth be told, I'm not certain I know exactly what it is, myself. I guess I'll just start typing and we'll see where this mess goes.
A handful of weeks ago, I learned that my wife's daughter was moving into an apartment where she could not keep her cats, and could we take them in? I was not horribly enthusiastic about the proposition, being that we already have three cats as it is. The addition of two more would add unwanted expense to my wallet, never mind feline drama which we already see too often. On a trip to her new digs, I met her two kitties: nearly identical butterscotch males named Garfield and Odie. They were young, probably no more than 2½ months or so, good-natured and playful … and ultimately, I guess I just figured the usual, "what the heck." After getting fully scoped out by our veterinarian, Garfield joined the gang something over two weeks ago and Odie a week after that.
The reaction of our long-time residents to the new arrivals was fairly predictable, knowing them. Boo was mostly indifferent, hissing initially but mostly ignoring the newcomers. Sadie took them as a personal affront, making her vocal displeasure well known and having nothing whatever to do with them. Morris started out not much different from Boo, but evolved over a march of three or four days into a combination of either benign neglect or semi-curious willingness to go nose-to-nose with Garfield or Odie, with a look toward eventually, possibly being a playmate. Meantime, the new two took to their new locale like a fish takes to water, exploring all over, attempting to make friends with the oldsters, and playing and wrestling with each other much as they had at the old place. It also seemed as though each of our now-five cats had found their own pied-a-terre to call their own, so cat confrontations were thankfully infrequent.
Garfield was perhaps the more reserved of the two, exploring but not too aggressively, while Odie was clearly the more extroverted of the pair. Not quite a week ago, I watched Odie follow Morris, our big Maine Coon, up onto the office windowsill, a fairly decent jump from my desk. He was also seen chasing Morris around here and there, despite being roughly a third of the larger cat's size and weight. Odie was also the less "buzzy" of the newcomers. Pick up Garfield and an instant purr was very nearly guaranteed. Do the same with Odie and maybe he would buzz and maybe he wouldn't. Ultimately his body language would say, "Hey, I got places to go, people to see, things to do, ya know?", whereupon I would set him down and he would go about his business. So far so good, or so I thought.
This past Saturday afternoon, I was watching football in the family room when, to my considerable surprise, I was joined by Odie. This wasn't his usual behavior, though I was flattered that he would deign to spend some time with me. I remember noting that his mouth fur was wet and remembered that I had caught him vomiting earlier that day. What he had expelled was nothing more than white fluid, no solid matter, and I had figured he was dealing with a worming pill he had been given the day before. Odie perched on my shoulder for a while, then sat in my lap, still not buzzing much (if at all) as I petted him and gave him chin-chucks. Eventually, he went on his way as he always did, though something in his manner told me that he was OFF somehow.
It was much later that evening when the whole matter hit the fan. I was in the kitchen when my stepdaughter came in with Odie in her hands. He was almost a rag doll, next to no movement, no purr, barely breathing. My wife and I exchanged some discussion about whether to try to do something about the little guy, and being that we were a 10-minute drive from a 24-hour pet emergency room, I offered to take Odie there and see what they could do. Odie was wrapped in a towel, and off we went, our small patient cradled in my wife's arms.
I'll say this much for the Vet Emergency Room: they didn't screw around when they saw they had an emergent case on their hands. Odie went straight back to their treatment area almost immediately upon presentation. Perhaps half an hour later, the news was confusing. First Odie hadn't been responding, and did we want to proceed with euthanasia? Not much later, we were told he had responded, and the doctors wanted to know if we wished to proceed with a considerable (and expensive!) regimen of care.
We were invited back to see our little guy. It wasn't horrid, but it wasn't pretty, either. Odie was on a low table, under a blanket with a warming bottle next to his belly. He was intubated through his mouth. Both front legs were partially shaved, an I/V feeding him an aqueous solution of some description, and alligator clips, one on each leg, were feeding a signal to a heart monitor. One of the attending vets told us he had stopped breathing at some point, thus the intubation, and that his temperature was low at 92°, Fahrenheit. There was some discussion about how we wanted to proceed from this point. I was hardly sanguine about a course of treatment which would strain an already complaining bank account … but at the same time, I wanted Odie to live, darn it ... and for Garfield NOT to lose his playmate. I told the docs to extubate Odie, figuring that if he could breathe on his own, maybe it was worth the effort and expense. Son of a gun, they removed the tube and Odie continued breathing, even occasionally moving his head around and blinking on his own. His temp was coming up, too – 93 degrees, then 94 and still rising. I swallowed hard and signed on the dotted line to continue his care overnight, and my wife and I returned home around midnight. It was something short of 2 AM as I half-slept through an episode of House that the call came in: Odie had arrested again and was estimated to be in multiple organ failure and did we want to call it? I blearily sighed and said yes and attempted somewhat successfully to go back to sleep.
So why am I telling you all of this? Good question, one which I could stand an answer to, myself. Maybe it's to let you know what can happen with a beloved pet when you least expect it, or to let you know that something little can blow up into something not so little. It could also be to inform you that emergency pet care is seriously pricey, and in places more than a little manipulative of furry friend owners.
And maybe it's just for me to talk out the sadness I feel at the loss of Odie. The hell of it is, I seem to be the only one feeling it that much around here at the moment. I know my wife shed a few tears, but she's pretty much over it. My stepdaughter, Odie and Garfield's original owner, hasn't yet said boo about the entire incident. Even Garfield has shown no signs of missing his brother and still does his best impression of a V-12 at idle when picked up. Doubtless, I'm attaching too much emotion to an all too common circumstance. Keep in mind, this is coming from the same person who gets occasionally misty-eyed listening to Steely Dan's Dr. Wu, for reasons he himself isn't sure of.
For the moment, all I know is I wanted Odie to live … and I'm going to miss him.
Views: 505
He sought comfort with you, and that can hurt very deep, even if you were hardly friends. Because you know there's very little we can give them.
So sorry for your loss! I know how hard it is to lose a kitten -- I lost a kitten from FIP years ago, and I still miss him, and the life he never got to live. Our companion animals are "people" and members of our family, and yes, we miss them when they go, just like we miss the people we've lost. The facile phrase is "Such is life", but we're human, and we DO have emotions and we're hard-wired to grieve. So I support you in your grieving, and no homilies about him going to a better place -- just an acknowledgement that you loved him, and he's gone, and you're sad. And I'm glad you wrote about what happened and expressed your grief. That gives the rest of us a chance to offer our support and love.
Thanks to both of you, Chris and Natalie. Your empathy is very much appreciated.
Oh, that hurts SO much! Been there, done that so many times, and it always hurts. I always feel guilty, no matter what the medical situation, and when someone says something like, "But it's only a cat..." I want to slap them. Or worse.
I'm hurting with you.
I often feel a soaring elation, a transcendent euphoria when my old cat leaps into my lap in the evening and begs for my attention . . . how he flops his little body onto my chest, twists his head upside down, looks up into my eyes and waits for me to stroke his neck. I have no idea what this all means to him, but I do know what it means to me. It means that I have within myself the capacity to build a relationship with an entirely different species, based upon comfort and pleasure giving, trust, elimination of anxiety, a giving moment without expectation of anything from him in return . . . . except to be blessed with a somewhat selfish gratification of my own goodness . . . that I am not a bad person, that I can experience these exalted emotions toward an entirely alien species that I know has no capacity of contemplating the thoughts that stream through my consciousness at that moment.
I like to think that this is a kind of love, That this is a small peek into what it is to be a human, or simply to be human.
So what did Odie "expect" when he came to you . . . when, in your words he "joined" you on the couch? . . a good choice of a word. . . "join". What was within Odie neither you nor I will ever know. It is what is within you, however, that caused you to swallow hard, or as I, in the evening, to have that catch in my breath as I surrender to the mystery of my own emotions.
I like to think that I get a glimpse of my capacity to love and of my own humanity.
Before there was Odie or Garfield ... or Morris, Sadie and Boo, there was Munchkin. Munchkin was a cat my daughter adopted as a kitten even smaller than Odie or Garfield, some 17 years ago. Over the years we lived together, he and I built a wonderful bond which even my current buddy, Morris, doesn't quite match up to.
One thing Munchkin used to do would happen when I would pick him up for a snuggle. We could go nose-to-nose and, occasionally, he would "munch" my nose. Not bite, not lick, but just munch gently, a gesture which floored me every time he did it. It told me that, much as Munch was my cat, I was his person. That to me is a pretty big deal.
Munchkin is still around, though not with me. When I separated from my ex, Munch went with her, for some convoluted reasons. Doesn't change the fact that I'm still Munchkin's person, though ... and I am very glad of that.
And lest I forget, thanks a lot for your input, Asa. Very much appreciated.
I don't have a cat, but I can empathize to some extent with you Loren, as well as the rest of you. I became quite teary reading these posts.
You ain't the only one, Spud. Grazie.
I have been through the loss of many Feline family members and they all hurt, and always will. It appears the real connection between you and Odie was his seeking your attention. I have had this occur many times, and I recognize the connection that results in a fundamental change in the relationship you have. I have also had Feline family members chose to spend their last moments on Earth with me. Ahem, pause. I do not recognize cats that have chosen to be my friends and family as pets. I find the term insulting. The connection I have with them is really no different than that I have with my own children. So loss is difficult. I felt your words and have to say you did what you could, and that you and Odie were lucky to have known each other. Remember him when you look at Garfield, no one wants to be forgotten.
Interesting thing: Garfield is getting a touch more exploratory and feisty, maybe. It's a bit early to tell, true, but we'll see. As for remembering Odie when I look at Garfield, the two looked so alike, it'd be pretty hard NOT to think of the one when seeing the other.
Thank you for your comment and your sentiments, Robert.
As I am sorry for yours, Don. That must have been painful as hell. Thank you, my friend.
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Marty Piombo, 48, a technology executive from Mill Valley, California, found himself the latest outcast to be eliminated on the last episode of Survivor: Nicaragua.
In a new interview with PEOPLE, Marty discusses why he never teamed up with Jane, his thoughts on Brenda and Sash's decision to vote him out, and whether or not he regrets being so outspoken.
Excerpts from Marty's interview below –
Jane often said you didn't give her the time of day. True? And if so, why not?
She says I never tried to work with her, which is simply not true. I made an attempt in the beginning to get to know her, but it was clear we were not going to mesh. She came up to me within the first few minutes of the game and said, "My husband died, I really need the money so please don't vote me off." I have suffered more hardships and loss in my life than her and Chase combined, but I would never have used it like that to try to get leverage. That conversation really soured me on her. And I wanted to play the game with strong, honest, smart, good people. That's why I got along with Jill so well. And even Danny because he tries his hardest despite physical limitations and I knew I could trust him.
What one move or event contributed most to your downfall?
The tribal switch 100 percent. Jill and I were chosen solely for the purpose of elimination. We were not chosen with swing votes in mind or for what we would add to the team. From that switch on, it was an uphill battle for me and I felt I did a pretty good job lasting as long as I did. I had a decent chance of convincing them to side with me last night and a good shot at final five.
Did you believe you had changed Sash and Brenda's vote to flush the idol and get Jane out?
I packed my bags because it was a little less than 50-50 that my plan would work. I was asking them to switch up their whole team and plan with that vote, so it was a long shot, but stranger things have happened. You can tell what I was saying was getting to them. Like the way Sash's head moved right after my torch was snuffed.
Did you ever think, Maybe I should shut up, step back and stop playing so hard?
This is who I am. I couldn't have played the game any differently than I did because of that. I was never going to be the guy who floated under the radar, didn't make bold moves or didn't strategize. Everyone says I talked too much at tribal but that's the only time when you can air everything out to everyone all at once. I tried to use it to my advantage. When I went off on Jane and tried to explain why she was such a huge threat to take to the end, I started to make people realize that.
Anything you regret?
Not working with Holly more. In the beginning, she did a lot of things that everyone saw that made me write her off because she seemed unstable and not long for the game, like siding with Wendy Jo or taking Danny's shoes. But she pulled it together and proved to be a smarter player and an honest trustworthy person. I wish I'd spent more time working on building a relationship with her.
On tonight's episode, airing at 8/7c on CBS, the 10 remaining castaways return to the Libertad camp only to discover that it is in ashes because of a fire. Was the camp fire a deliberate sabotage or careless error? Who will join Alina and Marty as the third member of the jury? Find out tonight.


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TAFT, California — The puppy countdown is on for Chanel, a golden retriever who wound up finding internet fame after her owner posted photos from a canine maternity shoot on social media.
Chanel's owner, Kennedy Sorensen, of Taft, California, posted photos on Twitter of her "fur baby," where they have already received more than 22,000 retweets and 36,000 likes.
The photos show Chanel in a flower necklace posing with LeeRoy, the puppies' father. Amy Rients, LeeRoy's owner and a professional photographer, took the photos that have become an internet sensation, but she says the idea for the shoot came from Sorensen.
"I never intended these fun photos to make such fuss in our world, they were taken for pure fun," Rients posted on Facebook. "Kennedy Sorensen and I have definitely experienced something new and surreal."
The shoot apparently took only an hour, made possible by "lots of treats and patience," Sorensen said.
Chanel is expected to deliver by Oct. 12.


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Narsis Chrome with Black Inserts
A staggered fitment is also referred to as a staggered application. Basically, it means that the wheels on the back of the vehicle are a different size than those on the front. Wider wheels are usually run on the back. NOTE: If your tires display a different size on the front and rear then you have a staggered set up.
List of our staggered wheels:
1. 20x8.5 on the front / 20x10 on the back
2. 20x9 on the front / 20x10 on the back
3. 22x9 on the front / 22x10.5 on the back


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Although some people remember Herbert Hoover as the man who was President during the early years of the Great Depression, others may know him as a complex public servant, the "Great Humanitarian" whose career spanned a remarkable seven decades. A graduate of Stanford University, Hoover became a successful mining engineer before organizing relief programs for the starving victims of World War I.
As Secretary of Commerce under Presidents Harding and Coolidge, he helped to create safer highways and aircraft, better health care for children, and the standardization of commercial products. And, in 1927, he mustered a fleet of 600 boats and 60 airplanes to rescue 325,000 Americans who were left homeless during the catastrophic Mississippi River flood.
Following World War II, President Truman chose him to help the hungry people of Europe once again, and he spent his "retirement" years as an amazingly prolific author, speaker, and government adviser. Continuing his life-long desire to help needy children, he also served as chairman of the Boys' Clubs of America, helping to open 500 new chapters throuhgout the United States.
About This Lesson
Getting Started: Inquiry Question
Setting the Stage: Historical Context
Locating the Site: Maps
Determining the Facts: Readings
Visual Evidence: Images
Putting It All Together: Activities
How the National Register
Herbert Hoover National
This lesson is based on the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, one of the thousands of properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places.


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Part of National Museums Liverpool
The Knutsford Hoard includes 103 coins, 3 brooches, 2 finger rings and pottery fragments, discovered in 2012 in Cheshire.
The Roman Treasures of Cheshire, on display at the Museum of Liverpool until 19 June, are two examples of deliberately buried hoards of precious objects – hidden for safekeeping and never collected.
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Hey Dutch - Skip the Emory class. I took it earlier this year before the June test and was not impressed. The instructor has some really annoying mannerisms and his notebook is full of typos. I won't say that I wasted the $400, but I could have invested it in a much better way. If I take another class, it will definitely be the full-length PowerScore course (http://shopping.powerscore.com/product_detail.cfm?pid=908). I didn't work through the PowerScore bibles before the June exam and I have learned so much from them (contrary to what the LSAC guy said during the Atlanta forum, there are "trick" questions on the test and PowerScore points them out). If anything, the bibles are worth investing in and David Killoran (founder of PowerScore and author of the bibles) has been great about answering my email questions.
Hi Dutch - The Emory instructor's defensiveness is a huge red flag (IMHO). While his course may have helped me somewhat (I got a 154 the first time I took the test - in June), I feel that my money would have been better spent on a PowerScore course. And no, I don't know anything about the Gwinnett course. CM
Dutch: I'm taking the LSAT again because I didn't get a score good enough for Georgia State (if I can get in, I'll go part-time at night) or other schools in areas where my husband and I may end up. We will move West at some point and if it is while I'm still in law school, I don't want there to be any concerns about my LSAT score.The toughest parts of the exam for me were the logical and analytical (logic games) reasoning sections. I had not worked through the PowerScore bibles beforehand and I didn't fully comprehend how to work the problems effectively. Once you take the test I think you'll understand. Time is critical because those 35 minutes per section go by very quickly. PowerScore emphasizes time management, which is key to doing well on the LSAT.CM


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GLENDALE, Ariz. -- One of the most imposing rosters posted at this weekend's 18u Perfect Game MLK Championship is also one of the most imposing rosters that will be posted during the 2013 Southern California high school season.
The Los Angeles-based So Cal Cavs roster is nearly identical to the one that Serra High School in Gardena, Calif., will post this spring. When the Cavs opened play at the 18u PG MLK Championship Friday afternoon, the players were proudly wearing the Cavaliers' royal blue and scarlet uniforms with the name "Serra" scripted across the front.
It's a team filled with top-caliber 2013 and 2014 prospects, led by a trio of highly ranked players who call Los Angeles home and who would fit comfortably in a spot in the batting order at just about any high school in America.
There's no need to start the conversation anywhere else but with 2012 Perfect Game All-American Dominic Smith, a left-handed, sweet-swinging first baseman and outfielder who may also do some pitching this weekend. Then let the talk drift toward 2014 outfielder/right-hander Marcus Wilson before settling in for a rest with 2014 outfielder Denz'l Chapman.
Smith needs to introduction. The 6-foot, 200-pound Serra High School senior is ranked No. 2 nationally (No. 1 at first base) in the 2013 graduating class and has invoked gasps with his play ever since first appearing at the 2011 Perfect Game California Underclass Showcase. There is really no reason for him to be here -- PG scouts have been convinced of Smith's unlimited potential for more than two years -- but yet here he is, getting ready for his final season of high school baseball.
"This is a group of guys from my high school down in Los Angeles, and we decided to enter this tournament in the preseason to get ready for the (high school) season," Smith said after the Cavs beat the Bluegrass Stars, 13-1, in four innings late Friday afternoon.
"I just want to win this tournament for my guys so we can start the season on a good, positive note," he said. "I'm just coming out here to have fun and enjoy my team and bond before the season starts. This is my last year and this is the last time I get to travel (to a PG event) and play with these great guys."
This will not be the last time Wilson and Chapman travel to a PG event. They are both juniors at Serra but are at the Camelback Ranch Complex with the So Cal Cavs this weekend for the same reasons as Smith.
Wilson said he just transferred to Serra High School right before coming on this trip, a move that made what looks to be one of California's top high school teams even better. A 6-3, 170-pound primary outfielder, Wilson is ranked No. 56 nationally (No. 11 at his position) in the 2014 class and is looking forward to playing with his new high school teammates.
"That is my new home and I love it here," he said. "This is a good way to prep ourselves for the (spring) season and just get some AB's. It's a good tournament too; it's just the perfect place to be and I wouldn't want to be anyplace else."
Chapman (5-10, 180) comes into the tournament ranked No. 72 nationally (No. 14 outfield) and is attending his seventh PG event. In 2012 alone he attended the 2012 PG National Games in San Diego, the PG/EvoShield National Championship (Underclass) here in the Phoenix area playing with GBG Yak Baseball West, and the PG WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Fla., playing with GBG Yak.
"I'm here so that I can show Perfect Game that I've gotten better," Chapman said matter-of-factly. "I also want to show everybody that we're a good team because a lot of people look at us as under-rated and I want to show them we play as a team; we have good team chemistry."
Chapman jumped into everybody's radar at the PG California Underclass Showcase held in November, 2011. On what a PG scouting report described as a "rough track", Chapman ran a phenomenal 6.36-second 60-yard dash, blowing away the rest of the field.
"I'm a pretty fast guy and I've gotten faster as the years went on," he said. "The field was pretty bad that day but you still have to go out and show what you can do. You can't make excuses in this game, you just have to show what you can do."
Chapman said he has never ran track -- although he'd like to -- because its season runs the same time as the baseball season.
The So Cal Cavs pounded out 11 hits and scored 12 earned runs in their tournament-opening win. Smith was his usual phenomenal self, going 4-for-4 with three RBI, two runs scored and two stolen bases while Chapman walked three times, scored twice, drove in a run and stole two bases. Wilson started slowly at the plate, going 0-for-3.
Khalil Denson (2013, Los Angeles) was 2-for-3 with two RBI, and pitched three innings of three-hit ball, striking out six. Trent Hammond (2013, Manhattan Beach, Calif.) went 2-for-3 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored.
"We swung the bats well and we just played good as a team," Chapman said. "I was very impressed with our results."
"Everybody on this team from the top to the bottom can just flat-out hit," Wilson added. "If somebody has a bad day it doesn't really matter because everybody's here to pick you up."
Smith looked like the most relaxed athlete on the field during the game. This is his time -- maybe his last time -- to play the game he loves free of stress and other people's high expectations.
"I'm just trying to take it all in and enjoy baseball right now and just have fun," he said. "This is a child's game and it's meant to be played and have fun, and a lot of kids put too much pressure on (themselves). I want to have fun and keep enjoying the game, because at the next level it's more of a business and it's taken way more seriously. I just want to keep it even and have fun and play hard like always, and just enjoy the last four or five months of my (senior year)."
Juniors like Wilson and Chapman are determined to make sure the seniors like Smith, Denson and Hammond go out on top this spring. That's the main reason this trip to the desert in the middle of January was so import to these players from Serra High School.
"I just like being with my team; I love these guys and these are people I like to be with," Chapman said. "It's good for us to just get away and get better at bonding as team. This (tournament) is very good just to show where we're at, but when we get home we're going to work even more because there's still a lot of little stuff that we have to work on."
Smith is likely the only player on the So Cal Cavs roster that needs to pay attention to the early rounds (re: first round) of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft in early June. He has signed his letter of intent at Southern Cal, but PG pegs him as the No. 21 overall (college, juco, high school) prospect in the draft this year, which means he is a very likely first-rounder. He chooses to ignore the draft conversation as much as possible.
"I try not to look at those things and put too much pressure on myself. If you look at those things you're going to drive yourself crazy," he said. "One day, one (mock) draft has me here and the next day another (mock) draft has me here; it's all speculation and it's all opinionated. I just go out and play my game and have fun, because a lot of kids get caught up in what everybody has to say and that ends up hurting them in the long run."
Instead, Smith and his teammates are concentrating on taking an 18u PG MLK Championship gold championship trophy back to L.A. with them when the tournament concludes Monday afternoon.
"We played well, we hit the ball pretty good, we pitched well, played great defense, and this should be a great tournament for us," Smith said after Friday's win. "It's good for us to show what we can do and show Perfect Game how good our team really is."
Wilson said winning and enjoying the entire tournament experience go hand-in-hand.
"We always expect to do well; we always expect to win," he said. "Especially with this team, this is a really good group of guys so we always expect to win. We'll come out and play our hardest and have fun. That's the most important thing."


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Childbirth education
Aug 31, 2010
I have some fun news to share with you! For several years now I have had a passion for birth and a desire to spread the word about it's beauty and importance. My dream is finally coming true! I have begun training with Birthworks to become a certified childbirth educator. At this point it looks like I will be the only educator in Michigan certified through Birthworks. I can't wait! Women and babies are my passion! At some point I would like to become a doula or midwife but as a homeschooling mom of young children that wouldn't be the best for my family right now. I'm saving that dream for when they're older. I figure it will give me something fun to look forward to when I have an empty nest.
For more information on the Birthworks organization you can visit their website: Birthworks International
Posted In: Pregnancy | My Life • Comments (0)
Emma's cloth doll
Jul 07, 2010
My oldest daughter Emma just finished sewing her first doll. She had expressed an interest in learning to sew and I'm not a very advanced seamstress so we checked out some sewing books from the library. The book Emma found the most helpful was "Made By Me" by Jane Bull. It's full of sewing, embroidery and knitting projects for girls that are easy to make. Each project is shown step-by-step with detailed pictures and easy to understand instructions. Emma chose the to make the doll from the book.
She is so proud of her new "friend." Emma told me not to tell the doll that it IS a doll because she doesn't want her to know she's not real!
Posted In: My Life | Crafts • Comments (0)
Fuzzy Wuzzy
Apr 17, 2010
Fuzzy Wuzzy (in this case) is not a bear! Emma found a banded woolly bear caterpillar a couple weeks ago and we decided to keep him as a 'pet.' We're hoping to see him turn into a moth. The nice thing is he's very easy to care for. We put him in a gallon-size clear jar with a rubber band holding a piece of cloth around the top. We put a couple sticks and some fresh grass in the jar too. All he needs is fresh grass every day.
Emma came to me all horrified one morning thinking he was dead. It turns out he had just knit his cocoon around himself so now we're waiting to see if he makes it to the moth stage. Fun!
For a little more fun, check out this GIANT banded woolly bear! ;)
Giant Woolly Bear Caterpillar Discovered
Posted In: Parenting | Homeschooling | My Life • Comments (2)
Snowmen family
Dec 19, 2009
This is just a little something Emma & I made today.
From left to right: Katie snowgirl, Emma snowgirl, Laura snow-woman & Aaron snowman :)
Posted In: My Life •
Merry Christmas!
Dec 13, 2009
Merry Christmas from our family to yours!
Posted In: My Life • Comments (0)


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PLYMOUTH - Colonial School District students enjoyed their best showing ever at the 2013 Technology Student Association National Conference, earning three first-place trophies and three third-place trophies.
Twenty-eight students from Colonial Middle School and Plymouth Whitemarsh High School traveled to Orlando, Fla., for the five-day conference in late June and early July. More than 5,000 students from across the United States, Germany and Turkey competed in more than 60 events ranging from animatronics to website design. The students used technologies including CAD and Java software and CO2 dragsters and robotics to compete in areas covering the technology spectrum from animation to biotechnology to fashion design. The team events required students to create a display of their projects and a binder showing evidence of the research and production required. Teams that placed among the top 12 then went through an interview process where they presented their projects to the judges.
The PWHS won first place in the Engineering Design category. The team of Samantha Horry, Seth Horry, Greg Richards and Dalton Versak worked with their blind advisers from InspiriTec in Philadelphia to design and develop the neXt cane. The tip of the cane can morph into three different tips. The adaptable tip allows the blind to get the right feel for their cane based on the current terrain. Team member Jeff Varrone assisted on the project but did not attend the conference. A patent has been submitted for the cane tip design.
The PWHS team of Chirag Agarwal, Nikki Knudsen, Sophia Gross, Seamus Malley and Stephanie Wisniewski placed third in On Demand Video. This team event is different than the others in that it is an on-site event requiring writing and filming a short DVD and compiling a binder in just a few days.
The PWHS SciVis team also placed third. Tommy Gerstein, Anton Smaliak, Samantha and Seth Horry, Richards and Versak created an animation of the process to create bio-oil.
PWHS teams placed fourth and fifth in Biotechnology Design. The team of Chris Guarini, Lina Shi, Agarwal, Samantha and Seth Horry and Richards were fourth for their project, which focused on using the genetically engineered Zymomonas Mobilis bacteria as well as thermal processes to turn trees to bio-fuels. The team of Nathan Hyer, Smaliak, Gerstein, Richards and Dalton and Jackson Versak placed fifth for a project that bombarded bacteria with CO2 to produce algae bio-oil.
The PWHS TSA chapter adviser is Rich Evan.
CMS students earned two first-place and one third-place trophies at the national conference.
One first-place trophy was earned in the Video Game Design category. Shre'ya Bhutani, Nicole Esposito, Scott Horry, Karen Minecci and James Phair won for the CancerBlaster game. CancerBlaster is a first-person shooter Java applet game that was designed, written and tested by the students as a way of learning about leukemia while having fun blasting away at the cancer. Team members Aish Ramesh and Giancarlo Donnini helped but did not attend the conference.
Bhutani, Esposito, Horry, Minecci and Phair also won first place in Construction Challenge for their Life at the Creek sign. Also assisting but not attending the conference was Donnini and Aidan McEleney. Working with Plymouth Township Director of Buildings and Grounds Rick Carbo and council members Sheldon Simpson and Maria Weidinger, the students designed and built a sign for Bicentennial Park. The sign displays information and pictures of animals and birds native to Pennsylvania that might be found near the creek.
Chris Johnson joined Bhutani, Esposito, Horry, Minecci and Phair to place third in Agriculture and Biotechnology Design. The students offered an aquaponic solution to address hunger in arid, third-world countries like the Sudan. They built a working aquaponic prototype at school to learn how these systems actually work and function efficiently.
The students were joined at the national conference by CMS TSA chapter adviser Clint Rickert and advisers Joe Narke and Diana Rickert.


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Jonathan Torch
Q: I just turned 25 and have spotted about 6 silver hairs on the right side of my head. It's freaking me out!! Can anyone tell me if this is normal? I'm too young to get grey hairs!!
Both of my parents only started to go grey in their forties, my dad only his late forties, so I am not sure the about genetics argument. Remedies?
Jonathan: It is quite normal to spot the odd grey hair at a young age. There are many theories as to what causes hair to turn grey—stress, heredity, and simply the aging process. At times your hair will grow in grey, and other times it will just fade from roots to ends. If your natural hair colour is dark, then it will be very easy to spot any grey hairs as they are shiny and will show immediately even if there are only one or two. Some grey grows in so coarse and wiry and is very resistant even to the strongest hair colour formula. My advice is first, do not to stress about this new change. If you have fewer than five grays' showing, it may be more convenient to just pluck them out. If not, then be prepared to embrace the world of hair colouring. There are several options available for successful hair colouring, but I would strongly recommend seeking personal, professional advice from a qualified, licensed hairstylist.
For more information about buying Curly Hair Solutions products, visit CurlMart.
Q: Since I'm a skier and a horseback rider, I wear helmets pretty often. I'm growing out my layered hair. My shorter layer, which is about chin length, never stays in a low ponytail that I wear under my helmets, and my hair just looks plain ratty, flat, and chaotic when I take my helmet off. I try to use clips, but they don't stay in place well. I know helmet hair is fairly unavoidable, but do you have tips that may help my situation? I hate taking my ski helmet off in the eating area because I'm so self-conscious of my helmet hair!
Jonathan: Many of the worst hair style disasters are caused by hat head or helmet head. This common problem inspired me to create one of my favorite products called Tweek. Tweek will rebuild broken hairstyles quite effectively. Tweek is a hairspray in a cream form and is ideal for curly hair, as regular hairspray does not quite work for curly hair. Tweek is not greasy, waxy, or sticky. Tweek dries clean and supports your style without the look and feel of having product in your hair. Fixing the curly hair problems that are caused by helmet head is all about rebuilding support at the root area. So simply rub Tweek between your palms or fingers, and create movement with your hands at the root area, followed by scrunches towards the ends. This movement provides volume, and Tweek will hold and support all of the volume you created. This wonderful product will easily fix flat spots, cowlicks and pony tail elastic demarcations.
Q: What is porosity and what does it have to do with anything? How do I tell what my hair's porosity is?
Jonathan: Porosity is the ability of hair to absorb moisture, which is the most important factor in the styling and conditioning of curly hair. Moisture balance determines whether or not you are having a good hair day or a bad hair day. Preventing successful hair colouring from becoming a disaster also depends on your hair's porosity. The same concerns affect the moisturizing and conditioning treatments for curly hair. Some curls dry in minutes and others can take hours to dry. To find out how porous your hair is, try to determine how long it takes your hair to dry—porous hair will take longer. Curly Hair Solutions products have been developed to work with all types of curly hair. Each product is carefully Ph balanced to correct and maintain the harmony of great curly hair.
Q: My hair is dark brown thick and curly. I reside in Florida so the rain and humidity never end. I received a really bad haircut, the worst I have ever had 1 yr ago and there are no knowledgeable salons in curly hair near me. I have learned the hard way! I also received a horrible dye job 6 months ago again they did not know how to handle curly hair. I would like to have burgundy highlights all over. Would that be in style considering it's all about dark natural hair right now? Also would it look ok on a 25-year-old working in a chiropractic clinic? If so how could I do this?
Jonathan: As your previous experience has taught you, not every hairstylist knows or even likes or appreciates curly hair. You may have to undergo a series of interviews before you find a hairstylist that you believe in. Doing research is the key, and consultations should always be readily available—even free—before making a commitment. You should try to learn how to style your hair yourself by using the right products with the proper techniques and instructions so that your curls can be at their best. That is what Curly Hair Solutions' primary goal is. When you become the master of your own curls, the haircut will become secondary. Curly Hair Solutions has proved hundreds of times that you can't always rely on a haircut to achieve great bouncy frizz-free curls. Many people have to be convinced to let their hair grow out longer before their hairstyle can reach its ultimate potential. I can also give you the same advice about finding the correct, most qualified colorist. Every season brings with it certain colour choices. With the latest vamp trends, deeper, cooler, and darker tones are now mainstream. However, your hair colour must blend in with your skin tones to help you achieve a more glamorous look.
Q: My hair is a 3b and 2a in the front and the rest is 3b. My hair is very soft and I love my curls, but my hair doesn't seem to shine ever. I need help with some products that will help give my hair some shine. & by the way my hair is black with brown highlights.
Jonathan: Shiny hair is caused by light reflection. The reason that straight hair has more shine than curly hair is that the hair cuticles of straight hair lie in a flat position, making it easy for the light to reflect off of. Curly hair cuticles are naturally more open, and make it more difficult to reflect light and shine. Using Curl Keeper will control all frizz by drying the hair cuticles in a closed position, which will always result in frizz-free curls with tons of shine - a simple, but very effective remedy. In addition, clean hair shines more easily than coated hair. It helps when you use artificial hair colours that reflect light. (Dark colours are shinier than light colours, and warm colours are shinier than cool colours)
Learn more about and ask questions of Torch and our other columnists.


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Warwickshire's all-rounder Keith Barker, whose early season championship form attracted the attention of a number of potential suitors, has signed a new three-year contract extension to remain at Edgbaston until at least the end of the 2015 season.
Barker, 25, joined Warwickshire in 2008 after graduating from the football academy of Blackburn Rovers and made his first-class debut against Nottinghamshire at Edgbaston a year later. Since then he has taken 156 wickets in all competitions for Warwickshire and scored more than 1300 runs.
In seven matches in this season's County Championship, Barker has taken 32 wickets, including his first five-wicket haul in the competition against Lancashire in Liverpool, and his first 10-wicket match against Durham at Edgbaston.
Ashley Giles, Warwickshire's director of cricket, said: "It's great news for the club that Keith has committed for another three years. He's worked incredibly hard and shown great commitment to improving his game in his training with Graeme Welch over the last two years.
"The team have certainly reaped the rewards for his efforts, particularly in the LV County Championship. He's matured as a cricketer and has taken great confidence out of leading the attack with Chris Wright in the early part of the season. Everyone is delighted he is remaining at the club."


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How to Make Better Choices in the Grocery Store
Make your daily staples as healthy as you can. Small changes in the foods you buy in the grocery store and eat every day can add up to big rewards. More..
Make your daily staples as healthy as you can. Small changes in the foods you buy in the grocery store and eat every day can add up to big rewards. More..
Here's how an hour or two of food prep on the weekend can help you put together healthier meals for the entire week. More..
Don't let the holiday season get the best of you. The key to avoiding holiday weight gain is to plan ahead. More..
Grilling food outdoors is one of the great pleasures of summer. Here are some tips for making healthy meals on the grill. More..
Here's why keeping your weight in check is so important for heart health, and how a heart-healthy diet can help you control your weight. More..
Between the tempting menu descriptions, the huge portions and no way of knowing how many calories you're eating, you might often feel like you're better off just staying home. More..
Not eating enough fruits, vegetables and dairy products? You might be missing out on some important nutrients. Nutrition Expert Susan Bowerman explains. More..
Halloween revelers collect a staggering 600 million pounds of candy from strangers. But there are things we can do to lessen the madness. More..
Weekends are tough times for dieters. It's a time to reward ourselves after the busy work week, so we take time to relax, maybe eat out once or twice, or get together with friends. And that often involves eating and drinking. But if you aren't reasonably careful, you could easily undo a week of good behavior between Friday night and Monday morning. More..
Protein shakes can do more than just provide balanced nutrition. Getting into the shake habit just might improve your eating habits, too. More..


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tests whether the matrices m1 and m2 are independent.
returns the value of "property".
Details and Options
- WilksWTest performs a hypothesis test on m1 and m2 with null hypothesis that the matrices are linearly independent, and alternative hypothesis that they are not.
- By default a probability value or -value is returned.
- A small -value suggests that it is unlikely that is true.
- The arguments m1 and m2 can be any real-valued vectors or matrices of equal length.
- WilksWTest is based on Wilks's statistic computed by WilksW[m1,m2].
- WilksWTest[m1,m2,"HypothesisTestData"] returns a HypothesisTestData object htd that can be used to extract additional test results and properties using the form htd["property"].
- WilksWTest[m1,m2,"property"] can be used to directly give the value of "property".
- Properties related to the reporting of test results include:
"DegreesOfFreedom" the degrees of freedom used in the test "PValue" the -value of the test "PValueTable" formatted table containing the -value "ShortTestConclusion" a short description of the conclusion of the test "TestConclusion" a description of the conclusion of the test "TestData" a list containing the test statistic and -value "TestDataTable" formatted table of the -value and test statistic "TestStatistic" the test statistic "TestStatisticTable" formatted table containing the test statistic
- The following options can be used:
Method Automatic the method to use for computing -values SignificanceLevel 0.05 cutoff for diagnostics and reporting VerifyTestAssumptions Automatic what assumptions to verify
- For tests of independence, a cutoff is chosen such that is rejected only if . The value of used for the "TestConclusion" and "ShortTestConclusion" properties is controlled by the SignificanceLevel option. This value is also used in diagnostic tests of normality. By default is set to 0.05.
- Named settings for VerifyTestAssumptions in IndependenceTest include:
"Normality" verify that all data is normally distributed
Examplesopen all close all
Basic Examples (2)
Scope (8)
Options (10)
Properties & Relations (4)
Neat Examples (1)
Introduced in 2012


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Designed to help you consistently climb at your limit, FrictionLabs chalk is made for climbers, by climbers.
This is not the same old white-labeled generic chalk climbers are used to. Responsibly refined in Denver, CO USA and stripped of all unnecessary fillers, FrictionLabs chalk gives you unrivaled moisture absorption and skin health. Like a high performance climbing shoe, our high purity Magnesium Carbonate makes a single application far more efficient, giving you the extra edge to focus on sending not slipping.
#chalkmatters, and we've helped thousands of climbers, from new climbers to FrictionLabs Pros finally find a chalk they can rely on, on every move. Never chalk up mid-crux again!
Customer Reviews
FrictionLabs Loose Chalk Sample Pack
Literally the only chalk I use. I mean I call it dry lotion for goodness sake. I feel it really makes me grip better than all other chalks and will never use another chalk!!!! Thank you FrictionLabs for doing what needed to be done.
High Performance Chalk
Best chalk ever
You really can tell it's a better softer chalk.
So much better than the chalk I used to use before. Plus, I use the FL liquid chalk as a base layer for my sweaty hands and it's helped so much with some of my harder problems!
Huge fan of unicorn dust! I've tried several brands of chalk and this is by far the best!
Best chalk ever!
the gorilla grip stays on my hands for many more moves than the regular block chalk, resulting in more sends for less $$$
Love this stuff. This chalks seems to last twice as long and feels great on the skin.
Love it!
Love the chalk and hand salve!! wonderful products and delivered quickly!!
I'm always excited to get a fresh batch of FrictionLabs. This time I'm trying out a new one. Can't wait!
Friction labs are the Tony Montana's of the chalk game. Their product is murderously good*chuckles* and make ssure I don't lose my grip on my M16 when things get bloody.
For real though, I was using Metiolus, and it was DESTROYING my hands, making them waaaay too dry with it's drying agent. With Unicorn Dust(the chalk, that is) I can climb twice as long and definitely harder with more grip and less pain from cracking, peeling skin. 10/5.
Friction Labs never disappoints. A friend borrowed our chalk and lit up with shock with how much better it was than his prior brand. We may have converted another climber to the dark side!
I mix 1 part super chunky to 1 part fine and it really provides the perfect mix for long lasting grip, highly recommend
Love the silkiness and coating of this chalk..... unicorn dust was a solid favorite, but been branching into the chunkier varieties and love the feel in the bag. It's great chalk all around!
I started on FrictionLabs Unicorn dust. When I ran out I just used some block chalk I had laying around from a friend. With the block chalk I felt like I was constantly refilling my chalk bag and it didn't feel great on my hands. I finally broke down and ordered another bag on FirctionLabs chalk. This stuff is amazing and I will never go back. It just feels cleaner and lasts longer.
Unicorn is my all time favorite. I won't use anything else.
Love it
I won't use anything else. I can tell the difference in an instant when I dip my hands into someone else's bag!
this chalk just works better, i love it
Great stuff! Fast shipping
You definitely notice a difference when you switch to this chalk
Great quality and got here super quick!
Slightly expensive but nice feeling chalk. Good stuff!
I love this chalk so much !!! Maybe one day they'll have blocks I love the chunky stuff
Purchase this as a Christmas gift for my son, reasonably priced and arrived quickly.
I will never use any other kind of chalk other than Friction Labs. No else comes close. If you are not using it you are blowing it.
I tried the unicorn dust it feels clean less chance of your hands slipping. I feel you don't have to chalk your hands all the time. Highly recommend you the these top class products! Customer for life.
I lost my previous climbskin file and couldn't do without it. These are well worth the money. Sometimes you get a nail chip or a callous gets to big, and these files do the job.
Very satisfied with everything
The frictionlabs chalk changed my climbing completely. My hands were too sweaty with other chalk, I was slipping away all the time.
But now with a base layer of secret stuff and bam bam I have the best grip I can wish for.
#chalkupless for real. The psych stays high with this chalk on your hands.
I've climbed using Black Diamond's "White Gold" but it stands pale in comparison to Friction Labs' "Gorilla Grip" chalk! Best chalk I've ever used!
I have really sweaty hands and this chalk makes rock climbing possible for me. Really great product and lives up to its name as the new standard in chalk.
Damn good chalk
High Performance Chalk
Love this friction labs chalk! stays on great and last longer than the cheaper stuff! Really worth the purchase!
I only use FL!
Did a 1:1 test with frank endo and could pull moves with FrictionLabs I couldn't with normal chalk.
I use less, have better friction, and get less splits!
Seriously, there's a difference. I didn't think there was, but lo and behold this is the only chalk that stays on my hands and keeps me from sweating it all off before I even get on the climb. Seriously, I don't think I'll use any other chalk ever.
Love this stuff. I use it at Strongman competitions. Won't use anything else. Best chalk on the market.
Every other chalk is inferior. Once you go Friction Labs, you won't go back.
Awesome ! Really enjoy the product and it works !!
Send on !
Super fine chalk. Love it.
Words like a gem, as usual. I don't trust any other chalk the way I trust this one
Been sport climbing and bouldering at my limit for the past 2 years and after using many diff brands of chalk, FL has been the only chalk that I have came back too. Now I only use FL when I climb. When climbing at your absolute best you need the absolute best chalk. Simple as that. FLFL (Friction Labs For Life!)
Received item very fast and was in great condition!
I like this chalk. It's pretty neat
Best chalk I've ever used, feels great and stays on! Will buy from here again! Maybe even try out the unicorn dust lol
True words, in Terms of value, this chalk will keep you climbing with less dipping. More bang for your buck!
This is, by far, the best chalk I have used.
Love it! Thanks
I'm a fan of the "bam bam" super chunky chalk. You know what they say, the best climbers use the most chalk. So naturally I started re-chalking after every single move. Certainly not necessary but it makes me feel cool, so ya. Plus after the big moves I gotta blow a handful of chalk in the air like LeBron so everyone knows what's up. Getting a lot of weird looks recently but I'm thinking it's simply chalk envy. Not to mention, they give you a free sticker. Free stuff is cool. 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻
The best chalk ever!
From using a cheap crap chalk to gorilla grip. I can feel the difference between the two and its a big difference. From chalking less and the way my hands feel after chalking are astounding. Gorilla grip is gonna be in my chalk bucket for a long time.
I've only been climbing for a month now. My buddy introduced me to FrictionLabs super chunky chalk and I've really loved it. Chunky is better than fine in my opinion. I use less of it at a time and and it has less of a tendency to end up flying into my eyes... or the eyes of the by standers below!
always the best.
Awesome experience ordering chalk. It changed my life.
Works like a charm for indoor climbing
So far I have only used the unicorn dust, but this stuff is rad! Does its job and keeps my hands dry
The chalk is awesome! It doesn't dry out my hands as much during the winter months, but I can still send really hard! The shipping was fast and I was kept in the loop with the tracking info.
I always get the Super Chunky Bam-Bam. It's by far my favorite chalk out there. Even in the humid summers of Kentucky, this chalk keeps my hands dry. Thanks a million Friction Labs!
I've been a metolious user for years & for the last 3 or for years have been using friction labs on & off .. now I occasionally buy a bag of metolious chalk & I can definitely feel the difference .. in a world where everything's about conditions every advantage helps !!! Well done FrictionLabs!!!
The package hasn't arrived but I expect the items to be excellent
We don't buy any other chalk. This is it!!
Great chalk!
Gorilla Grip feels really good all around. Even application, good hold, and stays on for a really long time. Really solid chalk!
love the chalk and I can definitely tell a different in quality!
I've always used fine chalk (in a chalk sock), but on a whim decided to give Gorilla Grip a try, and I love it so much I've ordered it on subscription. Great stuff.
Prefer this chalk to other brands
I recently bought a 10oz bag of FrictionLabs Unicorn Dust. This chalk works really well. I find it lasts longer and provides a better hold than the other chalk I was using. I would recommend giving this product a try!
Not only is it the best chalk I've seen, but the company is so helpful. Great customer service and support. Go Frictionlabs!
As good as it gets! Have not found a better chalk out there and I believe I would be hard pressed to.
I purchased Unicorn Dust as a Christmas gift for my brother after seeing multiple websites listing it as the best chalk out there. When my brother opened it up, he was thrilled and agreed this was the best stuff! Glad I went with the larger size.
High Performance Chalk
Nothing else on the market compares to the quality of chalk that friction labs has created. Regardless of the blend, I've never disappointed. Amazing product!
Friction labs unicorn dust is the softest, smoothest chalk. Never gritty or hard. It coats my hands so well so I can stick every move. Thanks Friction Labs!!
High Performance Chalk
I love the feel of the thin chaulk, it sticks great
High Performance Chalk
FrictionLabs has definitely been my favorite chalk to use. It doesn't have any weird smell and it has a beautiful silky smooth texture. Love it
Loved it
High Performance Chalk
Also got some secret stuff with order and provides a great base of chalk.
I just used the unicorn dust today and it really helped with my clamy hands! It really stayed on my hands and helped with my grips.
Compared to other chalk brands, this by far is the best chalk I have used.


text:
Press Release: Berkeley Police Say Suspect Who Shot at Officers Facing Charges in March Homicide and April Attempt Murder of Five Officers
The City of BerkeleyPolice Department (BPD) is announcing that the suspect who shot at officers on April 13, 2012 has been charged with a March 2012 Berkeley homicide in addition to the attempted murder of five officers in an April shooting.
On March 29, 2012, Devin Whitmire was shot on Oregon Street, west of Sacramento Street. Whitmire died a short time later. In the ensuing investigation, BPD Homicide Detectives identified Calvester Houston Stewart, 19, of Berkeley, as a person of interest in this case.
On April 13, 2012, a BPD patrol officer made a traffic enforcement stop on a car in West Berkeley. One subject fled the car on foot. That subject is believed to have been Stewart, the person of interest in the March homicide.
Officers immediately went to an address in the 900 block of Delaware Street where they located Stewart in an apartment. In an apparent attempt to escape, Stewart emerged from that apartment, ignored officers' commands, and opened fire on several BPD officers. Several officers returned fire. An officer wounded Stewart before he was able to flee from the property. After being treated for his injuries, Stewart was booked into the Santa Rita County Jail for a felony probation violation, pending an investigation of attempt murder on several officers.
The investigation into Stewart's apparent involvement in both incidents resulted in a complex, multi-layered case. Detectives continued with their work, ultimately presenting their investigations to the Alameda County District Attorney (DA).The DA has charged Stewart with 187(a) PC – Murder, with enhancements of 12022.53 (d) PC and 29800 (a) (1) PC – Felon in Possession of a Firearm for the homicide of Devin Whitmire. Stewart has also been charged with five (5) counts of 664/187(a) PC – Attempt Murder, with the enhancements of four (4) counts of 12022.53 (c)PC, one (1) count of 12022.53 (b) PC and one (1) count of 29800 (a) (1) PC for shooting at BPD officers.
Stewart remains in custody pending the prosecution of these cases.


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Thursday, 20 September 2007
Happy Puppet
But then I thought about what an emotional day yesterday was and I couldn't believe it had nearly slipped my mind already. I sometimes joke that I have the disorder of being constitutionally happy. I guess I doubt you can appreciate life to the fullest as a happy puppet. Yesterday I went back to my hometown to get a divorce with ex-husband, who I hadn't seen since March. In truth it was so good to see him and know he was okay. He was my best friend for ten years. And we broke up on the grounds that we had really never been more than great friends and at first it seemed mutual. But then in April he refused to talk to me. It was all to clear yesterday that though he was the same person he had always been, I had broken his heart and his life had not yet changed for the better. I would have to be heartless to not care about this. In the past, his happiness so much depended on me and there were few things that I cared about more, but now there is nothing I can do to make things better for him.
And I ask myself if I am a horrible person to have no regrets. But I met the love of my life. And have lived a fairy tale romance since SR and I started dating in March. And we are having a baby and I don't think either of us have ever been so happy. What more does one need in life? So I hope that ex-husband will find the same happiness. And regretting won't help anyone.
I hear SR's sleeping breath behind me and I know life is good. We're going to be running some fun trails this weekend. Hopefully I'll have a 20 miler on Saturday. I'll be excited to post pictures and tell the tales.
Running Song of the Day: Falling by Ben Kweller
2 comments:
- Olga said...
One day I hope to find someone to be happy with. Right now I keep asking same question: I broke my husband's heart by telling him we need to split, and I have no regrets. The thing is, we never were friends. We were lovers, parents to our kids, co-workers...but never friends, never much to agree upon, to share an opinion about. Now seems like the whole "home-country" world is blaming - it is always a woman's fault for not been able to "bend" and keep the marriage. It is ok for a guy to see other women, yell, give commands, make decisions. It is not ok for a woman to step away from it, especially if the kids are involved. Looking back at SR's blog when his wife just left him - it feels miserable for him then. But it lead him to you. I have one of my best friends who left her ex-husband, and her new husband was left by his wife. Both men (ex and new) were basically dumped. Both had gone through pain of adjusting. Both happy now. How can I show the way to my husband that he will be happy one day, if he just lets go right now?
- 25 September 2007 at 14:41
- sea legs girl said...
Please see the blog from Sept. 25th for a response :).
- 25 September 2007 at 20:40


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Krug – don't make online learners think (about structure & navigation)
It was a welcome brake on the excesses of text-heavy, over designed, poorly navigable websites. His theory is based on real practice and positive results on real web sites. Krug's first law of usability is to strive to make things self-evident or self-explanatory, hence the title 'Don't Make Me Think'.
Design Options
Sensitive to the needs of the internet as a medium in itself, he emphasises the importance of the Home page. This leads to reflection on the importance of the 'Big Picture', namely the essential purpose of the site or online learning programme. He loves tag lines that capture the essence of a site or web experience. Mission statements he hates, as they rarely tell you the real story and usually miss the Big Picture. He also hates badly designed rollovers, poorly designed pull down menus, unnecessary banner ads and the over promotion of other sites. Krug hates unnecessary noise. In online learning this can be translated into overlong animations at the start, boring learning objectives, merely illustrative graphics and animation, along with wallpaper video.
Structure and navigation
Taking his lead from newspapers, always an interesting source for screen design, he recommends carefully designed hierarchies. He hates navigation that breaks down when you get past the second level. The solution, he thinks, is persistent global navigation at the same position on every page with a home button and tracking. He loves fixed menus. He also makes the useful distinction between navigation, utilities (print, search and so on) and content. It is always a payoff between 'wide and deep' hierarchies.
Be conventional
Following on from Norman and Nielsen, he stresses conventions. Don't play fast and loose, make things easy and consistent. Use conventions, such as shopping carts, standard video controls and icons. This is sound advice. Conventions are more than just objects of convenience, they are part of the grammar of interface design. Designers often refuse to use conventions as they crave creativity and innovation – this, in his view, is rarely useful. Pages should also be broken up into carefully defined areas, clickable areas should be obvious and every attempt made to minimise 'noise', again a Mayer and Clark principle in online learning.
Half the number of words and half again
True to his belief that screen readers are different from readers of print, he has strong view on writing for the screen. Less is more and so he exhorts designers and writers to omit needless words. In his own words, "Half the number of words and half again". Mayer and Clark showed that this is especially applicable to online learning as it leads to significant gains in retention.
Usability testing
Krug, like Norman and Nielsen is a strong believer in usability testing. Following Nielsen and Landauer he takes the view that a few good, experienced testers and a few iterations are all you need. Forget the large-scale focus groups and massive testing, which suffer from the law of diminishing returns. His practical experience shows that just one, or a few testers early on are more effective than a large number at the end.
He recommends evidence gathering with a camcorder and facilitator who asks questions and gives tasks, especially 'Get it' tasks where you probe the user for their understanding of the point of the experience, how it works and how it is organised. The point of the facilitator is to probe and ask them not only what they're looking at but what they're thinking. Listen, keep an open mind and take lots of notes.
An underlying point, made many years before by Dewey and Heidegger is that technologies work best when they hide themselves in things and tasks. Technology is at its best when it is invisible. This is the consistent theme in all good usability theorists and practitioners. The task of the designer, to make the delivery mechanism as invisible as possible.
Krug understands the different roles of specialists in design teams and the tensions that arise between them. His solution is to objectify the debate through testing, not with the mythical average user, but with real users. His is a useful, practical and prescriptive approach to good usability through good design.
Rocket surgery made easy
His second book Rocket Surgery made easy, shows how to do modest, low budget testin. His starting point is that designers can't see the bloomers as they get too close to the design and as the navigation has come from their own heads, they lack objectivity. You need other fingers and eyeballs but guided by experts, using voiced testimonies.
I started and ran a successful online learning test company for many years and couldn't agree more. For technical testing, content testing, proof reading and functionality testing, you may need professional services. Krug recognises this but still recommends giving your work a good going over by some real users, under the eagle eye of people who know what to take from their voiced evidence.
Krug's prescriptions are even more important in online learning than in web design, as learning's great enemy is cognitive overload and dissonance. If learners have to work hard to understand, navigate and read online learning, they have less sustained attention for retentive learning. Most online learning, like most offline learning, is too long winded and needs to be seriously edited to avoid cognitive overload. Keep navigation simple and consistent, use de facto conventions, avoid deep hierarchies and write for the screen not the page. And don't forget to test – a few iterations with experts.
Krug S. (2001) Don't Make me Think


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text: I'm wanting to render an oversize image line-by-line or block-or-block directly to the hard drive, but I'm having trouble finding how and with what packages. I've seen ImageIO which can only perform basic tasks, e.g. it can only encode completed images residing in the memory to an output file. I can have the program run calculations to predict the resolution of the completed image to write in the metadata before outputting the visual data. I was just hoping someone could at least point me to some good resources -- packages, classes, online tutorials, whatever -- that will help me accomplish this. Thank you.