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OCEAN CITY – State Highway Administration officials told the Mayor and City Council on Tuesday that the Route 50 Bridge project is on schedule, even though repaving has just commenced, and the target date for completion is the second week of June.
District Engineer Donnie Drewer of the SHA came before the council on Tuesday to give a report on not only the Route 50 bridge project, but also gave updates on a number of other minor ones within the city limits and outlined plans for work on the Route 90 Bridge next year.
"We had a stipulation in the contract that the contractor couldn't start repaving until April 15," said Drewer, "but we are on schedule to finish repaving the eastbound lane and the south side sidewalk by May 20, and then for the next three weeks after that, there will be intermittent lane closures on the westbound side while we repair the north side sidewalk."
In essence, the bridge will have a newly paved deck and two new sidewalks by the targeted date of mid-June, according to Drewer, who stressed that any lane closures post May 20, would be during the week only.
"We aren't going to work on weekends," said Drewer, "but it is essential that we get these sidewalks done."
Mayor Rick Meehan urged Drewer to clarify that lane closures would not create added strain on people traveling to Ocean City for the first few weeks of the "summer season."
"I just want everyone to know in the business community and for those who use the bridge, that we are using good common sense when it comes to intermittent lane closures," said Meehan.
In addition, the SHA is in the process of completing nine traffic signal projects, most of which are updating the signals to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act regulations, such as the 94th and 118th street projects, as well as installing cameras at the traffic signals of 12th, 15th and 17th streets.
Drewer announced that the originally planned repaving of 9th-26th streets in Ocean City has been postponed due to lack of funding and no date has been set on when the project may begin.
"It's still in the program, but the program's broke, so when we get more funding, we will be back to take care of it," said Drewer.
As for the Route 90 bridge project, Drewer said that the SHA received $2.3 million in stimulus money and will use the entire sum of that grant to resurface the northern gateway into Ocean City next fall.
"We will be doing the project at night to inhibit the number of inconveniences and delays to motorists," said Drewer. "We'll have to have some traffic detours, but it won't be during weekends, and we should be able to get in and get out and have it ready for the summer."
One interesting aspect that came from Drewer's presentation was the fact that the energy efficient LED lighting upgrades in West Ocean City were having an issue with snow getting stuck to them.
"To be honest with you, it seems that the lights not generating enough heat to melt the snow is only happening here," said Drewer. "There were studies done and it's not happening in Minnesota, but for whatever reason, it's happening here."
More than likely, according to Drewer, the lens of the LED lights got wet during rainfall, then when snow fell it stuck to the lights, and the below-freezing temperatures caused ice to form.
"We are going to have to keep an eye on them so we don't run into a safety problem in the future," said Drewer.
Meehan noted that the deadlines for the majority of the SHA's projects were a little earlier than previous years.
"This is the first spring meeting we've had that the deadline wasn't 5 p.m. on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend," said Meehan. "I thank the SHA for moving some of the target dates forward and helping Ocean City get ready for the summer season."


text: New Acoustic Gallery! Nov 23, 2015 Steve Harley Acoustic Video Gallery No comments yet Plush TakeAFullB lackbird RemAcou Please help Spread the Love:Follow About the author: Steve Harley Steve was singer and guitarist of a indie-rock band. He had been on the stage his whole adult life and even during his time in med school he co-wrote, and produced 4 full-length albums. His latest project had 2 radio singles get played across the country! But! There was a secret only he knew..... he came to self-prescribing secretly. First a little. Then more. And then it gets messy. Unsuburba-vision. This is our blurb in the pages of times. sometimes out of rhythm. But it's real. Not a fiction shall be spoken in this megalithic tome. Bio in megabrief: Steve did stuff and so did other people too. then they didn't. then they did. then they didn't. then they did. then they undid not doing what they should've undone, but didn't. After that spillage of sanity, we did. Bio in un-megabrief: Steve and Jim (bass) had known each other for some time, having collaborated together on 2 prior original projects, 2 full-length albums, 2 East Coast Music Awards appearances, a half-dozen compilations and countless shows together in every corner of the Maritimes. But life had taken domestic turns for both, stealing them away from playing and the road for a spell of calm suburban years. But in the musical vacuum that followed, a tension built and festered, unsatisfied and unreleased. So when they each became seperated from their first wives within 3 months of each other, and landed in the same apartment complex, a musical rediscovery took place. The energy of that rediscovery, coupled with the simultaneous heartache of life that awoke the creative muse, brought forth the music that would spawn Remedy, and make up their full-length debut, Paleofidelity. This project was going to be different from previous efforts by intentionally blurring the lines between writing and recording. Recording began during the writing process, by jamming live-off-the-cuff to a beat, and mining those jams for song ideas. And by recording continuously, the first time a key riff was spontaneously improvised, it was captured on tape. Often this would be used in the final version, keeping the track fresh, raw and intense. In this way, and by bringing their own unique sensibilities to bear, Remedy began to develop it's own brand of indie-funk-rock. They discovered they had a sound and style that was truly unlike anyone else. Remedy made the leap from recording artists to live act, with the addition of Gil (drums) in 2008, (also fresh on the heels of divorce). Gil and Jim also had a long history of playing together in a very busy club band (Full Circle) for a number of years. So it wasn't a surprize to find that from the first jam they had as a trio, an instant chemistry was felt by all, and has only gotten stronger since. Soon after Paleofidelity was released in 2009, the band broke into commercial radio by getting two songs ("Up from the Bottom" and "Rude Reaction") in rotation/featured on 50 stations from coast to coast. They were awarded an ECMA showcase after the release of their second full-length album, "The Tyranny of the Smug". They broke into the U.S. College and satellite radio market, working with the Recording Artists Guild in Hollywood, CA. Their video for "Up from the Bottom" (directed by Aram Kouyoumdjian) got video play in Canada, the U.S.A. and Germany. They had built a die-hard following of Remedisiacs with fanatical dedication! But all the while, that Rx logo that Jim unwittingly picked out years before, held a special meaning known only to Steve. Nobody was aware of his growing pain-killer problem, undetected and unrestrained. He was defenceless against an addiction that could be fed easily, cheaply and secretly at the stroke of a pen. Seven years it remained hidden from everyone. Until it didn't. Finally, in Jan 2011, Steve entered treatment, got clean, and has remained so ever since. In 2014 he left medicine to persue music full time. In 2014 Remedy got it's 4th member: Morgan, on guitar and supporting vocals. The chemistry was again instantaneous right from the first jam, and gave their sound a fresh vitality, fullness and power. And while Morgan did not have a divorce, he did break-up with his girlfriend just prior to joining the group, (close enough). Remedy is now completing work on their 3rd full-length album, "Beyond the Termination Shock" in their dual studios at CrestHill and the Shire. Members: Steve Harley – co-founder/lead vocal/guitar James Bond - co-founder/bass player Gil Roy (drums, percussion, vocals) joined Remedy in January 2008. Morgan Cruickshank (guitar, vocals) joined Remedy in 2014. Accolades and accomplishments (include but are not limited to): Remedy is licensed to award winning film Wingman, featured in 2013 Atlantic Film Festival Compilation CDs and Mixtapes: Maritime Home Grown, RadioRnR, GoDIY, Coast 2 Coast Mixtapes: #RockStars Mixtape Vol. 6 (2014) East Coast Music Awards Showcase 2011 Tour Tech East Christmas Party stage in support of AIDS research 2011 Ballopolooza 2012, 2013, 2014 Warf Rat Harley-Davidson conference in 2012 Apple Blossum Festival, Kentville, NS in 2012 Live at Live 105 radio showcase at Monte's, Halifax 2013 Breakfast television appearances in 2010 and 2011 U.S. College, satellite radio campaign with multiple station/blog adds, 2014 Reached #1 in their genre of the local reverbnation charts, 2014. www.remedymusic.ca (official band website) http://www.reverbnation.com/remedymusic http://www.facebook.com/remedyhalifax https://www.youtube.com/RemedyRX https://twitter.com/RemedyRX http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/Remedy2 Remedy is a vigorous supportor of multiple charities, both local and online. They're active participants of Music for Good, and are donating half their online sales* to Love Hope Strength, a worldwide rock and roll cancer foundation. They've supported many local benefits for families in need, as well as Oxfam, Ale for Africa, Clean Nova Scotia, Benefit for Breast Cancer Research , to name a few. Remedy is currently working with the Recording Artists Guild (RAG) in Beverly Hills, Ca. for licensing, a record deal, publishing and/or placement opportunities. They can be reached at 323-924-5897. Search for: Recent Posts Introduction May 23, 2015 Songs about Thanks May 24, 2019 See our New Youtube Channel! November 10, 2018 Exiting the Shadows…….Remedy's 3rd album, is finally here! September 25, 2018 Exiting the Shadows – Remedy's 3rd album – Production notes August 24, 2018 humpday riffage July 11, 2018 Just finished new lyric video! July 6, 2018 Recent Comments No comments added yet. 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On Saturday morning I set off into the desert in search of a particular strip of rock graffiti. The graffiti consists of words and texts that are written out on the side of a railroad berm using different colored pieces of rock and gravel. It is an amazing sight, and seems to run for an infinitely long distance. I was frustrated that I couldn't quite remember it's exact location and figured that I could find it fairly easily with a long day of driving. Plus It had been a mind numbingly busy week and it would be good to have some alone time in the car. So I headed out through Wonder Valley, past Philip and Margot's pink post office with their chakra healing pyramids, turning up the grade on Amboy Road, noticing that something interesting seems to be happening to the cabin that Bettina Hubby bought from Chris Viet a few years ago.
Reaching Amboy I turned right on National Trails Hwy – with the idea that this is where I would most likely find the grafiti. Unfortunately no luck, so I drove onto Essex and then took the poorly paved road north to the 40 – in the distance some amazingly huge and alien-like fiberglass tanks that had been abandoned and left to disintegrate into the desert.
I had been driving for two and a half hours thinking that for sure that by now I would have found the site. There was a train nearby which added some element of hope – and since backtracking would be a long drive anyway, I decided to continue on to Needles and then head south to Vidal, making a giant loop. Needles is near Near the Colorado River, when you drive through you can sense the water but you can't see it. The town used to be route 66 and has some great old houses and structures, but seemed eerily empty for a saturday afternoon.
Finally right after town, a little rock graffiti materialized on the right side of the road, but not the kind I was looking for. However the strip south on the 95 was insanely beautiful – dense cactus thickets and crazy jagged mountains. There is no rational reason for this theory, but I'm convinced that the most beautiful roads are always north south rather then east west. Finally at Vidal Junction I turned and headed back on he long stretch of hwy 62 toward Joshua Tree.
Finally, about 70 miles out from 29 Palms, I sighted rock grafiti – and this time it was the kind I was looking for – though not the astounding and complex motherlode that I had remembered seeing (which I'm still convinced is out there). Five and half hours of driving on narrow desert roads is a long day and certainly not a "correct" way to use fuel – but this failure may still yet be an excuse for yet another weekend winter excursion. (though if anyone reads this and knows what I'm talking about, please feel free to drop a hint or two about where this thing is at)


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Gangs of women in Zimbabwe have been capturing male hitchhikers — sometimes by drugging them, other times by holding them up with guns, knives, or LIVE SNAKES — and raping them so they can harvest their sperm for good luck. No, you didn't read that wrong. From the Telegraph:
The sperm's exact use is not clear but is thought to be intended for "juju" or traditional rituals to bring luck – anything from enhancing good fortune, boosting business or preventing a criminal from being detected. It is also not known why the semen is taken forcibly from strangers."It's really an issue which is mind boggling," said University of Zimbabwe sociologist Watch Ruparanganda, who believes it is a lucrative business. "It's quite a big mystery."
The police believe a "big racket" is behind the sperm-stealing, and are encouraging men to take public transport, since most incidents occur when victims are hitchhiking or boarding private vehicles. The Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association is "totally against" the idea, not because it's terrifying that gangs of women are serially raping men, but because they believe it's "witchcraft." Some Zimbabwean feminists are frustrated that the male rape victims are receiving so much attention, since violence against the country's women is not taken as seriously. Excellent point — although, it's hard to ignore the concept of a ritualistic sperm-harvesting girl gang.
Zimbabwe 'sperm hunters' picking up male travellers [Telegraph]


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Best: Billy Crystal
Best: Johnny Carson
Best: Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin
Best: Bob Hope
Best: Whoopi Goldberg
Honorable mention: Jon Stewart
Worst: David Letterman
Worst: Chris Rock
Worst: Chevy Chase
Worst: Jerry Lewis
Worst: Anne Hathaway and James Franco
- Dean Obeidallah would love an Oscar, but thinks they mostly don't matter in long run
- He says telecast not the draw it once was, and winning doesn't mean bigger box office
- He says for stars win often doesn't mean work; award season makes Oscars anticlimatic
- Obeidallah: Why not give Oscar awards first, then follow with smaller awards later?
Editor's note: Dean Obeidallah, a former attorney, is a political comedian and frequent commentator on various TV networks including CNN. He is the editor of the politics blog "The Dean's Report" and co-director of the upcoming documentary, "The Muslims Are Coming!" Follow him on Twitter: @deanofcomedy.
(CNN) -- If I won an Oscar, I'd carry it around it with me everywhere. I'd start every conversation with, "Well, as an Oscar winner..." I'd wear a pin that says, "Ask me about my Oscar." I might even get a tattoo on my neck of the golden figurine.
But that's just me. Because beyond the personal thrill of winning, the Oscars don't matter. The golden statue is increasingly becoming nothing more than a shiny paperweight.
Dean Obeidallah
And I say this as someone who loves movies, appreciates the talented people who make them and has long watched the awards show. But in three categories the Academy Awards have lost their luster: the TV telecast, the box office impact of the awards on movies and their effect on people's acting careers.
Are viewers particularly interested in watching the Oscars? Not so much. TV ratings show pretty clearly that percentage of people watching the Academy Awards has trended downward over the years. For example, in 2000, nearly 47% of the people watching TV on Oscar night watched the Academy Awards. It has not been that high since, and in 2012, the number had fallen to 34%. In fact, the 2012 Grammy awards had higher overall ratings than that year's Oscar telecast.
Why? There's almost no surprise left. Viewers have a fairly good idea of who will win every big award after the parade of award shows that queue up in the weeks before the Oscars. There are so many! The Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, Director's Guild, Producers Guild, the guys who run the deli by my apartment award show, etc. Oscar night feels more like a coronation than an actual awards show.
The only Oscar surprise this year -- and it's not one that will help the TV ratings -- is the Academy voters' bizarre snub of Ben Affleck for a Best Director nomination for his film "Argo." Affleck won Best Director honors at this year's Golden Globes, as well as at the Director's Guild, SAG and Producer's Guild awards. He even won the best director prize at the British Academy Awards. Apparently, the Academy voters still won't forgive Affleck for the stinker "Gigli."
Bergen: 'Zero Dark Thirty': Did torture really net bin Laden?
In the category of how much does an Oscar help your film at the box office, the envelope says: Not much. Sure, there's an "Oscar bump," but look at the 2009 Best Picture winner, "The Hurt Locker." It ended up grossing only $17 million in the United States. Keep in mind that $100 million in domestic box office receipts is generally considered a hit. $17 million is a bomb.
Also last year's Oscar winner for Best Picture, "The Artist," ended up earning approximately $45 million in U.S. theaters. No boffo hit there.
Cullen: With 'Lincoln', a new frontier for Day-Lewis
And here's something that the Academy Awards hate to hear: Winning a Golden Globe has proven to be much more profitable for a movie than winning an Oscar. That is at least according to a recent analysis that looked at award-wining films over the past 12 years. Edmund Helmer, a statistician whose website, BoxOfficeQuant.com, analyzes film industry statistics found that movies that won an Academy Award had on average a $3 million bump in box office sales. However, Golden Globe winners saw on average a pop of $14 million. Pretty big dollar difference.
And in the category of how much does an Oscar help your acting career, there's no denying it can help. But Oscar gold doesn't always translate into personal gold. Many talented actors and actress have won this coveted award only to find themselves with little film work a few years later. I'm talking Oscar winners like Mira Sorvino, Joe Pesci, Louis Gossett Jr. and Kim Basinger.
Williams: Django, in chains
Perhaps the most glaring example of this is actress/comedian Mo'Nique, who won the 2009 Best Supporting Actress award for her role in "Precious." According to the Internet Movie Date Base (IMDb), her only movie since her Oscar triumph went straight to video.
Conversely, there's a long list of amazingly talented actors and actresses who have yet to win an Oscar. A partial list includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Julianne Moore, Tom Cruise, Gary Oldman, Johnny Depp and Annette Benning.
Obviously, Academy Awards organizers have little impact on some of these issues. But one change they can consider is moving the Oscars up to take place before the other award shows -- like states in the presidential primaries. At least then the Academy Awards will provide real drama as to winners and losers.
Despite knowing the likely winners, I'm still looking forward to watching Sunday's Oscars. This year's host is the very funny Seth Macfarlane. Although I think the funniest moment of the awards' show may be when Russell Crowe sings a song from "Les Misérables."
Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion.
Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dean Obeidallah.
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Sale K's 10, but White Sox edged by Red Sox
Lefty doesn't allow a hit until Bogaerts homers with two outs in sixth
CHICAGO --- Pinning the White Sox 3-1 loss to the Red Sox on Thursday night at U.S. Cellular Field on the South Siders' bullpen would be both easy and convenient.
After all, it was Ronald Belisario (1-2) who gave up two runs in the ninth to allow Boston (7-9) to escape with a series victory.
But the way the White Sox (8-8) viewed the contest, which featured a classic pitchers' battle between Chris Sale and Boston's Jon Lester, it wasn't so much a game they lost as much as the Red Sox won.
"We kept our heads high," Sale said. "I don't think we got outpitched or outhit. We got out-lucked."
"Tonight, Lester was the reason," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura of his team's second straight loss. "We had chances and we just didn't push them in. In the end, if you're not going to score with that many chances, things like that happen."
Sale and Lester matching up in this series finale pretty much dictated a low-scoring affair, not to mention more pitches within the strike zone as compared to the 15 walks issued by the White Sox in Wednesday's setback. These aces didn't disappoint, with Sale hurling 5 2/3 no-hit innings and retiring 17 of the first 19 batters he faced, and Lester (2-2) setting down the first 16 he faced to start the game.
Xander Bogaerts ended Sale's no-hit bit with a 425-foot homer in the sixth, while Tyler Flowers' single to shallow left broke up Lester's bid for perfection.
"It's hard to miss when you look up there and there's nothing but zeros," Sale said. "It's kind of who is going to crack first. I think I lost that one by about 490 feet."
"Oh, I mean, it's cool, it's fun. It's a heavyweight bout tonight," Lester said. "It's kind of who was going to make the mistake first. He did, and then I gave it right back. If you don't like that pitching, you don't like baseball. That was a lot of fun tonight."
Leury Garcia followed Flowers' single with a ground-rule double, and Adam Eaton brought home Flowers with an infield single. The White Sox were set up at first and third with one out, but Marcus Semien became one of Lester's nine strikeout victims, and Dayan Viciedo flew out to right.
Another White Sox scoring chance came in the seventh when Adam Dunn singled to right and two outs later tried to come home from first on Alejandro De Aza's double to right. A relay throw from Daniel Nava to Dustin Pedroia to catcher David Ross nailed Dunn and kept the game tied.
"You have to take a chance right there, especially with the way Lester's throwing," said Ventura of sending Dunn. "Both of those guys were great tonight. Once the no-hitters were out of the way, we had some chances and we didn't get it done. Jon was tough. He made it tough on everybody up there."
There wasn't exactly much let up from Sale either. He recorded a season-high 10 strikeouts, giving him 11 double-digit career strikeout efforts and tying him with Billy Pierce for fifth most in franchise history in that category. He also set a career high with 127 pitches, winning a battle with Ryan Roberts in the seventh by striking him out after walking Mike Napoli and Ross.
Even in just the fourth start of the season, Sale didn't seem affected by the high pitch total.
"That's what I'm supposed to do, especially after a night like last night," Sale said. "We have the house throwing multiple innings. You got to pick up some slack right there and do what you can."
"I was trying to calm him down a little bit. Mixing in a couple more changeups seems to always bring him back a little bit more under control," said Flowers of Sale, who was visibly agitated after walking Ross but calmed down to escape the inning. "I felt that was a god move, and a lot of respect from the staff to leave him in there. He battled his butt off all game, and we weren't able to get too many runs for him. Kind of leave the game in his hands and he did a great job."
Boston's ninth-inning rally was highlighted by Ross' run-scoring double off of Belisario and Jonathan Herrera's run-scoring bunt single off of Scott Downs. Alexei Ramirez singled in the ninth against Koji Uehara (third save) to set a new franchise record of hitting in 16 straight games to start a season, but the White Sox would get no closer.
They leave a 4-3 homestand for a seven-game road trip to Texas and Detroit, starting Friday. Their confidence is intact despite the two tough setbacks.
"We'll continue in Texas and we'll continue to do the same thing we do," said Eaton, who robbed David Ortiz of a home run in the first. "That's compete every pitch and put our best foot forward."
"Like I said, this isn't something we should hang our heads about," Sale said. "We played three great games. We just got out-lucked."


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Last fall, the respected magazine, Scientific American, posted an intriguing (or alarming, depending on one's point of view) infographic titled "The Great Chemical Unknown."
It noted that an estimated 50,000 chemical compounds are used by American industries and their customers and that about 300 have gone through rigorous safety testing and only five - a short list of notorious environmental contaminants such as PCBs and dioxins - have been officially banned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
In fact, this represents a conservative estimate of the situation. A story in Time magazine, also last year, put the numbers at 80,000 compounds circulating in the U.S. marketplace of which only 200 have been tested. In other words, whatever the exact total, the phrase "chemical unknown" applies perfectly here.
Why is it so difficult to get accurate informal on chemical exposure here in the United States? As it turns out, the country relies on a thirty-five year old law, the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act, for oversight of potentially hazardous compounds. And this law is - let's just say - timid in its approach to regulation. In point, it doesn't actually require that chemicals be registered or proven safe before they are put to use. There is provision to ban a compound but it must be first be shown as an extremely bad actor. For instance PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) ended up on the short list only after it was discovered that they were poisonous, probable human carcinogens, and extremely durable - capable of remaining in the environment (or the human body) for decades. By that time, of course, they had contaminated communities across the country.
Of course, even being a known bad actor hasn't guaranteed protective measures under the old law. "How weighted is the TSCA toward industry?" the *Time *piece asks. "The law didn't even give the EPA enough power to ban asbestos, a known carcinogen that still contributes to the deaths of more than 10,000 Americans a year." It's worth noting that, by contrast, the European Union banned production and use of asbestos in 1999.
Why you may ask is the subject of our so-called regulation of toxic chemicals getting so much attention now? Last year, a cadre of federal legislators moved to in replace the 1976 law, proposing the House Toxic Chemicals Safety Act of 2010 and the Senate Safe Chemicals Act of 2010. Both of these would require manufacturers meet new and tougher safety standards, not only for new compounds but for those already on the market.
Of course, neither of these have so far inched their way into actual law. Why not, you wonder?
You might postulate - and many do - that the well-heeled chemical industry is doing its influential best to fend off such restrictions. The *Scientific American *article raises the possibility that under stricter regulation - something more comparable to Europe and Canada oversight - the number of compounds requiring stricter controls would rise to between 5,000 and 15,000 rather than, um, geez, five.
But U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), who introduced the Senate bill, says the delay is mostly a result of fine tuning of the legislation, which actually has gained support from chemical manufacturers. Last month, new versions of the legislation were reintroduced in both houses. Among the updates were guidelines directing the EPA to develop a risk priority list, rather than attempting to deal with tens of thousands of untested compounds in, say, alphabetical order. That change was among those suggested by the American Chemistry Council (the national association of chemical manufacturers) which has publicly endorsed an updated law.
Since the new bills were introduced in mid-April, advocates have been working to gain support from the public - or even just to gain notice. Nurses, pediatricians, health advocacy groups, environmental groups are among others who haveall urgedpassage. A piece this week in The New York Times, focused on the suspected evils of plastics (notably the suspected endrocrine disruptor, bisphenol A), directly urged support "We will have to make as much noise as newborns to get Congress to pay attention to Senator Lautenberg's proposal and, more broadly, to chemical regulation."
The cost of our inadequate system of chemical regulation - not to mention the way we've skimped on honest investigation - has brought us to a point that the word "chemical" itself has become something to be feared. I want to note here that the old TSCA isn't the only law allowing the government to regulate risky compounds. The EPA pursues pesticides, for instance, under a different set of rules. The FDA gains its authority over pharmaceutical compounds under yet another.
But the same principle applies to all. It's ridiculous to argue that a laissez-faire approach in any of these cases has - or will - brought us safety or the perception of being protected. As a consequence, industrial chemicals have developed a reputation akin to horror movie monsters, to those mysterious things that go bump in the night. Some of these materials undoubtedly deserve those fears; others are unfairly tarnished by the current situation. We're afraid of what we cannot see in the dark, what we don't understand, and our government, I'm afraid, has been complicit in allowing chemical fears to spring out of shadows.
The new legislation won't undo years of mistrust. Nor, reasonably, will it give us instant clarity on tens of thousands of chemical compounds. But it's a lot more honest than the old law and it will, I hope, allow us to build a more honest assessment of our chemical risks. We've done enough bumping around in the dark on this one. And, if as the *Times *piece suggests, that that passage of these laws requires that we make the noise of newborns, then consider this blog post in the nature of a baby-like howl.


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"The Inner Light" is Swedish artist Dorina Mocan's (b. 1954, Romania) fourth solo exhibition by Connoisseur Art Gallery and her third in Hong Kong. Across these exhibitions, the themes centre on the inner self in each of us; the child that is full of dreams and hopes. Her beautiful paintings carry a dreamlike quality and strong European motifs inspired by both her country of birth and adopted country; celebrate the beauty of childlike innocence and nature through real and imaginary subjects; and combine reality with the mystery and ambiguity found in folktales and myths.
For her new exhibition, which took more than two years of preparation, Dorina Mocan has carried over common elements from her past collections and brought them to another level of artistry. Her new collection offers a mesmerising mix of something familiar yet surprising; childlike yet grown-up. Throughout her creative process, she is reminded of an "inner light" that is directed straight to the viewer, that critics often referred to when describing the experience of viewing her works. It is her desire to include this dimension of light as a carrier of humanity in our evolving world.


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With its collections of ancient, modern and contemporary art, the Musée de Grenoble offers you a chance to traverse the history of western painting from the 13th to the 20th centuries. Included are major masterpieces of classical Flemish, Dutch, Italian and Spanish painting; one of 20th century Europe's richest collections; and all the great post-1945 contemporary art trends, right up to the most recent artworks of the 2000s.
For a very long time, Marc Chagall would remain attached to his country of origin, Russia, and even if he spent the bulk of his life in France, first in Paris and then in Vence, in the south, he would return 'home' and carry out official functions between 1914 and 1922. Among the bodies of work of the Ecole de Paris artists, Chagall's art remains imbued with a very personal philosophy and poetic force. The observation of day-to-day reality through the prism of Fauve and Cubist influences combined is conveyed by a "total lyrical explosion", to borrow Andre Breton's expression.
Chagall evolves from his inner reality towards a world encompassing figures which sidestep any verisimilitude, as for example in Midsummer Night's Dream. Painted during the artist's Parisian period, the theme of this picture is William Shakespeare's comedy, which the painter situated in a dream-like forest inhabited by sylphs and lovers. The bewitched queen of the fairies, Titania, falls for a donkey-headed weaver, Bottom. The woman clad in a white wedding gown and a veil recurs in almost identical form in several pictures from that period, sometimes with the same blue fan. Winged beings and violinists are also often depicted.
Resorting to the fabulous reconciles the image of reality with fable. The naivety of the perspective-less composition combines with the contrast of juxtaposed touches of colour to create a "magical" pictorial space.
Marc Chagall, Vitebsk (Belorus)
Midsummer Night's Dream, 1939
Crédit photographique : Ville de Grenoble/Musée de Grenoble - Jean-Luc Lacroix


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WS/XSUL v2 (a.k.a. XSOAP4) is a very modular Java library to construct web services that uses XML with a strong support for XML Schemas and WSDL 1.1 doc/literal bindings.
Why do you need XSUL?
Future Work
WS/XSUL 2.0: is designed to be the easiest way to create and access Web Services (regardless of location or protocol as long as they are described in WSDL and use XML Infoset) . This project has a specific goal to enable easy creation of Web Services for LEAD: Linked Environments for Atmospheric Discovery which is a project that is creating an integrated, scalable cyberinfrastructure for mesoscale meteorology research and education.
To get started programming quickly with XSUL2 read step-by-step programming guide.
[2005/8/31] Presentation about WS/XSUL2 [PDF 480KB] with an emphasis on new capabilities such as seamless support for asynchronous operations (client API is the same for RPC and asynchronous invocation), support for pluggable correlators to allows WS client to receive response, including using WS-MsgBox, description of future work on scalability and load balancing for XSUL3.
Use one of our samples and follow step-by-step instructions from the programming guide.
The guide will get you started writing your own Web Services in very short time ;-)
"Programming With WS/XSUL: Very Brief Guide" available as Adobe Acrobat Presentation [PDF 70KB] or Power Point slides [PPT 300KB]
Only in CVS.
WS/XSUL was designed and implemented in Indiana University Extreme! Lab (under guidance of Dennis Gannon).
For more information send question to xgws-user mailing list and report a bug.
Performance optimizations, better support for asynchronous messaging in API, support for WSDL fault, ...
|Aleksander Slominski
|Last modified: $Id: index.html,v 1.14 2005/12/07 21:35:29 aslom Exp $


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Last month, it was revealed that Lindsay Lohan would appear on Glee, playing herself as a judge of the nationals competition on the May 15 season finale.
Now, the full judging panel is coming into focus, and it's a doozy: As E! first reported, celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton — who rose to fame mocking celebs like Lohan, although the pair have apparently reconciled in recent years — and Entourage star Rex Lee have been tapped to sit alongside the red-haired actress, who recently added a charge of battery to her endless legal woes. The trio are expected to film their scenes together later this week.
Considering their relationship over the years, we're sure the pairing of Lohan and Hilton will provide plenty of wink-worthy moments. We also hope Lohan will get in digs at Glee guest star Gwyneth Paltrow, who dinged her during an appearance on the show last season.
Tanner on Twitter: @EWTanStransky
Read more:
Lindsay Lohan accused of battery


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Odds ratios with probit latent regres...
Mplus Discussion
Categorical Data Modeling
Mr Mo DANG-ARNOUX
posted on Tuesday, July 17, 2012 - 7:26 am
Dear Pr Muthen,
I wish to calculate the odds ratios of responses to four ordinal
3-level items, u1, u2, u3, u4, depending on the values of two covariates, x and z,
with the hypothesis that the effect is completely mediated through a latent
construct eta. eta is linked to u1-u4 via probit functions.
We have
eta BY u1*-u4* (load1-load4);
; ! scale eta residual variance
eta ON
x (bx)
z (bz);
I would like to compute an odds ratio for u1=2 vs u1=0 or 1, depending on
the covariate x, such as:
OR(x=1/x=0) =
[ P(u1=2 | x=1) / P(u1=0 or 1| x=1) ] /
[ P(u1=2 | x=0) / P(u1=0 or 1| x=0) ]
A. If the link between eta and u1-u4 was logit, do we have
OR(x=1/x=0) = load1 . bx ?
B. If the link is probit, the probabilities depend on the value of the
other covariate z. Does it make sense to express an OR(x=1/x=0) with z fixed to
some reference value, say 0 (or its mean if z is continuous)?
Are there any studies expressing results in this way ?
Odds ratios are more commonly reported (and compact) than probabilities,
but I also need probit to benefit from WLSMV estimation
(faster, and simpler to get indirect effects).
Thank you very much for any guidance,
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Tuesday, July 17, 2012 - 9:00 am
OR(x=1/x=0) = exp(load1 . b)
With probit you have to actually express the probabilities that go into the OR. You can't just work with exp(coeff). But if you express probabilities, you can certainly condition on various z values.
Mr Mo DANG-ARNOUX
posted on Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - 1:06 am
Thank you very much for your fast answer, Pr Muthen!
A. Yes, I had indeed forgotten exp(.) (or ln OR), thank you for correcting my error.
B. This is actually what I had in mind: computing the probabilities in the OR, conditioned on a given value of z. If z is binary, with z=0 the "normal" reference value (e.g. "no pain"):
OR(x=1/x=0)_{z=0} =
[ P(u1=2 | x=1, z=0) / P(u1=0 or 1| x=1, z=0) ] /
[ P(u1=2 | x=0, z=0) / P(u1=0 or 1| x=0, z=0) ]
Since the resulting OR for x depends on the chosen value for z, does it still make sense to give the result in terms of one odds ratio?
Or do you mean that several odds ratios should be given for several values of z ? As OR_{"no pain"} and OR_{"pain present"}?
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - 11:56 am
He means that several odds ratios should be given for several values of z.
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The cozy relationship between lawmakers and lobbyists could get a little less familiar under a proposed ethics overhaul that seeks to give the public a more detailed look into Arizona politics.
The bill advanced by the Senate's Judiciary Committee on Monday expands the definition of legal and illegal gifts and would require lobbyists to file monthly expenditure reports detailing any gifts made to lawmakers. The lobbyists would have to state which exemption applied to the legal gifts and list the retail value of the item. They would also have to let lawmakers know the value of the gift. Violators could face felony charges.
Republican Sen. Michele Reagan said she is working with lawmakers, legal officials and lobbyists to ensure some changes are made despite opposition from some legislators and lobbyists who benefit from the status quo.
"I asked them, 'how much can you stomach?'" Reagan told The Associated Press on Monday.
Reagan said the public is still reeling from a Fiesta Bowl report released in 2011 that disclosed numerous legislators had accepted free trips from the bowl in recent years. Many lawmakers did not list the trips on their financial disclosure reports.
"The public really wants transparency on the interaction between legislators and lobbyists," Reagan said.
Reagan's desire to compromise was apparent Monday as lawmakers from both sides of the aisle said the proposed changes were too broad and restrictive. After Democratic and Republican lawmakers complained about a proposed ban on legislators soliciting for charitable organizations during the legislative session, Reagan told the AP that she would submit an amendment to remove that provision, despite it being one of her pet issues.
Critics also complained about the definition of a gift. Lawmakers are able to receive gifts from family under current statute, but the law does not specify that gifts from close friends are legal, complained Republican Sen. Adam Driggs, of Phoenix.
"A gift should be a gift and it shouldn't even be a question if I get something from my parents or my wife at Christmas, the fact that we have to have a carve out on this concerns me that maybe that gift definition is a little too expansive," Driggs said. "It should just be common sense."
Reagan said it was necessary to list exemptions to clarify what is or isn't legal.
So how far would the ethics revamp go?
It states that a gift is any type of payment, expenditure, donation or property. Family gifts, employer compensation, campaign contributions or gifts received before a candidate is sworn in are excluded under the ban.
Democratic Sen. Steve Gallardo insisted the legislation didn't go far enough because it didn't require lawmakers to list specific items on financial disclosure forms.
"The financial disclosure, which we are all required to file, really needs some cleaning up, too," he said.
Last year, the Senate shot down an ethics overhaul that would have limited free meals, trips and other contributions from lobbyists.


text:
A supercharger bolted directly to the hood of your Miata doesn't mean you get any added horsepower, nor does it make you look cool. But is it worth a six pack of Heineken?
One Milwaukeean wants to know. He's put this thing on Craigslist for either $7 or a sixer of The Netherland's Best. Perhaps he tired of seeing this "really cool" pulley-less GM supercharger protruding from the hood in front of him.
Go here when the ad disappears.
(Hat tip to Alex!)


text:
Profile Recruitment Software
Management & User KPI Gauges
Visual dials and gauges help users & managers keep track of performance
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Multi-discipline, Multi-brand, Multi-lingual, Multi-currency for even the most complex business
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Multi level configurable compliance tool for Passports, DBS checks, Visa & photo storage. Profile gives you peace of mind by preventing consultants placing candidates that are not compliant
Social Media Integration
Search, view & capture the most up-to-date information on new candidates, prospects or organisations
Organisation Charts
See who-reports-to-whom... fast! A great tool for business development & identifying new targets
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A single bar is always on screen with powerful capabilities to find the right candidate, contact, vacancy or organisation by name, phone number or email address. Don't search.... find!
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Grow your business by sending automatically personalised emails and documents to contacts or candidates
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Have the data you want in a customised dashboard that displays SMARTfeeds, KPI gauges and your company logo for enhanced company branding.
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text:
The Orioles have added two veterans to minor league deals – and both are pitchers they know fairly well.
The club has agreed to terms with lefty Mark Hendrickson and right-hander Joel Pineiro, according to industry sources.
Pineiro, 34, pitched in five games in the Orioles organization in 2012, three for the Gulf Coast League Orioles and then two at Triple-A Norfolk before having season-ending right labrum surgery in July.
The veteran is 104-93 with a 4.41 career ERA in 335 big league games over a 12-season career, including seven seasons with the Seattle Mariners. Pineiro looked like he might get a call-up with the Orioles last year before getting hurt.
Hendrickson, 38, sat out all of the 2012 season, but he pitched for the Orioles from 2009 to 2011. He is attempting to reinvent himself as a sidearmer and will get a chance to show what he can do in spring training.
Currently living in nearby York, Pa., Hendrickson becomes the second player to be signed by the Orioles after getting a tryout during the club's annual January minicamp at Camden Yards. The club signed Stu Pomeranz after he worked out in January 2012.
Hendrickson, a 10-season veteran, is 58-74 with a 5.03 career ERA in 328 big-league games.


text:
DVDAux 1.0.0
DVDAux, as an all-in-one dvd ripper and dvd copy software, users can load files like DVD disc, DVD folder, DVD media, ISO File, IFO file, even with DVD copy protections. DVDAux also enables you to rip DVD to a lot of popular formats , including MP4, rip DVD to WMV, rip DVD to AVI, FLV, MOV, MPEG, 3GP, etc and extract audio from DVD to MP3, AAC. DVDAux provides many optimized presets for iPad, iPhone, iPod, PSP, Creative Zen, Zune, Microsoft Xbox 360, Blackberry, Archos and so on. DVDAux also provides the audio and video settings including audio samplerate, audio channel, video and audio codec, bitrates, video FPS, etc. You can get accurate time length clips according to your preference by setting the start time and end time. DVDAux allows you to copy any DVDs (even including DVD protections) to blank DVD discs or computer hard discs with a very fast copying speed and high output quality. Only a few clicks, the DVD copying will be finished perfectly. Copy DVD-9 to DVD-9, copy DVD-5 to DVD-5 in 1:1 ratio with high quality. DVDAux can also be suitable for any DVD discs, don't worry about region codes.With DVDAux, Windows users can copy any DVDs to DVD discs as ISO image file or DVD folder to computers for backup.DVDAux is a completely free DVD copying software, which you can download and use without any fees.


text:
Snap: Quiet club
The Blue Ridge Swim Club (established 1914), like most outdoor pools in these parts, appears to have shut down for the season. The stream-fed pool, reportedly the longest in the County, also appears to have been drained for the winter.
More Snaps
Read more on: blue ridge swim club


text:
MineCon 2012
MineCon 2012: Minecraft 1.5 detailed, Raspberry Pi edition, AR app
Minecraft fans who couldn't make it to Euro Disney this weekend still have plenty to be happy about, with a slew of new announcements out of the second annual fan conference for Mojang's sandbox adventure.
MineCon 2012 headlines
MineCon 2012 to be held at Disneyland Paris
You read the headline right. MineCon 2012 will take place November 24-25 at Disneyland Paris. Registration will begin "soon." Video below. [image]
Minecon 2012 to be held in Europe
After last year's Minecraft release day celebration in Las Vegas, Mojang is bringing it home for MineCon 2012. In a teasing post on the developer's blog, Mojang confirmed it's currently negotiating for an as yet undisclosed venue in Europe; the indie team is based in Sweden. The event's date and location will presumably be revealed […]


text:
Conjugate Pneumococcal Vaccine in Ataxia Telangiectasia (AT)
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00656409
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : April 11, 2008
Last Update Posted : April 11, 2008
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Ataxia Telangiectasia (AT) is an autosomal recessive inherited condition caused by mutations in the ATM gene1. Patients suffer from neuro-degenerative problems, usually commencing in the second year of life, and affecting predominantly the cerebellum. They also develop the characteristic superficial telangiectases. Between 60 and 80% of affected children are immunodeficient. This is associated with deficiency of immunoglobulin A (IgA ) 2, of IgG23 and of antibody responses to pneumococcal polysaccharides4. Patients suffer recurrent sino-pulmonary infections but a recent study suggests poor correlation between immune status and immunological parameters5. If uncontrolled, recurrent pulmonary infections can contribute to the development of chronic lung disease and bronchiectasis. Preventative management includes continuous prophylactic antibiotic treatment in some with the need for replacement immunoglobulin therapy in only a small proportion of cases. Antibiotics have been reasonably effective in this situation but the emergence of resistance amongst community acquired pneumococcal isolates is a cause for concern. Appropriate immunisation strategies may also have a role.
This study is designed to look at antibody responses in a one versus two dose regimen in a cohort of AT patients recruited through the AT Society a national charitable organisation involved in providing support to families with this condition and in fostering education and research in the field.
|Condition or disease
|Ataxia Telangiectasia (AT)
|Drug: Conjugated pneumococcal vaccine (Prevenar)
|Phase 3
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|30 participants
|Primary Purpose:
|Basic Science
|Official Title:
|Conjugate Pneumococcal Vaccine in Ataxia Telangiectasia (AT)
|Study Start Date :
|June 2006
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|March 2008
- Drug: Conjugated pneumococcal vaccine (Prevenar)
Other Name: Prevenar
- Immunogenicity of vaccine
- Incidence of adverse reactions to vaccine
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|2 Years and older (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Genetically confirmed diagnosis of AT
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00656409
|United Kingdom
|Great Ormond Street Hospital
|London, United Kingdom, WC1N 3JH
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|April 11, 2008 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|April 11, 2008
|Last Verified:
|April 2008
Ataxia telangiectasia,
Conjugated pneumococcal,
Immunogenicity ,
Cerebellar Ataxia
Ataxia Telangiectasia
Spinocerebellar Ataxias
Neurologic Manifestations
Nervous System Diseases
Signs and Symptoms
Cerebellar Diseases
Brain Diseases
Central Nervous System Diseases
Vascular Diseases
Cardiovascular Diseases
Neurocutaneous Syndromes
Genetic Diseases, Inborn
DNA Repair-Deficiency Disorders
Metabolic Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine
Immunologic Factors
Physiological Effects of Drugs


text:
Food, Family and Fun
Animals for Adoption
Your Fork
IEMA, National Weather Service remind people,
"When thunder roars, go indoors"
Lightning Safety Awareness Week is June 22-28
Send a link to a friend
[June 27, 2014]
– "When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors" is a good phase to remember this
summer while you're enjoying outdoor activities. The catchy phrase
is intended to remind people that hearing thunder means you're close
enough to the storm to be struck by lightning.
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), the National
Weather Service (NWS) and local emergency management agencies are
joining forces to promote lightning safety during Lightning Safety
Awareness Week June 22-28.
"More than 70 percent of lightning strike deaths occur during June,
July and August, when people are enjoying more outdoor activities,"
said IEMA Director Jonathon Monken. "Don't take a chance with
lightning. If you hear thunder, that's your cue to take shelter
Monken said some people still rely on outdated lightning safety
rules, such as taking shelter only if you can't count to 30 between
seeing the lightning strike and hearing thunder. People are now
urged to take shelter in a substantial building or hard-topped car
as soon as they hear thunder.
According to the
NWS, on average around 50 people are killed and 1,000 people injured
by lightning in the U.S. each year. A majority of victims
were either outdoors in an open area or taking part in an activity
near the water, such as fishing, boating or swimming.
To date in 2014,
the NWS reports seven lightning-related deaths nationwide, none of
those in Illinois.
"The past several
years there has been an increasing trend across the U.S. in
lightning injuries and fatalities while people are taking part in
outdoor activities, such as fishing, walking or sports events," said
Chris Miller, warning coordination meteorologist for the NWS Lincoln
Office. "Simply put - there is no safe place outside in a
thunderstorm. You must take shelter in a substantial building or
hard-topped vehicle to stay safe."
While less than 10 percent of people who are struck by lightning are
killed, many lightning strike survivors suffer various degrees of
disability. Only a few lightning strike victims actually suffer
burns, and these are usually minor. However, many lightning strike
survivors are left with debilitating life-long effects, including
memory loss, personality changes, fatigue, irreparable nerve damage,
chronic pain and/or headaches, difficulty sleeping and dizziness.
[to top of second column]
IEMA and the NWS offer the following tips for staying safe when
thunderstorms approach:
Outdoor lightning safety tips:
No place outside is safe when
thunderstorms are in the area.
If you hear thunder,
lightning is close enough to strike you.
When you hear thunder,
immediately move to a safe shelter.
Safe shelter is a substantial
building or inside an enclosed, hard-topped vehicle.
Stay in the safe shelter at
least 30 minutes after you hear the last clap of thunder.
If there is no safe shelter anywhere nearby:
Seek lower elevation areas.
Never use a tree for shelter.
Immediately get out and away from pools, lakes and other bodies
of water.
Stay away from all metallic objects (fences, power lines, poles,
Do not raise umbrellas or golf clubs above you.
People shouldn't hesitate to help someone who has been struck by
lightning since victims do not carry an electrical charge. The
surge of electricity through a lightning victim's body causes
cardiac arrest in most fatalities, so immediate medical attention is
critical. If the victim doesn't have a pulse and isn't breathing,
CPR should be administered immediately.
For additional tips on lightning safety visit the Ready Illinois
website at
www.Ready.Illinois.gov or contact IEMA at 217-785-9925.
[Text received; ILLINOIS EMERGENCY
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text:
`Killing Them Softly` a soft, subtle,
brilliant film
Rating: ****
What is America? A great nation to some and to others an apostle of democracy, equality and liberty. Brad Pitt, in the last dialogue of Killing Them Softly says, America is not a country. It`s a business.
It is this notion of the US that the film, succinctly, tacitly and humorously peels up by looking at one of its `greatest` homegrown `business` - organized crime.
Aware that Markie (Ray Liotta), the owner of a gambling den had organized a successful robbery on his own den, a crook hires two small time cons to rob it again knowing that the blame will go to Markie. With the town`s economy which depended on gambling, in ruins after this second hit, its crime lords call upon Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt) to clean up the mess.
What follows is not just a simple `clean-up` but a complete overhaul and perception management of the `business` in town.
Killing Them Softly is both a thriller and a comedy. It weaves in the best elements of both to give you a film that delights at many levels despite its unconventional treatment.
Instead of focusing on physical action, the film trains its lenses on seemingly inane meetings and conversations. It is thus filled with beautifully written and spectacularly enacted dialogues that may seem pointless to the average audience, but serves to take the story, `action` and the violence forward in subtle but menacing ways.
Viewers who enjoy a freshly brewed, deep and rich drink will savour this tiny masterpiece like they have very few modern thrillers or comedies.
Yet, the masterstroke of the film is its brilliant metaphor, its parallel running and tagging up of the American financial situation with President George W. Bush trying to fight an economic downturn and incumbent senator Barack Obama talking of `change`.
What the film insinuates with Bush and Obama talking economics on TV is something very provocative. It`s well known now that the financial collapse of the American economy beginning 2008 was an inside job (just like in the film). In a below-the-belt metaphor to American capitalism, the film suggests that the assault on the economy was Bush`s doing like Markie robbing his own gambling den.
And the `change` required to restore order in the nation, comes from an enforcer, Barack Obama whose parallel is Jackie Cogan in the film.
The only change, however, that a business or a nation as a business will permit, is the change in profit. And finally when all is done and there`s nothing left to be said, it all boils down to that one world `profit` as Jackie Cogan and America talk business and minimizing losses.
Adapted from a 1974 novel named Cogan`s Trade, by George V. Higgins, this film by auteur Andrew Dominik (of The Assassination of Jesse James fame) is one of the most deceptively simple film you would have seen in a long time.
No matter what people say of America, one thing no one can doubt or deny is that it is a nation of the best politically critical cinema ever made in the world. And Killing Them Softly, because of its deceptive demeanour, would stand way up at the top of this list.


text:
For more than 40 years, Earthwatch has provided vital long-term human and financial support to objective, peer-reviewed scientific research all over the world. The research that we support informs sound decision-making about the management of the world's natural resources. Earthwatch is a world leader in empowering ordinary people to collect valid and valuable scientific data, while providing those individuals with unique experiences and access to leading scientists.
We aim to demystify science and make accessible to everyone a global suite of projects that support cost-effective, crucial scientific research and seek tangible solutions to environmental challenges worldwide.
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Citizen science allows scientists to observe more land, water, and species, to connect with the public in the vision behind the research, and to tap into an alternative means of funding. The data collected are used to build our understanding of how we are impacting our planet and to inform sound decision-making about the management of the world's natural resources.
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Ultimately, citizen science allows for more research to be accomplished globally and connects people in a worldwide environmental movement.
Earthwatch supports emerging environmental leaders and works with local organizations and individuals to ensure long-lasting, positive impacts on the community and the environment. By supporting scientists from developing countries, early-career scientists, and women in science, we can increase the diversity of ideas, helping drive innovative solutions to environmental challenges.


text:
Jessica Spotswood
Jessica Emanuel Spotswood '02 sold her debut novel, Born Wicked, plus two forthcoming sequels known as the Cahill Witch Chronicles, to G. P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers. Born Wicked, set in what the publisher calls "a world of tea parties, engagements, and elegant dresses," follows the Cahill sisters, a trio of teen witches who must hide their powers in order to save themselves from being shipped off to prison or a mental ward.
The second book in the series, Star Cursed, was released February 7, 2012.
The third books of the series, Sisters' Fate, is set to be released August 2014.
To read her story in the Washington College Magazine, visit www.washcoll.edu.
Jessica was the winner of the 2016 Horizon Ribbon Award.


text:
Combining classic fabrics with timeless silhouettes the Scott & Taylor suit is the ultimate wardrobe staple. This regular fit navy jacket features a two button fastening, side vents and classic notch lapels.
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text: Red Bulls Academy player Julian Kraidelman delivers gear to Cuban families Tweet © HARRISON, N.J. (February 1, 2017) -- New York Red Bulls academy player, Julian Kraidelman, delivered gear to Cuban soccer players in need on a recent trip to the country. The former RDS player worked with the Red Bulls to acquire RDS t-shirts and delivered them to less fortunate families in Cuba. The Red Bulls U-16 player has been playing with the academy since the 2014-15 season. Kraidelman has played three games for the Red Bulls academy since 2016, due to injury. Great work, Julian! Back to news


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Japanese Pieris
Pieris japonica
Native to Japan and eastern China. Broadleaf evergreen shrub to 8' tall. Slow growth rate. Leaves are glossy green. Spring growth is reddish in color. Flowers are small, white and hang in pendulous clusters to 6" long. Blooms in March/April. Prefers partial shade in a moist, well-drained, acidic soil. Avoid windy locations.
Family: Ericaceae
Type: Ornamental
Origin: Japan
Season: Spring
Type: Ornamental
Origin: Japan
Season: Spring


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In presenting Peter Zumthor's architectural models the Kunsthaus Bregenz is opening a part of its hitherto littleknown collection to a broader public. One of the largest groups of works in the collection consists of architectural models by Peter Zumthor. Some of these exhibits have been in storage at the KUB since the architect's solo exhibition in 2007. Further models have been or are still being added to the collection as permanent loans.
In addition to the majority of exhibits, which are presented on a system of display shelves specially designed for the purpose by the architect, three specimen projects will be individually displayed. These three projects, all involving cultural spaces in the broadest sense of the word, are of recent date. All three buildings serve in different ways as gathering places for the presentation of cultural products such as handicrafts and music or (Redevelopment of De Meelfabriek, Leiden) revitalize an industrial heritage. Two of the projects (Werkraumhaus, Andelsbuch, and New Town Gate, Isny) are also notable for their geographical closeness to Bregenz.
KUB Collection
Showcase Architectural Models by Peter Zumthor
23. 06. 2012 -28.10.2012
KUB Collection Showcase
Seestraße 5 | 6900 Bregenz | Austria
Phone +43-5574-485 94-0 | Fax +43-5574-485 94-408
firstname.lastname@example.com | www.kunsthaus-bregenz.at
Entrance from the Kornmarktstraße side,
alongside the Nepomuk Chapel
Architectural tour Kunsthaus Bregenz and KUB Collection
August 19, September 2, September 16, October 7, 11 a.m.


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The story on the Chevrolet Volt is bigger than the machine itself. The Chevrolet Volt is an impressive engineering achievement and we are impressed with the car. We think the story about the fires has been overblown and incompletely told. Not so overblown are the government subsidies, which irk many taxpayers. But as machines go, the Volt is quite good.
A four-seat hatchback, the Volt is a very good all-purpose automobile, with very low operating costs. It's electric-powered, but it carries its own gas-powered generator so when it runs out of juice it can continue for hundreds of miles. It won't leave you on the side of the road, wishing for an extension cord.
Introduced as a 2011 model, the Volt is largely unchanged for 2012. Now in its second year of production, the 2012 Volt is available in all 50 states and Canada. The 2012 Volt's standard features and options have been realigned slightly, and its base retail price actually decreases more than $1,000.
For 2012, Chevrolet has added structural enhancements to the Volt to reduce the risk of battery damage or coolant leakage in an impact. The changes followed news reports that the batteries in a couple of Volts had caught fire after government crash tests. Seldom mentioned is that the fires occurred two days or more after the Volts were crashed, and after the cars had been left sitting without the post-crash storage steps recommended by Chevrolet.
The Volt is not a traditional hybrid with a gasoline engine that frequently drives the wheels and directly propels the car. Instead, Volt's power system is similar to that used for decades in diesel locomotives. Think of the Volt's small gas engine as an electricity producer or a range extender, as GM calls it. When it runs, the gas engine turns a generator that recharges the battery pack. But the electric drive motor is always moving the car regardless of whether the engine is running.
So the Volt does not have the limited range of an all-electric car. Anyone who drives less than 30 miles a day should never have to put gas in the Volt, and drivers who can plug it in and charge it up while at work will double its plug-in range. Yet if a Volt owner forgets to plug it in, there's no fear that she won't get where she needs to go. The gasoline engine starts automatically when you run out of juice and provides the necessary electricity to propel you home. This happens seamlessly. Once the gasoline engine starts, you have a range of about 345 miles before you must stop and either fill the gas tank or plug it in. Chevrolet Volt owners will never experience the range anxiety owners of the Nissan Leaf and other all-electric cars must sometimes face.
We like the Volt's look, interior treatment and plentiful standard features. We think the Volt is a more rational choice for most consumers than the strict plug-in electric cars that are beginning to appear in the marketplace. Most of all, we like Volt's ability to do the work of a conventional compact car.
Driving the Volt is really no different than driving any gasoline-powered compact or mid-size car, and the Volt is more energetic and enjoyable than some of them. Its handling is much better than that of the Nissan Leaf and we found it fun to drive. The Volt is front-wheel drive.
Volt uses a T-shaped lithium-ion battery mounted under the center console and rear seat to supply power to its 149-horsepower electric drive motor. The 435-pound battery has its own heating and cooling system to operate efficiently in extremes of temperature. It can be fully charged in four hours with the available 240-volt charging station, or in 12 hours on normal house current. Chevrolet estimates an overnight charge costs $1.00 to $1.50, depending on utility rates.
When the battery charge runs low, the 1.4-liter gasoline engine starts and turns a 55-kilowatt generator, which supplies electricity to charge the battery so the journey can continue. All of this happens seamlessly as you drive along. The Volt will go as long as its 9.3-gallon fuel tank has gasoline, or a distance Chevrolet calculates as 380 miles between fuel stops. That's 35 miles on an initial plug-in charge, and 345 with the gasoline engine generating the electricity.
The battery is never depleted, and operates continuously between 50 and 65 percent of its capacity, but the system is geared toward preserving the battery's life and condition under extremes of heat, cold and continuous duty. Because there is the possibility of long periods of gasoline storage, the Volt is built with a sealed, pressurized fuel system. There's a warning system that tells the driver to go out for a drive to burn off any condensation that has reached the fuel.
The Volt comes with a full complement of air bags, all of the electronic driving aids, and a complex system of redundant safety features to protect occupants and the battery pack in severe impact, rollover or floods. It's been rated a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and rates five of five stars in four of the five government crash tests.
At $40,000, the Volt costs substantially more than conventional cars of similar size and capability. It's loaded with new, expensive technology, and Chevrolet has chosen not to subsidize its price, as other manufacturers have done when they launched more familiar hybrids. Instead, the federal government has subsidized it. In addition to that, the federal government is offering rebates of up to $7,500 to taxpayers who purchase a Volt. In addition, several states offer refunds or rebates. Colorado offers up to $6,000, Illinois up to $4,000, Pennsylvania $3,500, Maryland $2,000. There are forms to fill out, of course.
The Chevrolet Volt hatchback ($39,145) is now available in all 50 U.S. states and Canada. Its base price has declined 3 percent for 2012, even with a handful of new standard features. The Volt qualifies for a federal tax credit up to $7,500, with additional credits in some states.
Volt comes standard with fabric upholstery, automatic climate control, six-speaker audio with a color touchscreen, XM satellite receiver and Bluetooth connection, a full complement of power features and 17-inch alloy wheels. New standard items for 2012 include a proximity key with pushbutton start and passive lock operation and Turn-by-Turn navigation with a three-year subscription for the standard OnStar telematics.
Options are grouped in three packages. The Premium Package ($1,395) adds perforated leather upholstery, heated front seats and premium door trim. The Audio and Navigation Package ($1,995) includes onboard GPS navigation, radio record, traffic and weather reporting and a 30 MB storage drive. Rear Camera with Park Assist ($695) adds a rearview camera, obstacle warning and self-parking electronics. Stand-alone options include Bose premium low-e speakers ($495), polished alloy wheels ($595) and dealer-installed items such as a cargo net ($45) and front window shade ($99).
Safety features include eight airbags: front-impact, front- and rear-passenger side impact, and full cabin head-protection curtains. The Volt also gets GM's Stabilitrak electronic stability control (ESC), anti-lock brakes (ABS), a tire-pressure monitor and daytime running lights. The Volt has been named a Top Safety Pick by the insurance industry's Institute for Highway Safety, and earned five of five stars in four of five U.S. government crash tests.
For 2012, Chevrolet has added structural enhancements to the Volt to reduce the risk that the battery can be damaged in a severe impact. These include additional reinforcement to the existing steel structure around the battery to protect it and minimize coolant leakage.
The Chevy Volt's stand-out qualities start with the way it looks. We'd call it a handsome car, with a lot of presence for a small, five-door hatchback.
At an overall length of 177.1 inches, the Volt is actually four inches shorter than the Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan, though they both ride on the same 105.7-inch wheelbase. The Volt occupies about the same amount of floor space as a compact Ford Focus, and substantially less than mid-size sedans such as the Chevy Malibu or Ford Fusion. Yet, thanks its 435-pound battery pack, it weighs some 300 pounds more than the larger Malibu or Fusion.
The Volt is an exceptionally aerodynamic car. Its low hood, raked windshield, long roof and high deck lid create the most aero-efficient Chevrolet ever, with a drag coefficient of only 0.28. That makes it one of the slipperiest sedans in the world. As a result, it takes less energy to keep the Volt rolling as it slices through the air at highway speeds. GM engineers say the careful aerodynamic tuning increased the Volt's range by eight miles for each plug-in charge.
In the design sense, the Volt is more forceful and less neutered looking than some other low-drag, high-mileage sedans and hatchbacks currently available. It's clearly cast in the current Chevrolet theme, most particularly in front, where it shares traits with the Cruze and Malibu. Yet the Volt makes excellent use of lighting as a design element, and its various aero-enhancing spoilers are integrated into a relatively sleek, holistic shape. Its 17-inch wheels are bold, and fitted with Goodyear Fuel Max P215/55R17 low-rolling-resistance tires.
A black-trimmed wheel option, new for 2012, makes the Volt look even bolder. There are also two new exterior colors for 2012: Summit White and Blue Topaz Metallic.
The Chevrolet Volt seats four, rather than five. It's laid out with two bucket seats in front, two in the rear and a center console running the full length of the cabin.
The Volt is as different inside as it is on the outside. No other vehicle takes quite the same tack when it comes to interior treatments, yet the Volt is not so far out as to be dysfunctional or just plain weird. The center stack of switches is finished in glossy, lacquer-like white. The door pulls, window switches, vents and front cupholders are trimmed in bright silver. The Volt offers more interior color, lighting and trim options than the typical Chevrolet sedan, and the cabin looks very modern. The build quality is excellent and the materials and graining are well done.
Expansive glass brings light into the car. The Volt feels quite roomy in front, and we'd venture that only humans beyond perhaps the 80th percentile in stature will feel squeezed in any fashion. The front buckets are handsome and very usable, comprising some of GM's best seats ever. They're very snug and comfortable, but supportive and never numbing. They fit people of average build nicely, though we wonder if those 80th percentile bodies might find them a little small.
The Volt's gauges are, well, engaging, but gauges may not be the right word. In fact, they are more like video screens: Two seven-inch, high-resolution full-color LCDs. One is a user configurable cluster in front of the driver, while they other shows audio, climate and navigation functions at the top of the center stack. The screens are so engaging that, especially when you are first getting used to the car and evaluating the various display options, they can divert attention from the task of driving.
Between these two screens, the driver can find every kind of technical information about the Volt's operation. A large speedometer dominates the driver's screen, with other conventional gauges like fuel level arrayed around the corners, a battery depletion gauge on the left, and a floating virtual Earth on the right-hand side. The idea is to keep the Earth centered at all times for the best battery life and least energy usage.
The center stack has 18 or 20 touch buttons that adjust the Volt's heating, ventilation, air conditioning, entertainment and navigation functions. Actually, these are more like touch areas, without a mechanical button to operate. It's a little bewildering at first, mostly in terms of locating the touch points where the switch actually works. The driver must use a carefully pointed fingertip to avoid hitting the wrong button or area, but with a bit of time and familiarity, the various operations get easier and the switch collection becomes fun to use.
A minor gripe applies to the gear selector. It stylishly parks itself in an indent or cut-out in the bottom of the center stack, but here the style gives up a bit of practicality. There isn't a lot of space in the cut-out to get a hand around the shifter, and we wonder whether drivers with large hands will find it a tight squeeze.
The rear bucket seats are separated by a console on the floor, with cupholders and a storage tray, and by open space to the cargo area between the two seatbacks. The seats themselves are nicely contoured and nearly as good as those in front. Access is easy through large rear door openings, and there is as much space for rear passengers as there is in the roomiest compact sedans.
Behind the rear seats, though, the Volt has just 10.6 cubic feet of cargo space. That's substantially less volume than the trunk in the typical compact sedan (Chevy Cruze offers 15.4 cubic feet), and more like what you'd expect in a sports car or coupe. The saving grace in this context is the individually folding rear seat backs, which open up a lot more space for boxes, suitcases and other stuff. Alternatively, we might think of the four-seat Volt as an everyday two-seater with more cargo space than the average mid-size.
Access to the cargo area is easy through the large, high-swinging tailgate, though the lift-over height to put things inside seems a bit higher than the average sedan. Chevy dealers offer various devices, including nets and organizers, to tailor the Volt's cargo space to the owner's needs.
In broad terms, anyone who drives less than 20 or 30 miles per day will almost never have to put gasoline in the Chevrolet Volt. An owner who can plug in and charge at work is good for a 20-30 mile commute in each direction, no gasoline consumed. Yet if that owner plans to take an extended road trip, or just forgot to plug the Volt in the night before, there's nothing to worry about, as there would be in a Nissan Leaf or Ford's forthcoming Focus Electric. If the Volt's battery is too depleted to move the car, its gasoline engine starts and powers a generator, which in turn creates electricity to power the electric drive motor.
There are slight qualifiers, to be sure, but the scenario above describes the strength, and perhaps the beauty, of the Volt. That and the fact that, while it always runs on electricity, driving the Volt is no different than driving a conventional compact or mid-size sedan. We found it more pleasant to drive than many.
Besides the fact that you can plug the Volt in, there is nothing weird about it. There are good-selling, conventional gasoline-powered cars that aren't as energetic or enjoyable as the Volt. Its pedal-to-the-floor acceleration is surprisingly satisfying, from a stop or from a rolling start, particularly in short bursts. It will hit 60 mph from a stop in a tick under nine seconds, and it wasn't that long ago that this level of acceleration was a benchmark for quick.
Put another way, the Volt is hardly a bore. Its steering is quite good: relatively quick, accurate and nicely weighted. The electro-hydraulic regenerative brake system captures energy to help recharge the battery every time you step on the brakes. We found the brakes work extremely well crawling through traffic or hauling the Volt down from highway speeds.
The Volt is also quite comfortable, but certainly not floaty and offers good transient response. The placement of its battery pack creates a lower center of gravity than that in most sedans, and the Volt is equipped with premium chassis features such as hydraulic suspension bushings. The suspension minimizes harshness and absorbs big bumps and potholes with ease, yet the ride stays taut and smooth The Volt keeps a nice, even keel, even in repeated, sharp, side-to-side maneuvers. Its hard eco tires, designed to minimize rolling resistance, are a bit noisier than some, but they provide more than enough grip for most drivers.
The Volt's safety package is more elaborate and complex than that in the typical compact sedan. Part of the complexity comes from special cooling circuits for the batteries. Most of the safety systems, such as airbags and the rest are tied into the power electronics so that they shut down after a severe impact, rollover or flood. In our opinion, concerns over the safety of the Volt's batteries are unwarranted, despite recent reports of a couple of battery fires days or weeks after government crash tests. Battery safety would not figure into our buying decision.
Like some of the more familiar hybrids, the Volt is always trying to help its driver achieve better battery performance, better overall efficiency and better fuel mileage through various graphics in the instrument panel. There's a tutorial on how to use these tools, and it's very easy to stay on top of all the information by scrolling through the menus as you drive, trying to keep the battery-stack icon as tall as possible.
Through the first two days of a recent test, we drove the Volt 176 miles, recharging for short periods during some stops (but not fully), and not being particularly conservative with our driving style, except to avoid blasting heat, seat heaters or stereo, or charging portable devices (all notable battery drains). And over those 176 miles, we used 1.7 gallons of gasoline generating electricity when the battery depleted. Translation: 103.5 mpg. The government gas-only mpg ratings of 35 city, 40 highway, are based on the assumption that the Volt is never plugged into an outlet to charge the batteries.
An another occasion, we drove a Volt 50 miles on a single full charge, using Low range on the transmission in afternoon rush-hour traffic, lifting off the accelerator pedal to slow the car between stoplights and regenerating electricity in the process, and using the brake pedal sparingly (the conventional brakes also recapture some energy and help recharge the batteries, but not as much as when the Volt is coasting down). In this mode, the Volt is virtually noiseless. Conversation is easy, and the sound system doesn't have to be cranked up to overcome operating noise. It made for a very pleasant commute from the airport to the hotel.
Eventually, though, the battery will deplete, after 48 miles in the instance above, and then the engine starts itself, noiselessly, and stays quietly in the background even at high throttle settings (the Volt has an electronic noisemaker that makes it more obvious to pedestrians when the engine isn't running).
We found Chevy's estimate of eight to 10 hours for a full battery charge, from depletion, to be accurate. But that's with the portable charge cord that comes with the car, on standard 120-volt household current. We'd guess that many owners will ante-up for the optional 240-volt charger (the price of the unit and installation vary, depending on utility provider and location). Chevy says the 240-volt charger reduces charge time to four hours. You're going to want one of those.
One of our stints in the Volt came late fall in the Midwest, with changeable but generally colder temps, and we noticed that there is a temperature parameter in how the car calculates range on a full charge. The most mileage the range predictor showed was 35 miles, on mornings when the temperature was above 40 degrees. On other occasions, with the temperature below freezing, it showed as little as 30 miles of predicted range.
The upshot? Volt's battery range is somewhat dependent on ambient conditions, and the colder the temperature the shorter the range. We can't predict what kind of range might be available starting on a bone-chilling, sub-zero morning in Minneapolis. Yet here again, we see the beauty of the Volt. Because it can generate its own electricity, and isn't dependent on the plug-in charge, its ultimate battery range is almost never an issue.
There are a couple of odd things we noted at the wheel of the Volt, and the first one might be a gripe: The gear selector is a bit too sticky. Coasting in Low range is best for capturing energy and generating electricity, so when you lift your foot off the accelerator and slow for a light ahead, you might want to drop the shifter into Low. We found the shifter a bit too reluctant to easily slide down.
The other oddity applies to driving style, and results from the way the Volt generates electricity as it slows down. As noted, the meters at the driver's disposal show that it captures a lot more energy and charges the batteries more when it's coasting, rather than when the driver is hard on the brake pedal. When a light several blocks ahead turns red, you'll probably find yourself coasting as long as possible to recharge, and then getting on the conventional brakes hard in the last 50 or so feet before the stop point.
One problem with the Volt you may have, if you can call it a problem, is that you may not burn much gas in everyday driving. Gasoline goes bad and can degrade within a couple of months. Liquid fuel stabilizers are used by owners of classic cars to handle this, but we haven't checked to see whether they are compatible with the Volt. In any case, the Volt has a system that senses when condensation has gotten into the fuel and tells the driver to go out for a drive to burn some gas.
The electric Chevrolet Volt should be a pleasant surprise to most drivers for its smooth, quiet operation, its good acceleration, its excellent ride-handling balance and its ongoing economy of operation. The Volt is expensive compared to conventionally powered compacts, especially before government tax credits, but it's an engineering marvel that's nice looking and functional. We think it's a more rational alternative to the plug-in-only electric cars that are sprouting in the market place. With the Volt, you'll never be left on the side of the road without a charge.
Jim McCraw reported from Rochester, Michigan, with J.P. Vettraino in Detroit, NewCarTestDrive.com editor Mitch McCullough in Los Angeles.


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- Premier League
Fulham accept Spurs bid for Dembele
Fulham boss Martin Jol has revealed that the club have accepted a bid from Tottenham for playmaker Moussa Dembele, believed to be in the region of £15 million.
Manchester United attempted to sign the Belgium international earlier this summer, but their £5 million offer was viewed as derisory by the Cottagers, who were holding out for three times that amount.
Dembele's performance in his team's 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford illustrated why Sir Alex Ferguson is among his admirers and with the midfielder's contract not due to expire until 2014 - Fulham have an option to automatically extend in 2013 - Martin Jol is under no pressure to sell on the cheap.
Indeed, with Spurs looking to spend some of their £27 million received up front for Luka Modric, they have now turned to the 25-year-old midfielder and just need to agree personal terms on the deal.
With Manchester United also reported to be keen on the Belgian, Spurs are keen to rush through the deal as soon as possible - Fulham said on Tuesday night that the player was undergoing a medical with the White Hart Lane club, after he was left out of the League Cup defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.
Dembele's team-mate Clint Dempsey is also looking to leave Craven Cottage this summer, but Jol insisted there have been no bids for the United States international.
Meanwhile, Fulham have turned to Kieran Richardson from Sunderland to fill the void and have had a bid accepted by the North East club.
Richardson was not included in the 18 for Tuesday's Capital One Cup second-round victory over Morecambe, and manager Martin O'Neill revealed the reason afterwards.
He said: "A club has made an offer for him today and we, as a club, have accepted that, and it gives Kieran the opportunity to find out for himself. If it doesn't materialise and he comes back, I'll still be pleased, but it's a position we might have to go and have a look at.
O'Neill has already been linked with a series of replacements, and he confirmed he would look to make progress on that front if a deal was to go through. He said: "It is something, if Kieran does go, that we would have to look at.''