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Caring for Your Gut: Dealing With Diarrhea, Nausea and Other Stomach Problems if You Have HIV/AIDS
December 2, 2015
Table of Contents
Gut Basics
The gut includes the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus. It is also called the gastrointestinal or GI tract.
The gut plays an important role in keeping you healthy. It is where food is digested and nutrients and medications are absorbed into the blood. It is also one of the body's first immune defenses. The stomach is normally very acidic, so anything you eat gets bathed in acid that kills many germs. In addition, the lining of the gut contains over half of the body's lymphocytes (a type of immune cells; for more information, see The Well Project's article on the Immune System). The gut also contains a variety of bacteria, many of which are helpful to the body. The 'friendly' or 'good' bacteria help to fend off 'unfriendly' or 'bad' bacteria and support the immune cells that line the gut.
The gut protects you from infection by helping to get rid of dangerous germs and chemicals. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are three ways in which the gut responds to anything that comes into your body that might be harmful.
The Gut and HIV
HIV, HIV drugs, and HIV-related conditions can all cause problems in the gut.
The gut is the site of hidden reservoirs (pockets) of HIV, even if you take HIV drugs. HIV causes damage to the lining of the intestines as it infects the immune cells that live there. Research has also shown that HIV changes the make-up of the bacteria that live in the gut. Specifically, HIV tends to reduce the number of 'good' or 'friendly' bacteria that help the gut's immune cells. This is why some people living with HIV (HIV+) take supplements (probiotics) or eat foods containing live ('good') bacterial cultures (e.g., yogurt, kefir). It is important to talk to your health care provider before taking probiotics.
HIV Medications
When you start a new drug, you may experience GI symptoms such as:
When these symptoms occur as side effects of HIV treatment, they are usually mild, and tend to go away after a few days or weeks as your gut gets used to the medicine. Occasionally, with some HIV drugs, especially protease inhibitors (PIs), diarrhea or bloating does not go away, and your health care provider may need to switch you to other HIV drugs. It is important that you not stop taking your HIV drugs until you have spoken with your provider.
HIV-related Conditions
If gut problems occur without a recent change in medication, they are probably not the result of drug side effects. If they continue or get worse, it may be a sign that you have an infection, especially if you also have a fever. Some AIDS-related opportunistic infections (OIs) affecting the gut include:
Severe or long-lasting gut problems can lead to serious health problems and can prevent HIV drugs from entering the system and fighting HIV. It is best to report these symptoms to your health care provider to determine if they are a side effect of treatment or a sign of something more serious.
Diarrhea and HIV
Diarrhea is one of the most common side effects of HIV, intestinal infections, and HIV drugs. Left untreated, it can cause dehydration (loss of water and nutrients) and wasting (unintentional weight loss).
You have diarrhea if you have watery or loose stools, or if you have three or more bowel movements each day. If your diarrhea lasts for more than a few days, contains blood, or if you have a high fever or stomach pain it is important that you contact your health care provider.
In looking at possible causes for diarrhea, your health care provider will most likely:
It can be difficult to diagnose the cause of diarrhea, but it is important to try since many infections will require treatment to get better.
If HIV drugs are causing your diarrhea you may be able to switch therapy. However, that option is not the best one for everyone and it is important to talk with your health care provider before you stop or change any HIV drugs.
Coping With Diarrhea
Medications and Supplements
There are some medications and supplements that can help manage diarrhea. These include:
Drink Plenty of Fluids
Diarrhea can cause you to lose a lot of your body's water and vital nutrients (electrolytes). If the water is not replaced you will become dehydrated. Symptoms of dehydration include:
Try to drink before you feel dehydrated. Clear juices, such as apple, peach, or pear are less harsh on the stomach than other types of juices that are high in acid (such as orange or grapefruit). However, if you have diarrhea, it is best not to drink large amounts of sweetened fruit juices. Sports drinks can help you replace electrolytes if you have been vomiting or had diarrhea. It is important to get medical attention if you are dehydrated.
Change Your Diet
Some foods cause diarrhea or make it worse including:
Some foods can help to relieve diarrhea, such as the BRATT diet:
More From This Resource Center
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This article was provided by The Well Project. Visit The Well Project's Web site to learn more about their resources and initiatives for women living with HIV. The Well Project shares its content with TheBody.com to ensure all people have access to the highest quality treatment information available. The Well Project receives no advertising revenue from TheBody.com or the advertisers on this site. No advertiser on this site has any editorial input into The Well Project's content.
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There is so much energy in New Orleans these days with new people doing new things that keeping up with them all could be a full time obsession. By comparison, our method is modest but sincere as we present a sample of the newly notables. We define "People to Watch" as mostly new faces who are doing something interesting with their lives that's worthy of your awareness, or in some cases, familiar faces moving in different directions. As always, we concede that there are many other watch-worthy people out there. We are interested in them all, and we'll keep an eye open.
Owner, Culture Shock, LLC
After Christine Alexis graduated from Loyola University, she noticed the job market wasn't too great. Instead, she decided to start a business inspired by the gifts she had obtained from her travels abroad. Culture Shock, LLC, was born; now it's an online store where women can find special pieces from around the world.
Culture Shock sells jewelry, clothing and accessories from countries Alexis has visited and where she's made contacts, but it also features ethnic-inspired jewelry Alexis has designed herself. She has plans to grow her business online, and would like to see her pieces in department stores. In the near future, she's looking forward to the launch of the Naturally Creole line of Culture Shock and she'll be traveling to Costa Rica and Morocco.
"I've been very fortunate to travel and learn about other cultures and ways of life," she says. "Everyday I try to expose my customers to other cultures and educate them about the importance of cultural acceptance. I whole-heartedly believe that when somebody learns about and accepts other cultures, they'll truly begin to appreciate their own."
While her biggest challenge is competing with larger companies that have invested a lot more money than she has, Alexis considers having the courage to start her own business her greatest accomplishment. "I was at home one day analyzing the pros and the cons of starting my own business, and I realized that the biggest factor that outweighed all the others was regret," she says. "I would rather start a business and fail than to not even try."
Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Culinary Officer, Dinner Lab
New Orleans has recently become enamored with pop-up restaurants, but Dinner Lab takes that trend to a new level: How about dining in a deconsecrated curch?
Dinner Lab is the brainchild of Brian Bordainick, a social entrepreneur who has appeared on the Forbes "30 Under 30" list, and Francisco "Paco" Robert, a business and culinary school grad who has worked as a sous chef and as a restaurant consultant. The membership-based concept stages one-night-only meals in interesting spaces – that aren't revealed to diners until the day of the event – featuring a menu of global cuisine prepared by an up-and-coming chef.
With Dinner Lab's global focus, Bordainick and Robert hope to expand New Orleans' culinary offerings.
"Part of the original concept evolved out of the idea of bringing more diversity to the food scene in New Orleans," Robert says. "Yet, we still live in a melting pot with young chefs from all over the world working in our kitchens."
That is another focus of Dinner Lab: to give the sous chefs, sauciers, line cooks and chefs de cuisine toiling in the kitchens of New Orleans' "brand name" chefs a chance to shine.
As a bonus, Dinner Lab – which has since expanded to Nashville and Austin – brings together a variety of people who share a love of food and drink.
"We are part of the fortunate few that get to make their living on bringing together people over food and wine," Bordainick says. "Doesn't get much better than that."
President and CEO, Arts Council of New Orleans
Kim Cook is the newly appointed president and CEO of the Arts Council of New Orleans. Her current energies lie in creating platforms for local artists to be recognized on a national and international stage, and engaging the city's youth in the design of civic projects that positively impact their neighborhoods and cultivate their individual skills. Through spreading awareness and support for art and culture as instrumental factors in making a city functional, Cook aims to "elevate an understanding of how art and culture intersect with all aspects of a healthy community." She cites her biggest personal accomplishment to date as being able to connect choreographer Bill "Crutchmaster" Shannon to Cirque du Soleil, effectively launching his career with the internationally renowned French-Canadian circus. Cook's background will be invaluable in navigating the many cultural nuances of the city and in creating long-lasting ties with its community.
Cook was selected as a Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Fellow. She was also an employee of the Nonprofit Finance Fund where she worked with more than 100 nonprofit cultural organizations to re-structure and balance their business models. So what's in store for this determined new president? For now, she aims to settle into New Orleans and get to know the city she will soon greatly impact.
Lawyer and Beatles author/historian
Bruce Spizer maintains two careers: a lawyer and a Beatles author and historian – or as he puts it, "a 'taxman' by day and 'paperback writer' by night." He has written nine books on the Fab Four, and with the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' arrival in America coming up in February 2014, he's going to be a busy man.
While Spizer has been running his own law practice since 1984, he's been a Beatles fan since he was a kid. "I became a Beatles fan from the moment I first heard 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' on the Newman school bus radio back in January '64," he says.
For the 50th anniversary, Spizer will be in New York presenting at the Fest for Beatles Fans, speaking at a Beatles exhibit opening sponsored by the Grammy museum and making national television appearances. He is also working on plans to celebrate the anniversary of the Beatles' New Orleans concert, which took place Sept. 16, 1964.
While you might think the life of a lawyer would be very different from the life of a Beatles expert, Spizer has found similarities between the two. "I decided to become a lawyer because I enjoy solving problems, assisting others and settling disputes," he says. "I approach research and writing Beatles books the same way I prepare for a lawsuit, starting with the discovery process of reviewing documents and interviewing people, and then putting it all together in a clear and convincing matter that's easy to read and follow."
Owner and Artist, Smallchalk
If you've visited a hip coffee shop or eatery around town, chances are you've noticed chalkboards that go beyond mere listings of menu items. That is the work of artist Ashlee Arceneaux, owner of Smallchalk, whose flourishes and charming illustrations can bring life to even the most basic list of coffee drinks.
Smallchalk provides custom chalk signage for: clients; individuals needing signage for weddings and other events; and even ESPN, who commissioned custom chalkboards to be shown on "Sunday NFL Countdown."
During a string of bar and restaurant jobs, Arceneaux realized she had a knack for creating interesting chalk signs at these places. After a friend opened a restaurant and asked her to draw his menu on a wall painted with chalk paint, she began to get noticed for her work and was able to foray that talent into a business.
In addition, Arceneaux is the store artist at the Metairie Whole Foods Market, often working 50- to 60-hour weeks. She is also working with a local carpenter to design a line of hand-constructed chalkboards, easels and table-top chalkboards that will be available for purchase or rent, offering boards and designs as a package.
"My favorite thing about what I do is the fact that every day and every project is different. I've gotten a chance to work with a variety of clients on a variety of commissions," Arceneaux says. "It also feels really great to create big, bold pieces of art that get looked at every day by lots of people."
President and General Manager, WYES-TV and YES Productions
Allan A. Pizzato was a freshman in high school when he first realized his admiration for the world of television. "I fell in love with the technology of television, even more so than the impact it could have on people," he says. Now as the new president and general manager at WYES-TV and YES Productions, Pizzato is impacting the New Orleans area with the power of the small screen.
Previously the executive director of Alabama Public Television, Pizzato started at WYES Jan. 7, 2013. "I have been focused on taking WYES, an already vibrant and important part of the New Orleans community, and moving from being an excellent educational public television station to being an educational multimedia resource to the New Orleans community and region," he says.
One of the highlights coming up for WYES is the coverage of New Orleans' upcoming tricentennial. WYES is currently working on an in-depth documentary, a coffee table book, web content and more to celebrate the milestone. "WYES is our storyteller, preserving our history through the creation of award-winning documentaries," he says. "We are working to increase our capacity to tell great stories about our wonderful, unique region."
Pizzato is also looking forward to the results of a partnership with the National World War II Museum to create educational content for schools; he's also excited about the planning and building of "phase 2" of WYES' new building which will, Pizzato says, "allow us to interact more with the community and expand our production capacity."
Founder and Owner, Little Pnuts
In June 2012, a former senior account executive at a major advertising agency, Melissa Beese, launched Little Pnuts, a sustainable, eco-friendly, organic toy company for children. Little Pnuts was created following the challenges she faced as the mother of a premature baby. When her oldest son, Tristan, was born at 24 weeks, he was labeled a "micro-preemie" and was faced with daily therapy for the first three years of his life. When her second son, Finn, was also born premature at 34 weeks, Beese was only further inspired to build a brand based on healthy, natural ways of creating playtime.
Identifying a need for natural, handmade educational toys, Beese founded Little Pnuts, which operates on a subscription system, sending special deliveries to doorsteps every quarter. "I actually didn't choose what I do; my career chose me. Through the experiences and challenges of raising a micro-preemie, Little Pnuts was inspired," Beese says. "I wanted to help other parents find the best toys world wide to provide their Little Pnuts the optimal tools to enhance learning through play."
Today, both of Beese's sons are strong and healthy, continually inspiring Beese to grow her business and help children everywhere. Little Pnuts has plans to expand and has garnered national attention from parents with similar needs. "I never dreamt that I would own an amazing toy company that brings joy and laughter to children worldwide, and yet," Beese says, "through the birth of Tristan and all the challenges we faced … he inspired a dream come true."
Senior Vice President and Dean, Tulane University School of Medicine
After wearing many hats at Tulane University's Medical School, Dr. Lee Hamm has found the one that fits him best. As of July, the former professor of medicine and physiology, Nephrology and Hypertension Department Chief, Interim Vice Dean, and most recently, Executive Vice Dean, Hamm is the Senior Vice President and Dean of Tulane's School of Medicine. In his new position, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical School graduate aims to "Help make Tulane's School of Medicine the best possible," and to "Focus on our central missions of education, research and clinical care." These goals aren't surprising coming from a man who, despite his lengthy list of prestigious medical accolades, cites his biggest accomplishment as "helping with Tulane's renaissance after Katrina." Hamm, who joined Tulane's faculty in 1992 from a professor position at Washington University in St. Louis' Medical School, says that in addition to being able to work with "the extraordinary people of Tulane and New Orleans," his favorite part of his job is that the "fascinating mixture of missions of education, cutting-edge research and quality clinical care are everything." Hamm, who has spent the past year focused on recruiting top-notch doctors and scientists to Tulane's Medical School, hopes to continue the institution's legacy as a leading educational destination in the South.
Executive Director, Contemporary Arts Center
With a varied background that includes earning a law degree, experience as a singer and actor and work as an art consultant, Neil Barclay's new role as executive director of the Contemporary Arts Center – a center that has housed such multidisciplinary fare as multimedia art installations, dance performances, film screenings and avant-garde children's theater – seems fitting.
"I have worked in the cultural sector for most of my career," Barclay says. "I was classically trained in theater and voice, and have most enjoyed working closely with artists from all artistic disciplines to realize their creative visions."
Before taking the CAC position, Barclay was a senior consultant at the West Hollywood, Calif.-based Arts Consulting Group. Before that he served as associate director of the University of Texas at Austin's Performing Arts Center and was founding president and CEO of the August Wilson Center in Pittsburgh. He was also the engine behind the completion of capital development, operations and fundraising plans for Los Angeles' historic Vision Theater.
Barclay has big plans for his CAC tenure.
"My short-term goal is to guide the CAC in its efforts to become the best multi-disciplinary arts organization of its kind, not just in the United States but the world," he says. "I'm mostly looking forward to the world-class performances and exhibitions the CAC will be bringing to New Orleans audiences."
Mario Abney (trumpet), Joshua Brown (tuba), Roy Lancaster (trombone), Joshua Marotta (drums), Chet Overall (tenor sax, founder), Rob Walker (trombone) and James Williams (trumpet)
In October 2010, Chet Overall decided to form a high-energy brass band. In their own words: "The sticky, fried catfish scented air is the funk that New Orleans' own Lagniappe Brass Band breathes. (It) hits hard with its up-tempo, high energy funk that makes asses shake and sweat glands sweat."
Logging more than 250 shows a year both nationally and internationally, the seven-member band plays small, smoke-filled bars and in front of thousands at festivals, and boast of their "undeniable, massive wall of sound," backed by an "infectious Afro-Cuban bass drum pulse that alone is the foundation for dancing," Overall says. This past year alone, the band has learned about "contracts with big networks, (working with) big corporations (they appeared on "America's Got Talent") and finding the right people to do the job." They have reached out to several people, including Jenny Tripkovich, to aid in their promotion and booking. In addition, they were selected by the Krewe of Endymion to serenade Grand Marshal Kelly Clarkson on her float during the parade, played numerous venues during the national NCAA Women's Final Four and recently returned from several gigs around Spain.
Head Baseball Coach, University of New Orleans
In trying to resurrect the University of New Orleans' baseball program, who better to recruit than the person considered responsible for leading the team to its former greatness?
Under Ron Maestri, who coached the UNO Privateers from 1972-'85 before serving as the school's athletics director, the team advanced to the Division I College World Series – a first for a Louisiana team. After spending 30 years at UNO, Maestri went on to become the COO of the New Orleans Zephyrs.
Maestri was among the many who were disappointed when UNO dropped out of the Division I classification, but now that the school has reverted to its former classification Maestri was asked to come back and rebuild the team.
"My long-term goal is to help restore the baseball program the pride and enthusiasm it once had. In the short term I want to recruit the kind of athlete who has a vision of improving as a player, developing pride in UNO as we all remember it and graduating," he says. "I want them to enjoy the game while they're here."
Maestri's first game as coach will be Feb. 14, 2014. With the benefit of his experiences, perhaps he can create a baseball program that's even better than fans remember it.
"I'm looking forward to working with the players, and also with the staff and faculty at UNO, who previously gave me 30 wonderful years," he says. "How many times do you get the chance to 'do it over again' when you're older, hopefully wiser and with a different perspective?"
Chairman of the Board of the Commissioners, Port of New Orleans
The Mississippi River has played a big role in the history of New Orleans – both literally and figuratively – and Joseph F. Toomy knows all about it. He has sat on the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans since March 2009, and the board elected him chairman in December 2012.
Toomy's experience in the maritime industry comes from his genes, as his father worked on both the Hudson River and the Mississippi River. Toomy also worked on barges and travelled on international cargo ships in high school and college. His background helped him develop an appreciation for the river and its impact on New Orleans. "It's very humbling to play a leadership role in a sector that's an essential part of who we are as New Orleanians," he says.
Toomy, who also served as a state representative in the Louisiana legislature from 1984 to 2008, has big plans to help the riverfront get to its "full potential." Projects include building a third cruise terminal, as well as redeveloping wharfs that aren't currently usable. There is also a plan to meet the Port's goal of handling 1 million containers per year, which is double what it handles now. In addition, he has been instrumental in starting the Port's environmental office, which will help shippers reduce their carbon footprint. "I view this effort as a continuation of the work that the Port does," he says, "to be a good neighbor in our community."
Executive Director, Raintree Children & Family Services
Having worked at Raintree Children & Family Services, a nonprofit that strives to provide an array of services to the community in order to "create opportunities for independent lives," since 2007 in multiple positions, Schofield has always enjoyed helping others. While attending high school at Xavier Prep she became a peer counselor and went on to study Counseling Education at the University of New Orleans. Once she became a professional counselor she found herself, "wanting to concentrate on children" and how she "could make an impact on their lives."
"Once arriving at Raintree," she says, "I was able to work with troubled youth on a daily basis and felt this was where I was most needed. I choose to work with children who experience emotional, behavioral and developmental challenges. They are less heard and often overlooked. I love seeing them smile when they've accomplished something that others might take for granted."
At Raintree, she plans to: increase long term permanency outcomes for children in foster care; continue helping families meet the challenges of caring for children who experience developmental delays (through their Family Support Coordination program); recruit additional families to foster and adopt; and increase support to families with children in need of early intervention services. In addition, a new portion of programing will begin this fall to "further educate and support families whose children experience developmental delays."
When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Derrick Bennett, and her stepdaughters, Domonique and Demi.
Owner and Editor, Once Upon a Home
Pearce Grieshaber is fascinated with our city's history. When his parents were renovating their Uptown home in 2006, he found a piece of newspaper in the wall dated 1885. As a gift to them, he researched the history of their house and created a "tailor-made narrative" of the home from the time it was grazing lands more than 200 years ago to the house it is today.
He created Once Upon a Home to write detailed histories of local houses, coordinating research and layout to produce illustrated hardcovers for the homeowners, making it convenient for them to share their house's story with friends and guests.
"My favorite moments happen when I find pictures or stories that really shed light on a house or building's narrative," he says. "Our city's history isn't limited to gregarious personalities." It is also "… the maritime engineer who made his living salvaging ships from the bottom of the Mississippi River."
Moving forward he hopes to expand the size of his publishing staff to meet increased volume, including the posters that he has recently completed for local businesses, as well as continuing as a member of the New Orleans Fire Department.
"It's one thing to have the information out there, it's another to locate it, process it, write about it, edit it and lay it all out to create a compelling story," he says. "People often say. 'If these walls could talk …'" Through Once Upon a Home walls do talk, and Grieshaber gives them a voice.
Vice President, Audubon Nature Institute; General Curator, Audubon Zoo
Joel M. Hamilton got into the zoo business to work around exotic animals, to both take care of them in captivity and to make a difference in the world people and animals share. That is exactly what he's doing as the general curator of Audubon Zoo and as a vice president for the Audubon Nature Institute.
Hamilton took over at the Audubon Zoo in January 2013. He previously served as the zoo director of Salisbury Zoological Park in Salisbury, Md., but he has been a part of several different conservation programs. "One of the most rewarding was assisting scientists in Amazonia Peru in doing a population study of birds," he says. "This work combined with the data from the other scientists resulted in the Peruvian government setting aside the research site as a national park."
In New Orleans, Hamilton is looking forward to the new elephant and orangutan exhibits at the zoo, which are scheduled to be completed in 2014. He is also excited to see "The Alliance for Sustainable Wildlife, a partnership between the Audubon Nature Institute and San Diego Zoo Global to create a breeding center for rare species in Algiers, come to fruition."
"My long-term goal is to be part of a major zoological facility that is dedicated to the environment, conservation and teaching guests about it," he says. "That is one of the reasons why I joined the Audubon team."
Director, Hope Stone Kids New Orleans
Before landing in New Orleans, Dana Reed danced her way from her hometown of Meridian, Miss., all the way up to New York City, with a few stops in Asia and Europe along the way. Reed started her latest dance project from scratch in 2010 with Hope Stone Kids New Orleans, a nonprofit that provides after school dance and arts programs to area children. Since its founding, Hope Stone has grown from 23 children in its first summer camp to more than 250 children during the '12-'13 school year and is now based in NOLA Spaces on Toledano Street. At Hope Stone, 90 percent of area children receive scholarships for free or reduced tuition.
After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2003 with a degree in dance education, Reed moved to New York City to pursue a professional dance career. From there, she established her adult dance company, Alternative Collaborations Dance, which she has brought to New Orleans as well.
Reed considers building the arts program at Hope Stone New Orleans as her greatest accomplishment, and is grateful to be surrounded by a team of educators who are as passionate about arts education as she is.
"Personally, I owe my success to my involvement in the arts, because they gave me self-confidence and determination," Reed says. "No matter the odds, I persist; dance has given me that. I find it so important to teach these values to our youth. I'm showing them that you can be successful in what you love doing."
Co-owners and buyers, Candy Apple
Candace Bienvenu decided to channel her love of fashion through Candy Apple, a "blog shop" on Facebook where she sold jewelry she made herself. The idea took off and now Candace, and her sister, Cassie, have plans to open a Candy Apple brick and mortar store in Metairie this month.
Candace started the Candy Apple blog shop in March 2012. In addition to her jewelry, she was selling purses and clothing, with everything costing $60 or less. Within the first few months, she was selling out of everything. "I soon realized our shoppers made decisions in minutes, not hours, because everything was reasonably priced," she says.
As the small business grew, Cassie joined Candy Apple in June 2012 and the two sisters started hosting several pop-up shops, inspired by similar events Candace had seen while living in New York City as well as flash sales online. The combination took off, thanks to heavy social media marketing on Facebook and Instagram.
Being sisters, one of the biggest challenges the two faced in the last year was finding the balance between business and family and making a business partnership work. But sibling rivalry hasn't seemed to slow them down; they're proud they're taking "Candy Apple to the next level as a team;" and they're elated that their dream of opening their own boutique is finally happening. The sisters say they choose to live by the motto, "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life."
Owner and founder, KREWE du optic
Luxury frames are in, as evidenced by the ubiquity of the vintage chic eyewear of Warby Parker and the perennial favorite Ray Bans. Stirling Barrett is making it possible to sport stylish glasses and support a local business with KREWE du optic, his homegrown eyewear brand.
An artist and photographer known for his photo collages of New Orleans houses and his printmaking work, Barrett saw designing sunglasses as a natural progression as an artist.
"The same artistic consideration and process goes into designing the line as composing a photograph," he says.
KREWE offers its own takes on classic styles like the "P3" and "Wayfarer" with New Orleans-centric names including Calliope, Toulouse and The Fly. The line is available online and in some local boutiques.
Barrett used musicians Meschiya Lake, Charles Lumar II, Luke Winslow King and other locals as models for KREWE's website, and in the future he'd like to partner with New Orleans artists to design frames and cases. The city's "casual-in-character attitude" is the main inspiration for the line, but Barrett sees KREWE becoming a brand known outside the city.
"I'd love to see KREWE grow into a global and recognizable product," he says. "I want to expand past the city, but always maintain the integrity of being a New Orleans-based and inspired brand."
Director, Ogden Museum of Southern Art
As the Director of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, William Andrews not only provides leadership and administration, he's also responsible for the museum's intellectual and aesthetic philosophy; advocates for the museum and its mission; works closely with the Board of Trustees and staff to provide ongoing strategic planning; works with the staff to create exhibitions, programs and events that appeal to a diverse community; and works further the museum's mission.
"I have worked in galleries and museums for nearly 20 years," Andrews says, adding that he's "passionate about the region's history, geography and culture – the art of the American South."
Andrews is an artist himself, maintaining a studio and seeing his art included in exhibitions at Octavia Gallery and, "in a recent exhibition called 'Pencil Pushed' at the University of Tennessee, which was about non-traditional drawing practices."
This past August marked the museum's 10th anniversary, and with more than 40,000 people visiting each year, Andrews says its primary goal is to remain relevant, "to actively engage the audience and to be good stewards of the resources you have been entrusted care of," while creating a "participatory experience" where people come to "do things together as a community."
A particular accomplishment this year, Andrews says, was receiving the Sweet Home New Orleans Empower Musicians award for "Best Music Business Practices." Because the museum employs around 400 musicians a year, "being recognized for our support of Southern musicians and their music is gratifying."
Rebecca Burt was the kid "who always had a pocket full of rocks and shells and strange pieces of wood or plastic." As a metalsmith, she specializes in the "odd and eclectic" and her one-of-a-kind pieces portray a "juxtaposition of smoothness with textures, round shapes with points, static with motion."
Her pieces tend to combine traditional metals, including copper, silver and brass, with found objects such as poker chips and watch parts. Her pieces also often incorporate keum boo, a Korean technique that fuses 24 karat gold to silver, as well as incorporating textures achieved through roller printing, forging, reticulation, stamping, filing, chasing, soldering, repoussé (which involves hammering on the wrong side) and wrapping.
In addition to working on a set of larger pieces for a gallery show later this fall, she's also continuing a series of pieces that feature King Cake babies, "I want to continue revealing their exploits," she shares.
In addition to displaying her works at festivals, art markets and galleries throughout Louisiana and multiple states, Burt also teaches jewelry making at The New Orleans School of Art and Craft in Bywater. Teaching, she says, allows her "the opportunity to educate people in techniques and help them learn for themselves that they, too, can create art." In addition, she "would like to establish a permanent working studio for metal artists where they can share studio time and space as a less expensive alternative to establishing their own studios and have access to visiting artists in other fields."
Director, Tulane University's Center for the Gulf South; Curator and Historian of American Cool
Joel Dinerstein is "passionate about the art and complexity of American popular culture, especially when revealed in historical context," which he "teaches to pass it on." For the past nearly 30 years, Dinerstein has been using popular, "specifically, African-American music," to create a more accurate narrative of American history. "Through music," he says, "I create pathways for understanding that the United States has always been a multi-ethnic, multi-racial society."
His first book, Swinging the Machine: Modernity, Technology and African-American Culture Between the World Wars, is a cultural history of jazz and industrialization, and won the prestigious Kayden Book Prize in 2004, an award given to the best book on the humanities published by an academic press.
He has lectured on "cool" all over the country and Europe, which will culminate on Feb. 7, 2014, when the exhibit he co-curated, American Cool, will open at the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery. This photography and American Studies exhibit will "attempt to define the elusive concept of cool through 100 icons of American culture." Sponsored by The History Channel, it will run until mid-September. His next book, American Cool (Prestel) is the museum catalogue and will be out Feb. 1.
In addition, at Tulane University, Dinerstein is facilitating the Gulf South Center's building of a website, with the help of a grant from the Music-Rising Foundation, to be called Music-Rising at Tulane, which will serve as a portal for understanding the music, dance and ritual of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region through academic frameworks.
Manager of Press St. Gardens, The NOCCA Institute
"I think some people are just born plant people. They know each other when they see each other," Marguerite Green says. "There's just something about growing that compels me to want to do it every hour of every day."
It is perfect, then, that Green is now the manager of Press St. Gardens, a half-acre garden space The NOCCA Institute is developing to serve as an outdoor classroom for students and to provide produce for the institute's culinary arts department's food truck, which will be located in the garden, as well as for local markets and restaurants. The institute plans for the garden to be open every day, selling flowers and produce, and for the food truck to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.
Before taking on the position in May, Green served as a staff educator for Teaching Responsible Earth Education (T.R.E.E.), which provides outdoor education programs to children, and started her own horticulture business. At NOCCA she will oversee all agricultural operations, create educational programs for students and the public and market produce to area farmers markets and restaurants.
"Choosing to support these operations isn't always easier for you as a consumer, but it helps build a system where it can be later down the line," Green says. "When you can purchase something, anything, made in Louisiana or the Gulf South, rather than overseas, it sends a message to us, the producers, that you want these operations to continue."
CEO and Co-Founder, Be Well Nutrition, Inc.
New Orleans is certainly known for cocktails, but thanks to Billy Bosch, CEO and co-founder of Be Well Nutrition, the city is now getting recognition for a different sort of drink. Bosch and his business partner, Matt Mouras, have teamed up with Molly Kimball, lead nutritionist at Oschner's Elmwood Fitness Center, to create ICONIC – a natural, healthy beverage that promises to create healthy energy, satisfy hunger and enhance focus. "There was a gap in the market for a product that didn't exist, a drink that's healthy, filling, and of course, tasty," Bosch says. "Most drinks are loaded with sugar and artificial ingredients, or don't provide the qualities I needed to fuel a typical person's busy day in a healthy way. That's how ICONIC was created."
ICONIC is currently offered in chocolate truffle, pure vanilla bean and wild strawberry flavors. While he admits that the challenges that arise with a startup can be rough, Bosch has already reached milestones that many small business owners only dream of. In 2013 alone, Be Well and ICONIC won first place prizes in the Jefferson Economic Development Commission's Cordina Challenge and the Tulane Business Plan Competition, and Bosch was named a "Top 30 Under 30" for New Orleans by Under30Ceo.com. With ICONIC on shelves in more than 20 stores, including Rouses and Robért Fresh Market in the Greater New Orleans area, Bosch has plans to expand even further. In the meantime, he suggests, "Try an ICONIC. If you don't like it, your next drink is on us."
Executive Director, Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission
After serving Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission for 12 years in various capacities, most recently as Deputy Director, Jerry Bologna feels equipped to take Jefferson Parish to the next level as JEDCO's's newly appointed Executive Director. "My long term goal is to make sure that the economic landscape of Jefferson Parish remains the most vibrant and diverse in the state of Louisiana," he says, "Towards that end, this year has already been one of the most successful in JEDCO's history."
Under Bologna's leadership, JEDCO, with community and political support, has been able to attract national headquarters, international production facilities, new retailers and service firms to the area. "I would say my greatest accomplishment has been taking over a mature organization – the only local accredited economic development organization in the state – and achieving that organization's most successful year in nearly every measurable category in just six months," he says.
On top of JEDCO's successes under his command, Bologna's personal successes with the organization are notable as well. This year he made the inaugural "40 under 40" international list of economic developers by Development Counsellors International, and in 2011 he was named the International Economic Development Council's "New Economic Development Professional of the Year." But Bologna's drive to do his job right goes much deeper. "Not many people get to go to work every morning knowing that their efforts that day are going to have an impact on the future of the community in which they live," he says.
Artist and Activist, Herman's House Film and Project
Like others, Jackie Sumell has a prison pen pal. But her friend Herman Wallace is a part of the "Angola Three," a group of inmates who were linked to the death of a prison guard – despite any physical evidence of their role in the murder – and given solitary confinement. Wallace has lived in his tiny cell for more than 41 years.
In a letter in 2003, Sumell posed a question meant to trigger Wallace's imagination: "What kind of house does a man who has lived in a six-foot-by-nine-foot box for over 30 years dream of?" This question has inspired an art project that was exhibited at Prospect.1 and around the world, a book containing excerpts of their letters, the documentary Herman's House, which premiered on PBS in July, and a plan to build the house of Wallace's dreams.
Sumell is working to raise the money to build the house, which would serve as a community center before Wallace's release. She is also working with activists that include Amnesty International to give Wallace freedom, a goal that has become more important: Wallace was diagnosed with liver cancer in June.
Sumell is devoted to fighting for Wallace's release, building his dream home and working against what she sees as a criminal justice system rife with inequalities, but it isn't always easy. "It's a delicate balance between exhaustion and frustration," Sumell says. "That means I practice a lot of yoga in the short term."
Artistic and Managing Directors, Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts
What Kelly Fouchi and Gary Rucker have already accomplished as the new artistic and managing directors of the Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts is impressive. Their list of accomplishments in their first year with the theater includes producing 13 shows, renovating and reinstating the children's theater and upgrading the technical equipment. But they see this as only the beginning.
Fouchi and Rucker have been around the New Orleans performing arts scene for a while, as both attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and have performed at every major theater in the New Orleans area. The two founded FourFront Theatre in 2008 and then Theatre 13 in '09. In '12, Theatre 13 became the managing theater company of The Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts, which is owned by the city of Kenner.
Fouchi and Rucker say the secret to their successful first year was being hard on themselves and setting high standards. "Our biggest challenge of the last year was starting from scratch … and letting people know the theater was open and the game had changed," Fouchi says. The first season received positive reviews and good attendance, but Rucker and Fouchi continue to set new goals such as building a larger season ticket base and appealing to a younger audience. They are also looking for corporate sponsors to help continue to upgrade the productions and the theater's equipment. "Our sophomore season is more ambitious than our first " Fouchi says, "and we plan to continue to raise the bar."
Founder and Program Director, Guardians Institute
While some 76-year-olds might choose to retire and live a life of relaxation, Herreast J. Harrison is in no way relaxing. As the founder and program director of the Guardians Institute, a volunteer organization in the 9th Ward that helps promote literacy and physical fitness among kids, she's devoting much of her time to helping her community through spreading the love of reading.
Herreast is the widow of the late Big Chief Donald Harrison Sr., a famous Mardi Gras Indian who loved to read. He passed away in 1998; she started the Guardians Institute in 2006 in his honor. Through The Big Chief Donald Harrison Sr., Book Club, Harrison has been able to put "high quality literature into the hands of children," she says.
In 2011 she received the Director's Community Leadership Award for New Orleans, which was presented to her in Washington D.C., for how her "efforts have helped provide at-risk children a chance to succeed."
One of her biggest challenges in the last year was maintaining community outreach while securing funds to open the Donald Harrison Sr., Museum, but she persevered and the museum was finished in 2013. The official opening is set to happen around Mardi Gras 2014. She is also proud her group has distributed more than 33,000 books valued at more than $400,000 to area school children through educational programming.
At 76 years old, Harrison says she'll continue to enhance the lives of children because, she says, "The joy of seeing a child flip through the pages of the book warms my heart."
Creators and actors, Sunken City web series
Two of the characters CJ Hunt and Kyle June Williams portray in Sunken City are a pair of style-over-substance entrepreneurs peddling a bogus startup. The actors behind the characters, though, couldn't be any more different: the two have worked hard to create, star in and secure funding for their New Orleans-based comedy web series.
"I have to constantly remind myself that great comedies like 'Arrested Development' are made not simply by a good concept, but by people choosing to put off the laundry, hunker down in a coffee shop and write, write, write," Hunt says.
Williams echoes that: "We are proud to be apart of a generation who doesn't wait for opportunity – we make it."
Williams is a NYU-trained actor from Florida; Hunt is a comedian from Illinois. Both moved to New Orleans — where Williams would work as an actor and Hunt would eventually help found The New Movement comedy theater – and both fell in love with the city.
The series follows three sets of New Orleans characters, all played by Hunt and Williams: besides the entrepreneurs, there's the owners of a French Quarter ghost tour business and a couple who aspires to Carnival royalty. The pilot premiered in June, and recently the pair met their $10,000 Kickstarter funding goal to film the rest of the six-episode season, which is slated to premiere this fall.
Hunt and Williams plan to submit the series to film festivals and hope for it to get picked up by a national network.
Executive Director, Young Leadership Council
The new executive director of the Young Leadership Council has no easy task achieving the successful execution of the major projects for which the nonprofit is known. The YLC has taken on such projects as the Wednesday at the Square concert series as well as successfully advocating for and funding the installation of lights on the Crescent City Expressway. Prior to his arrival with YLC, Smith was no stranger to promoting civic-minded progress for the city, as he acted as the senior business development associate at Greater New Orleans, Inc.
There are many reasons he enjoys his job, he says. It is "more challenging than any other endeavor I've undertaken … and that makes it the most rewarding thing that I've done in my professional life."
He believes his new role at YLC will open up opportunities for both the city of New Orleans and for him to live his personal axiom of "leave everything better than you found it."
His most recent project, called NOLAbound, provides an all-expenses-paid program in New Orleans to 25 professionals from around the country. Looking ahead, Smith is excited about starting next year's Wednesday at the Square concert series, as it will be his second time overseeing the operation of one of the city's favorite springtime traditions.
He says that it's the continuous support and encouragement he receives from his mother, Conni Harris Smith, and younger brother, Charles "Cas" Smith, that has allowed him to be in such an advantageous position to effect positive change for New Orleans.
Artist and Gemologist; Proprietor of Jupiter Lala
Getting married, moving to a new city and starting a business are major life changes usually made one at a time; artist and gemologist Megan Victoria did all three in the last year.
Her business, Jupiter Lala, currently focuses on her jewelry, which she feels is very personal. "Jewelry is something we wear, so it's close to our skin; it's close to our hearts." She enjoys the artistry of it, "the grinding, the heating of the precious metals," and says it feels like painting. "Even on my most trying days," she says, "my focus is beauty, sentiment and meaning. I love each of my jewels and am always happy seeing them go to a new home to be treasured year after year."
Victoria is creating a themed collection that will combine her paintings and jewelry. "I'm using my token storytelling narrative in such a way where creatures and their mediums will play off of each other … it brings together my three loves: jewelry, painting and fable."
In the long term, she would like to see her pieces in "galleries and museums in remote spots around the world." Locally, you can find her pieces in the gift shop of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art and once a month at the Arts Market of New Orleans.
In addition, she recently partnered with a friend to launch Bats on Tees, a curated collection of goods made with other creative individuals from the New Orleans area.
Founder, Owner, Tailored Tours New Orleans
After obtaining a law degree, teaching at New York University, working for Disney, modeling in Paris and Milan, becoming the "Levi's guy" in Greece and even editing books for the woman who managed Martha Stewart, Morgan Molthrop has arrived back in his hometown of New Orleans with a splash that can only be expected from a man with such a colorful background. Upon leaving New York to return to the Big Easy, he ran the tour guide training program for Gray Line Tours. From there, Molthrop quickly discovered his next project: revamping the tour industry in the city.
"When I got back home from New York, I was astonished at the 'hoop skirt' approach to Southern touring that was going on especially in the French Quarter," Molthrop says. "And, frankly, New Orleans deserves a lot better."
His company, Tailored Tours, offers authentic, raw experiences for consumers, with tours ranging from "Code Noir Congo Square, Civil Rights and Rooftop Rescues," to "Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln in New Orleans," to "The Art Scene in Post-Katrina New Orleans." The company offers tours in five different languages, employs a wide array of guides and the menu of custom events offers entertainment that even a local would enjoy, such as "block parties in undiscovered neighborhoods," and "dine-arounds in pop-up restaurants."
Additionally, he will be focusing on two major programs with Tailored Tours this year: Free tour guide training classes for minorities and an annual fundraiser for the NO/AIDS task force that involves a gay history tour.

subset: commoncrawl


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HOUSTON — While today's college students may not know what racquetball is, nearly all of them know about Wii games. A Wii Performance pilot course offered this fall at the University of Houston is proving to be a popular way to get students who otherwise might not have taken a fitness class interested in exercising.
"Students love it, and sort of different students sign up for a Wii course as opposed to a face-to-face course," says Charles Layne, chair of the department of health and human performance.
The department converted a racquetball court into a studio that supports 10 Wii stations for the one-credit-hour course. It's the first for-credit course of its kind in the country, according to the school.
"We've been interested in the idea for a while, but you have to plug in 10 Wii systems at once, and with the way our power is in the building, we didn't want to cause a brown out," Layne says. "We converted one of our racquetball courts because we only teach a couple of sections of racquetball a week now, and many students don't know what it is."
The team installed sound barriers in the studio and upgraded the electricity and lighting to accommodate the Wii class. Twenty students enrolled this fall and use the 10 Wii stations to improve their posture and center of balance. They also learn about healthy body weight and nutrition.
Instructor Ben Hoffman is an exercise trainer and soccer instructor. In Wii class, he acts as a circuit trainer to help keep people on track. The class is proving so popular that the department plans to offer an additional two sessions of it in the spring.
"Some blogs have been making fun of us, but if this gets people to take a class that wouldn't have taken other physical activity classes, then we've been successful," Layne says. "We see it as a gateway class where students can build their confidence."


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Today, Monday, May 14, marks the 146th anniversary of the incorporation of Hope College. Read this interesting account by Professor Emeritus Elton J. Bruins.
by Dr. Elton J. Bruins
Philip Phelps Jr. Research Professor
The Van Raalte Institute
The date of the incorporation of Hope College, 14 May 1866, was preceded by more than two decades of vision and effort. The Reformed Church in America that was headquartered in New York City said in 1843 that "a college at the West was indispensable to church extension." Many Dutch Reformed families in New York and New Jersey were moving to places in the Midwest such as Michigan, Illinois and Indiana. The First Reformed Church in Grand Rapids was founded in 1840. The church knew that need of an institution of higher education was vital for the life of the church and especially needed for the training of future clergy.
The arrival of Dutch immigrants in Michigan in 1847, led by Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte, spurred on the need for an educational institution. A denominational committee came to Holland in 1851 to consult with Van Raalte as to how a school could get underway with the funding and support of the Reformed Church. The result of this consultation led to the establishment of a high school named the Pioneer School under the leadership of Walter Taylor. His successor, John Van Vleck organized this school into the Holland Academy in 1857. Van Raalte himself went to the eastern Dutch Reformed churches three times to raise $12,000 for the building and furnishing of what became known as Van Vleck Hall, in 1858.
Philip Phelps Jr. and his family arrived in the Holland Colony in 1859 as the successor of Van Vleck and to serve as a missionary pastor. Phelps reorganized the curriculum and moved as soon as possible to begin collegiate education. The first freshman class of ten recent graduates of the Holland Academy began in October, 1862. Another freshman class began in the fall of 1863 with Phelps still teaching the entire student body of freshmen and sophomores until January, 1864, assisted by some student tutors.
By 1864, Phelps as assisted by two new instructors, Pieter J. Oggel and T. Romeyn Beck because Phelps had several new duties added to his work as teacher and pastor of the new English speaking congregation, the Second Reformed Church now known as Hope Church. He was elected president of the General Synod of the Reformed Church that year and was given the charge of raising $85,000 for the establishment of the college by the time the first senior class was ready to graduate in 1866. He also organized a Board of Superintendents for the nascent college June 27, 1864, with Van Raalte named president of the board.
Actions were also taken by the State of Michigan that led to the incorporation of the college. In 1855, the state had approved denominational ownership of church schools. By 1863, when Van Raalte by this time had given sixteen acres for the campus, the denomination was allowed to hold title to the campus. The college would not only be affiliated with the church but owned by the church. Phelps went to the state to ask for incorporation of the college in 1865. On October 27 of that year, the name of the board was to be the Council of Hope College. Phelps was successful in obtaining the permission to incorporate because he now raised $30,000 towards the $85,000 that was necessary for the permission to incorporate. The first class of eight students out of the twenty-one members of the student body were now seniors and would be ready to graduate the following year.
The Articles of Incorporation were filed by Phelps and the Council received approval on 24 April 1866 to be officially recognized by the State of Michigan. The secretary of state signed the document with incorporation becoming effective on 14 May 1866. The General Synod in its 1866 minutes noted that the incorporation of the college was due to "the untiring labors of its devoted and accomplished President" Philip Phelps. The new college first known as the Western College was given the name of Hope College and the first class of eight young men graduated on 12 July. The Council of Hope College appointed Philip Phelps Jr. as the first president. He was inaugurated with great fanfare on 12 July 1866. The Van Raaltes could not be present because they were spending the summer in the Netherlands for the purpose and with the hope of improving the poor health of Mrs. Van Raalte.
It is important to note that within seven years of his arrival in the Holland Colony, Phelps began collegiate education, got the college incorporated and graduated the first class. He and Van Raalte had the goal of establishing a college and Phelps was effective in bringing the vision of these two gentlemen to a reality.


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Mike Knox (of G-unit Philly) Goes In On Dj Khaled & Ace Hood! "F*ck Ace Hood. Corny a$$ You Aint Doin Numbers. 18K Ace Flop. I Would Destroy His Career"
Mike Knox going in on Dj Khaled & Ace Hood
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text: Ball slides are mechanically simple linear motion devices comprised of a stationary base with a mobile carriage riding on top. One row of hardened steel balls on each side of the base provide the accurate, low-friction sliding motion between the stationary base and the top slide. Each row of bearings is contained between two hardened, precision steel rods. These bearing assemblies are preloaded to eliminate wobble and unwanted play in the system. Ball slides are functionally much more reliable than dovetail slides, since there is no direct sliding contact of top and bottom pieces. Ball slides also eliminate the rapid wear problems, regular lubrication requirements, and the skipping/jumping (caused by the increased force needed to initiate movement) that are characteristic of dovetail assemblies.


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Personal Finance
Consumer bureau urges companies to offer free credit scores
Consumers soon might have easier access to their credit scores after federal regulators sent letters urging credit card companies to strongly consider including the information at no cost online and on monthly statements.
"Credit reports and scores can determine the terms of people's mortgages, whether they qualify for auto loans or if they are eligible for different credit cards," said Richard Cordray, the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the watchdog agency that sent the letters. "Making consumers' credit scores freely available on their monthly statement or online makes it easier for them to spot problems with their credit report."
Consumers already can review their credit standing by looking up their free annual credit reports at www.annualcreditreport.com, but Cordray said fewer than 1 in 5 Americans checked their credit reports in any given year. And the reports don't include free credit scores; those three-digit summaries of your credit report used by lenders often must be purchased separately.
If consumers don't check their reports or scores regularly, they might miss errors or evidence of identity theft in the reports that could hurt their chances to buy houses or cars, secure new jobs, take out small business loans or rent apartments.
"Consumers often learn the importance of their credit standing when it is too late: after a credit application is denied or identity theft has had time to cause extensive damage," Cordray said Thursday at the bureau's Consumer Advisory Board Meeting in Washington.
That's why the bureau is calling on credit card companies to make credit scores "more easily and regularly available" for free, he said.
Cordray said he'd sent letters and followed up with phone calls to CEOs of the country's major credit card companies, "strongly encouraging them to consider making credit scores and educational content freely available to their customers on a regular basis."
Several companies already offer free FICO credit scores to customers, including Discover, First National Bank of Omaha and Barclays.
The banking industry's reaction ranged from wariness to outright frustration.
Although the consumer bureau appears to be approaching banks informally, the pressure is on financial institutions to respond, said Richard Hunt, the president and CEO of the Consumer Bankers Association.
"No institution that receives a letter from its regulatory agency 'strongly encouraging' an action views the request benignly," Hunt said in a statement.
"It seems inappropriate for a government agency to endorse one 'good idea' as a best practice and seek to impose it on everyone," Ken Clayton, chief counsel for the American Bankers Association, said in a statement.
"A vibrant marketplace stands as a laboratory of good ideas," Clayton said. "Attempts to dictate one result once again opens the bureau to criticism that it is picking winners and losers, and is overreaching in its efforts to micromanage the marketplace."
Consumer advocates applauded the voluntary initiative, though they'd like to see the disclosure of credit scores become required by law.
"It's a big deal," said Ed Mierzwinski, the federal consumer program director for U.S. PIRG, a consumer group. "Too many consumers have ended up paying too much money for monthly credit score-monitoring services that the credit bureaus sell, and if we can get them to consumers for free, fewer consumers will pay $15 or $20 per month to get the credit score."
To see a copy of the letter sent to credit card companies, go to http://1.usa.gov/1cquC1N.


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This test is a great drivers ed that will help you study for your CDL General knowledge test! Take this FREE CDL Practice Test and get closer to obtaining your CDL MONTANA (MT) License NOW! Use this Free CDL Training tool till you get it right!
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Which of these is true about driving in a tunnel?
When should you use your horn?
What should be the thread depth on front steering wheels tires?
Your vehicle will be put out of service if ____ or more leaves in any leaf spring are missing.
Brake drums (or discs) must not have cracks longer that ___ the width of the friction area.
A hazard:
What should you do when you are driving a heavy vehicle and must exit a highway using an off-ramp that curves downhill?
Which of these rigs have more chances to "off-track" while making turn?
How much space in front of you do you need when driving on a highway?
Medicine used to treat the common cold:
Which of these you should NOT do in an emergency situation?
The primary cause of fatal crashes is:
Which of the actions below you should NOT do if a car suddenly cuts in front you creating a hazard?
What should you do when you see a hazard in the roadway ahead of you?
What should you do if your brakes fail on a downgrade?
When should you always turn on your emergency four-way flashers?
How often should brake adjustment be checked?
Which statement is true about mirror adjustment?
By how much do you need to reduce your speed when driving a snow packed road?
What does the bridge formula do?
Which of these is true about hours of service?
Which of these is true about the use of drugs while driving?
Which of these is true about proper use of a steering wheel?
When do you need a helper to back up your vehicle?
To avoid an accident you moved to the shoulder. To return to the road:
Which of these would NOT help if windshield is covered with ice?
Heavy vehicles often move slower than others. Which of these is NOT a good rule to follow while driving a heavy vehicle?
Why tourists may be a hazard?
What keeps an engine cool in a hot weather driving?
Cargo inspection:
When a vehicle is loaded with very little weight on the drive axle this may cause:
What should you do if your vehicle catches a fire while you are driving?
When should turn signals be used?
Containerized loads:
When driving a commercial vehicle with a height over 13 feet, you should:
When should you test your parking brake?
When going down a long steep downgrade you should:
Controlled braking is:
Which of these is not brake check you normally do during your walk-around inspection?
One can recognize hazardous materials by looking on the container:


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The terms and conditions of this contract apply to the sea passage as well as to all other products or services of any kind whatsoever provided for or arranged by Hurtigruten AS, their agents or independent contractors. These terms and conditions represent the entire agreement and a binding contract between Hurtigruten AS and the customer. These pro-visions supersede any oral or written representations. Any change in these provisions must be in writing signed by the president of Hurtigruten AS.The transports of passengers, baggage and vehicles is subject to the provisions of the Act no. 39 of 24 June 1994 Norwegian Maritime Code, as amended ('Norwegian Maritime Code'), and package tours are subject to the provisions of the Act no. 57 of 25 August 1995 Relating to Package Tours ('Package Tours Act'). Copies of the Norwegian Maritime Code and the Package Tours Acts, in Norwegian and in English, are on file with Hurtigruten AS and available upon request. The terms and conditions of this contract are drawn up in accord ance with the Norwegian Maritime Code, Package Tours Act, and the regulations laid down by the Norwegian Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion. However, in case of conflict between this contract and the Norwegian Maritime Code or Package Tours Act, this contract shall take precedence.
Click here to read more.
The trademarks VIRTUOSO, the Globe Swirl Logo and SPECIALISTS IN THE ART OF TRAVEL are registered trademarks of Virtuoso, Ltd. Virtuoso, Ltd. has a U.S. copyright registration for the Globe Swirl Logo, ©2000. All rights reserved. Virtuoso CST#2069091-50. California CST# 2069091; TA# 808 - Registered Iowa Travel Agency; Washington UBI # 601 554 183. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California.


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About the Atlas
Billions of people throughout the developing world lack access to quality basic services like health, education, and water and sanitation. Often these services fail because those with a duty to provide them are not accountable to those who depend on them to live their lives.
The mission of the Atlas is to improve development outcomes by driving an increase in the quantity and effectiveness of civil society-led social accountability work.
- Identify - Find CSO-led projects based on specific criteria like sector or methodology
- Connect - Contact project teams to learn more about their work and share knowledge offline
- Learn - Explore case studies to understand what works, what doesn't, and why
Have something to share? Contact us to have your work included in the Atlas.


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Moving between Nelspruit to Turffontein?
Get a FREE no obligation quote from our movers now
Move anywhere in SA with City RelocationsArranging a home or office move can be a very stressful experience. As a trusted furniture removal company, City Relocations can take care of all the details.
Multi-Skilled FirmNot only do we offer home removals between Nelspruit and Turffontein, but we also carry out office removals. Using our strong industry contacts, we can also handle international moves. Give us a call on 087 550 3905 and fill out the form for a quick free Nelspruit removal quote.
- Simply fill out our form and describe your specific needs
- We will provide a competitive quote based on the information you provided
- Put the kettle on and wait for our expert movers to call you back
A family run business for the last 25 years
City Relocations is a family-run removal company based in Pretoria, offering a wide range of moving services to ensure your peace of mind.
Areas that we coverWe service the Turffontein to Nelspruit route, and all cities and towns in between. We also take work from around the rest of South Africa depending on job size and availability.
What our customers say
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I asked City Relocations to assist with our Turffontein office move. I was nicely surprised by the price quoted and even more blown away by the sheer attention to detail. A very professional company that I would recommend to any other business owner.


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PlayStation 3
What do you need help on?Cancel X
In Tink, the player steps into the shoes of the eponymous hero, a fearless boy with the power to fill the world around him with dazzling colour. The creeping Bleakness is threatening to replace the vivid world Tink loves with a grey monochrome vista inhabited by unpleasant creatures utterly devoid of colour. Armed with the colours red, green and blue, which give him the power to manipulate enemies' emotions and the nature of objects around him, Tink embarks on an unforgettable journey to restore the rich rainbow of life to his world.


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Build Together, Grow Together
Solve big problems that make the world move
Building something big together
We're building something people use every day. From how you get home from work, to how you eat meals, or how you move huge shipments of absolutely anything, the work we contribute moves the world a few steps forward. And that's one of the best parts about working here—knowing that the work you do helps shape the future.
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|[Katie de Heras/Misc]
On The Knocks: "It was hard to care about two regular dudes singing about nighttime, dancing and having fun."
On the crowd: "Ten percent of every ViCE show's crowd takes the phrase 'Dance like no one's watching' way too literally and it's really, really wonderful."
On of Montreal: "Of Montreal's energy was received with varied reactions. Some audience members were drenched in sweat from boogieing while others checked their watches. The band interacted very little with the crowd and at times it felt like Barnes forgot people were watching him perform."
On last year's spring show featuring The Flaming Lips: "underwhelming"


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went to collect my friend's psp with him from laohor, i must say he's a nice dude and did a great jo ...
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Ipad Repair Explained
Why do we need 3-5 hours to fix your iPad Touch Screen?
Well i think this is a pretty good time to share some knowledge with you guys, a lot of people ask me this question so here is some answers
Why you couldnt do it in 30 mins like what other shop usually do?
A: Well as a matter of fact we can actually do it but we dont want to.
Why are you asking for 5 hours of our time when you can do it in 30 mins?
A: Ok let me tell you how outside shop achieve a 30 mins timing, crack out the rest of the touch screen, apply adhesive to the new replacement screen and slap it onto the ipad. Job Done.
Sounds like a easy job so why cant you do it?
A: As i said we dont want to do it this way, let me show you our process
1) Compulsory checking of buttons and working condition of set when taking over from customer (5-10 Mins)
2) Start by prying off the cracked glass and taking great care not to damage the plastic frame (45 - 60 mins)
Slow and delicate work
3) Shape back the dents and ding of the housing caused by the customer, having an even corner will allow the new screen to stay firm and also reduce a lot of possible entrance for dust to enter (30 - 60 mins) Most shop skip this step completely
4) Clear the residue of the original adhesive and file the surface to be reapplied with adhesive (30mins) Most shop skip this step completely
5) Prepare new screen to be replaced, test screen for scratches and dent, clean up of the lcd layer reducing about of dust on it (15 mins)
6) Assemble the connector and test the system fully before assembly (10 mins)
7) Begin final assembly of ipad and seal the possible gaps to ensure minimal dust collection over time. Clearing of the remaining visible dust particles before completing the sealing of set (30 - 60 mins) Most shop simply shut it close without all these extra work thus saving a lot of time.
Applying a screen protector to the new screen immediately to prevent possible scratches (10 mins) - Free, most shop sell you $30 for this
There you go this is what we do for every single iPads thus achieving a better workmanship that those 30 mins job.
Wow you made it sound so complicated
A: To us it is rather complicated thus it requires time.
Ok so how do i know your parts are original?
A: We ordered direct from factory and the front layer is made of glass that can prove the water droplet test. We can ensure our screen are of the same quality as original.
Are your parts from China?
A: Do note that Apple California design ipad and iphone and CHINA manufacture it so to be exact your whole ipad is from china
So how do i fix my touch screen with you?
A: Every screen requires time to do so please make an appointment before coming.
Thats all Thanks for reading.
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iPhone 5 4S 4 3GS 3G Ipad Repair Singapore & PSP NDSL Wii XBOX Repair Singapore


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Home >> Course Descriptions >> College of Education
Adapted Physical Activity.
Three semester hours. (SP)
The course deals with the identification of problems within the psychomotor domain and the development of strategies for remediating these problems. Prerequisites: BIOL 1470, EDFS 3300, EDFS 4300, junior standing, admission to the College of Education and 2.7 overall grade point average.
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Lieberman splinter group loses minor party status
Say it ain't so, Joe.
The eponymous minor party that Joe Lieberman used to win re-election to a final term in the Senate after he became estranged from his Democratic base has gone the way of the Bull Moose, Whig and A Connecticut parties -- to the political graveyard.
Connecticut for Lieberman is no more.
But not because Lieberman left his seat of 24 years last week.
Hijacked in recent years by Lieberman's critics, the vast majority of whom objected to his support of the U.S. war in Iraq, the splinter group had its minor party status stripped by the state after failing to field any candidates in the November election.
The state is still in the process of cleaning up its voter rolls, which showed 81 active enrollees in the party as of Friday.
John Mertens, a Trinity College engineering professor and 2010 U.S. Senate candidate who was party chairman, recently left his post and became an independent.
"We don't have a ballot line," Mertens told Hearst Connecticut Newspapers. "With Joe retiring, its purpose has been kind of served."
A message seeking comment from Lieberman, who banded with his supporters in 2006 to create the party but never joined it himself, was left Monday with an aide who has stayed on board with the former senator.
Connecticut for Lieberman had previously nominated and run candidates for General Assembly and for federal office, including Mertens' unsuccessful 2010 candidacy for the seat of retiring Sen. Chris Dodd, won by Democrat Richard Blumenthal.
"Once a minor party loses its status as a minor party, all of those enrolled with a party that loses status become unaffiliated," Av Harris, a spokesman for the Secretary of the State's Office, wrote the newspaper in an email.
Minor parties are required to field at least one petition candidate, who, in turn, must garner at least 1 percent of the vote, for the group to be recognized by the state under its election laws.
"Only at that point do voters have the ability to enroll in that party," Harris wrote.
In Lieberman's final general election contest in 2006, the incumbent resorted to a third-party candidacy after Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont wrested the Democratic nomination from him.
The maneuver inflamed the political left, which regarded Lieberman as a foreign policy hawk whom President George W. Bush kissed on the cheek following the 2005 State of the Union address.
"That really was the last straw," Mertens said. "He just lost his way. He got so obsessed with invading Iraq that it changed him, and people wanted him out."
Lieberman critic John Orman, a Fairfield University political science professor who said Lieberman was allowed to abuse the third-party system, seized control of the party with some like-minded individuals. His takeover of the party went unchallenged by Lieberman and the group's founders.
Orman died in 2009.
Lieberman is not the first Connecticut politician to form his own political party.
Former U.S. Sen. Lowell Weicker Jr., who was defeated by Lieberman in 1988, later ran for governor and won under the banner of the now-defunct A Connecticut Party.
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You know, it's a sad day when ESPN analyst Michael Irvin is arrested for something, and nobody even notices or cares.
All right, fine: So maybe Irvin's "crime" wasn't so heinous. On July 3, Irvin was pulled over in Carrollton, Tex., for speeding. The cop ran Irvin's info through his computer and discovered that the former Cowboys star had a probation violation warrant for speeding, and he was then arrested and taken downtown. He posted $500 bond and was released, and all appears to be well.
Interestingly enough, Irvin said it was his "friend" who was speeding, and he had no idea how the speedometer got that high.
Michael Irvin Arrested In July 3 Traffic Stop [Dallas Morning News]
Beleagured NFL Countdown Closed Captioning Typists Get One Week Reprieve [Deadspin]


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The new edition of this well-respected text uses a body system approach to studying diseases. This comprehensive textbook, with its traditional presentation of content, integrates basic science with clinical practice and focuses on the alterations in biologic processes that affect the body's equilibrium. Highly readable, it includes shorter, more focused chapters, and end-of-chapter study questions.
- A body systems approach presents the material in a logical order.
- Introductory chapters are included on concepts that affect all body systems to provide a foundation for understanding disease processes.
- Anatomy and physiology are reviewed for each body system to provide a basis for understanding the alterations in function affecting that system.
- Eighty-two short chapters break content into more manageable sections and make a difficult subject easier to teach and learn.
- Outlines with page numbers at the beginning of each chapter help students focus on the most important concepts and provide easy access to chapter content.
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- About 725 illustrations clarify difficult concepts and demonstrate normal and disease processes.
- 70 full-color plates depict disease manifestations and enhance the text descriptions of these conditions.


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The Corpus Christi Municipal Marina is the focal point of our city. It is on Corpus Christi Bay protected from the Gulf of Mexico by sandy barrier islands off the Texas Coast.Proud of its enhancements to the Bayfront, the Marina invites you to enjoy the amenities and services it provides. Set your anchor and welcome aboard the Corpus Christi Municipal Marina.Corpus Christi Municipal Marina offers free moorage, during the day, to allow visitors to enjoy the Corpus Christi Bayfront. Please call Marina office for availability.» Explore Marina Arts in Downtown Corpus Christi.
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Mav Express
Campus Card Operations' mission is to provide identification services to faculty, staff, students, and ancillary service by issuing ID cards and managing related privileges, including, but not limited to, access, Mav Money, and meal plans. Campus Card Operations is also responsible for overseeing the installation and maintenance of ID card-based access hardware. By providing these services, Campus Card Operations helps enhance safety and security on the campus of The University of Texas at Arlington.
For information regarding Pay-As-You-Go printing, please visit http://www.uta.edu/oit/cs/computerlabs/pharos-printing/printing.php
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Mav Express manages thousands of door access control locations throughout the UTA campuses. These electronic access control readers allow cardholders to enter facilities using their Mav Express card as they would otherwise use a key. Access to parking facilities, residence halls, and many academic facilities are granted automatically based on departmental request through a designated authority.
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Great budgeting tool. Funds can be deposited online at https://mavmoney.uta.edu or in person at the Bursar's Office.
You can use Mav Money at all dining and retail locations on campus.


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This is a joke. Politico is floating the idea that notorious Wall Street crony Rep. Melissa Bean, D-Ill., could be tapped to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau if she loses her close election with Republican Joe Walsh. Even for Politico's rumor-mill, this is pretty funny stuff—only slightly less absurd than suggesting that Alan Greenspan might be picked to head the new agency.
The idea just gets a single paragraph in Politico's Morning Money column, and it even features an administration official shooting down the idea. With good reason, because it makes no sense. President Barack Obama went to the mat to put Elizabeth Warren in charge of the CFPB, and she is doing a terrific job setting up the agency. She's named one of the world's best researchers on consumer finance, Raj Date, as a top adviser, and has started cracking down on deceptive fine print in credit card contracts. There's no reason to replace her with anybody, much less a notorious consumer foe.
Melissa Bean is probably the single greatest consumer antagonist in the Democratic Party. As financial reform moved through Congress, Bean repeatedly slipped in amendments aggressively defending Wall Street's right to pillage our pocketbooks. She single-handedly held up negotiations in the House Financial Services Committee for months, hamstringing the reform process and earning plenty of enemies in the Democratic leadership and the Democratic base. She is simply unconfirmable.
Fortunately, Obama doesn't need to do much looking to find a good CFPB director. He's already got the best person for the job, Elizabeth Warren, steadily building a record of effectiveness getting the agency off the ground. When the time comes to name a permanent CFPB director, that record, along with Warren's decades of work protecting the middle class, will make a very compelling case for her appointment. To be sure, the Republican leadership will filibuster whoever Obama nominates, but Warren already has strong relationships on Capitol Hill with members of both parties, and is extremely popular with the public. If anyone can survive a Republican filibuster, Warren can.
Here's the silly plant in Politico:
MELISSA BEAN FLOATED AS CFPB HEAD – Buzz on Friday had Rep. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.) possibly getting tapped as the first Consumer Financial Protection Bureau head depending on the outcome of her too-close-to-call reelection race, in which Republican Joe Walsh maintained a slight lead as of Sunday afternoon. But a possible Bean nomination is not sitting well with reformers on the left who say the moderate Illinois congresswoman is far too close to the banking industry. Said one administration official: "It's not clear she would be acceptable to the reformers."


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Relationships change. Love evolves. In the case of Lauren and Shannon Sullivan you'd have to add "and how!"
Partners for 13 years, since they were both 21, Shannon and Lauren never anticipated the bumps, heartache and life-altering events that would come along in their time together.
In those 13 years, three close friends — young contemporaries — died. Shannon's father passed away unexpectedly. For two wearying years Lauren worked in California and commuted home to Chicago every weekend to be with Shannon.
With all that, their gut rehab of their house in Avondale seemed minor.
And nothing prepared them for this: In less than a year they went from zero kids to five.
"We've gone through a lot together," Lauren says.
"The way we created our family has been so intense and emotional, kind of bordering on dramatic, that it actually strengthened our emotional bond because we had to rely on each other," says Shannon, 35, executive director of the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance (illinoissafeschools.org), a nonprofit that works to prevent anti-gay bullying in schools.
"We get by on our senses of humor, believe me," Shannon says.
Early in their relationship, Lauren told Shannon she wanted to have kids. "I said, 'I haven't really thought about it, but I'm not really opposed to it,'" Shannon says. That turned out to be an understatement.
What evolved was a plan that Shannon would give birth to the children and that she'd take Lauren's last name, Sullivan, to solidify the family bond. Only part two happened.
The couple — they had an unofficial marriage ceremony in their Chicago home seven years ago — moved to a larger home in the South Side Oakland neighborhood anticipating starting a family. But the pregnancy plan got put on hold when Lauren, an information technology expert, took a consulting job at Stanford University.
Lauren, now 34, spent most of her time in California or on a red-eye flight. "I learned how to sleep holding my arms tucked into my armpits without my hands falling asleep," she says.
"We had a big house that I was living in with my cats," says Shannon. (The cats were the only thing about Chicago that Lauren didn't miss.)
When Lauren returned permanently to Chicago — she is director of IT business systems at Mt. Sinai Hospital — she and Shannon attended a fundraiser for an independent filmmaker friend. A gay couple was there with their two foster sons.
"It was one of those moments when I had a light go off in my head," says Lauren, and foster parenting seemed like an opportunity to help change a child's life.
In her work advocating for gay young people, Shannon was familiar with the foster program of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and was all for it.
"There were kids in need. We had the space and the love and had the resources," she says. Whether the placements were permanent or not, the couple hoped to improve the often bleak outlook of these children whose biological parents and family could not care for them.
"I remember having some conversations (that) we have to make some decisions about … what are our values about creating a family," says Shannon. "With me working on social justice issues, it made me think about how people create families. I had, unfortunately, seen families toss their kids away because they're gay or transgender. That is deeply impacting."
A month or so after qualifying to foster parent in their home, in late 2009 they got a call from DCFS and given one hour to decide whether they could care for a little girl.
Their foster daughter, 21 months old, arrived the day before Thanksgiving. (The children's names are being withheld to protect their privacy.)
"We had very little information," Shannon recalls. Bizarrely, "They told us she's a Pisces." But they weren't told until days later that she had a severe peanut allergy. Lauren and Shannon were clueless about the needs of the toddler.
"She was basically dropped down into our living room," Lauren says.
"It was kind of like, 'What does she eat?' We don't even know what time she goes to bed," says Shannon. "It's an insanely difficult thing to ask of anybody."
About three months later, Shannon got a call from a placement worker, saying, "I just have to put somebody's name here so I can process my paperwork." Shannon was listed as a "backup" in case a family member didn't step up to care for a 41/2-month-old baby boy, born drug exposed.
Shannon considered that prospect so remote — the infant had four siblings who had already gone to live with family — she didn't even mention it to Lauren.
"The caseworker called me later in the day and said, 'OK, placement got approved in court, and I got everything together to bring him by.' I was, 'Who?' I had to call Lauren and tell her we were having a baby."
Hard to believe, but having two foster kids, a toddler and an infant was the calm before the hurricane.
These big-hearted women couldn't say no when the little boy's aunt called and said she could no longer care for his three sisters — second-, fifth- and seventh-graders. graders.
"If someone asks you to help, and you're in a position to help, it was the right thing to do. It didn't seem that complicated," says Shannon.
Not everyone agreed. "Even my employees said, 'You're insane. You're going to quit your job. There is no way you can manage this,'" Shannon remembers.
"It's hard to describe what it was like in our house. Mass chaos is such a cliche," says Shannon, who didn't quit her job. She and Lauren handled parenting and their jobs with the help of their network of friends and family who tutored, cooked and stepped in.
Suddenly, very suddenly, the couple's parenting expanded into new territory. There were "three sets of homework, plus toddlers and thinking about lunches for the next day, and whose uniform needs ironing and who has gym tomorrow. 'You have to pack your gym clothes.' And, oh my God, we had to do three science fair projects," Shannon says.
"Usually you ease into this stuff."
After 10 months, the girls missed their family and after much conversation they went to live with an aunt. All the adults agreed it was best for the kids. Lauren and Shannon said they experienced grief as well as relief when the girls moved, but they remain in touch.
That left "just" two little ones, who are more than a handful.
Today, as the little boy watches on the basement flat screen, Lauren laughs that she can't get the theme song from "Thomas & Friends," a cartoon train TV show, out of her head. The 3-year-old is crazy for trains right now.
The girl, 41/2, her 13 colorful barrettes bobbing, is drawing letters and numbers on paper — and sometimes on a bright green chair.
Lauren and Shannon say the children — the couple is in the process of legally adopting both — strengthened their already strong relationship.
"As a couple, having kids really challenges you to figure out how you need to and want to exist in the world," says Lauren.
"It's been good for us. I don't think it's good for everybody because it's really hard," Shannon says. "It changes everything. It gives new perspective to those who think they're going to have kids to save their marriage. We get a good laugh out of that."
Love lesson
"If you don't give each other space … I don't see how you can survive. Sometimes it's actual space, but also room to grow, room to change," says Shannon. "It all comes back to working as a team," Lauren says.