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People who experience sexual assault—often called "survivors"—have many options for going forward. Survivors find support from many sources, including informal resources, such as family and friends, as well as professional resources, like crisis centers, health care providers, law enforcement officers, and campus authorities. All these options offer different services and work in different ways. These options aren't mutually exclusive, and there is no one "right" course of action.
Our purpose here is to give you an overview of the professional support services available to you. There's a lot of information in this article, but the most important message is very simple: There are many people who can help survivors find support and take action. If you (or a friend) have any questions or need a safe person to talk to, a sexual assault response center is a great place to start. Find one near you on the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) website.
While this article focuses on sexual assault, there are also resources available for students who have experienced sexual harassment, stalking, or intimate partner violence (also known as dating violence or domestic violence), and for those who aren't sure how to categorize their experiences.
Sexual assault response centers
On many campuses and in communities, professionals at sexual assault response centers (sometimes called "rape crisis centers" or "victim advocates") can help survivors explore their options, connect them with further resources, and provide support.
In communities where a sexual assault response center is not available, survivors can contact campus mental health services or a 24/7 national hotline, such as RAINN at 1-800-656-4673.
Services may include:
- Counseling, both in times of crisis (e.g., through a hotline or at a walk-in center) and ongoing support.
- Help deciding on immediate steps, such as whether to report to the police or a Title IX coordinator, and connecting to health care.
- Assistance with disciplinary and legal processes, such as explaining survivor's rights on campus and in courts.
- Support groups, education, and sometimes, political action.
- Medical advocates who can accompany survivors to medical appointments and help coordinate follow-up care.
Privacy and confidentiality
- Most hotlines, including the national RAINN hotline, are confidential and can be anonymous.
- Victim advocates are not usually required to report assaults to the police or Title IX coordinators, unless the victim is under 18, although policies may vary by state and campus. Staff can explain their confidentiality policies and help survivors make choices about disclosure.
- Like any mental health professionals, victim advocates may share information with authorities if they believe that a client is at imminent risk of harm.
Immediate steps
Advocates can help in the immediate aftermath of a sexual assault. They can provide a safe place to talk, safety planning, and connections to medical care. They can also help explain options for reporting a sexual assault.
Next steps
Advocates can be very helpful in the long term. Many offer counseling, support groups, case management, and support during disciplinary and legal processes. They can also provide referrals to sources of ongoing support, such as campus counseling centers or faith-based services.
- The National Sexual Violence Resource Center maintains a list of local community advocacy resources.
- Anyone can contact an advocate, even if they haven't personally experienced sexual assault. You can call a hotline for advice on supporting a friend or loved one, or if you have questions about sexual assault.
- Advocates work with a broad range of experiences. Sometimes people contact advocates to talk about experiences that happened years before, to process a friend's struggles, or even to discuss upsetting events on the news.
Laws, policies, processes, resources, and terminology vary by state and institution. This content might not be accurate in every situation. Always ask.
Title IX Coordinators
Title IX coordinators are responsible for ensuring that educational institutions are free from gender-based discrimination and sexual misconduct, including sexual assault. They are responsible for managing campus sexual misconduct prevention efforts as well as tracking its incidence, responding to complaints, and preventing its reoccurrence.
Title IX coordinators can explain university policies on sexual assault and can explain available disciplinary procedures. They can also help ensure that a sexual assault does not hinder a student's educational process by arranging accommodations. For example, Title IX coordinators may be able to help survivors get extensions on coursework or avoid having to take a class with a perpetrator.
Many university staff and faculty members are considered "responsible employees" under Title IX. Some students in positions of authority, such as residence advisors, are also "responsible employees." If responsible employees hear about an instance of sexual assault (or harassment), they need to report it to a Title IX coordinator. The Title IX coordinator generally reaches out to the survivor to inform them of available resources. In limited cases, these reports may lead to disciplinary investigations. Title IX coordinators work with survivors to understand their wishes and to determine which next steps would be most helpful.
Privacy and confidentiality
- Title IX coordinators can explain the ways that they maintain privacy and confidentiality, and under what circumstances they share information. Policies vary by school, so it can be helpful for survivors to ask about this up front.
- In limited cases, reporting information to a Title IX coordinator may lead to a campus disciplinary investigation. Title IX coordinators generally do not share information with police unless a student is at imminent risk of harm, except for de-identified information that they share for tracking purposes. In all cases, Title IX coordinators strive to communicate with survivors and respect their wishes.
Immediate steps
- Title IX coordinators can explain resources available at the university and connect students to other resources, such as counseling, medical care, and/or the police.
- Title IX coordinators can help arrange safety measures, such as "no-contact" agreements with perpetrators.
Next steps
- Title IX coordinators can collaborate with other university staff and faculty to arrange academic or living accommodations.
- Title IX coordinators can explain university disciplinary processes and help survivors explore their disciplinary options.
Time frame
Students can contact Title IX coordinators at any time. Anyone—not just survivors themselves—can report an incident of sexual misconduct to a Title IX coordinator.
- Title IX coordinators can help address a wide range of situations, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and stalking. In many cases, they can provide support for incidents that happened off campus if students were involved.
- A school's Title IX or disciplinary investigation is completely separate from a criminal or civil investigation. The two are never mutually exclusive.
Laws, policies, processes, resources, and terminology vary by state and institution. This content might not be accurate in every situation. Always ask.
Medical professionals
Medical professionals can provide support after a sexual assault. Some nurses have specialized training to provide services in the immediate aftermath of a sexual assault. They are often called SANEs (sexual assault nurse examiners), but can go by other names, such as forensic nurse examiners.
SANEs can explain medical options and conduct forensic exams (a medical exam to collect and preserve evidence of a sexual assault). They provide any other needed medical care, such as preventative treatment for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. In some cases, SANEs testify as a witness if a criminal case goes to trial. Not all hospitals have SANEs on call, so sometimes emergency room nurses and/or doctors complete the exam.
Privacy and confidentiality
- Usually, SANEs and other nurses or doctors are not mandated to report the assault to the police, unless the victim is under 18 (although laws vary by state).
- SANEs make physical evidence available to the police. Survivors 18 and older can choose to have a "John/Jane Doe rape kit," which allows them to have evidence collected without revealing their identity. This way, survivors can have evidence collected and decide if they would like to report to the police at a later time.
- Like any medical professionals, SANEs may share information with authorities if they believe that a patient is at imminent risk of harm.
Immediate steps
A specially trained medical professional may complete a forensic evidence exam, commonly called a "rape kit." The process can include:
- A full-body physical examination and collection of medical history.
- Collection of blood, urine, hair, semen, and other body secretion samples.
- Collection of the survivor's clothes.
- Photos to document any injuries.
Find a detailed description of the process here.
Next steps
Medical professionals can give survivors referrals to counseling, follow-up medical care, and other resources. Rape kits are turned over to local police as evidence. Medical professionals should inform survivors of how long the rape kit will be stored, as this varies by state.
Time frame
Survivors can seek medical care at any time. The sooner survivors seek care, the greater the likelihood of preventing sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy. The guidelines for collecting forensic evidence vary by state, but state authorities typically recommend collecting evidence within three days (72 hours).
- If possible, survivors should avoid any activities that might disrupt evidence, such as showering, brushing hair, or changing clothes.
- Survivors can refuse any part of the exam, although this may impact what evidence is collected.
- Survivors can bring a friend, family member, or victim advocate to the exam if they wish.
- Exams must be free or fully reimbursed by health insurance companies, whether or not survivors decide to report the assault to the police. Other hospital costs, such as X-rays or lab tests, might be charged to survivors or health insurance companies.
Laws, policies, processes, resources, and terminology vary by state and institution. This content might not be accurate in every situation. Always ask.
The police can explain survivor's legal options, investigate the incident, and potentially prosecute the perpetrator. In some cases, survivors can work with a sensitive crimes officer, who is specially trained to handle sexual assault.
Privacy and confidentiality
- Confidentiality laws vary by state. Law enforcement officers can explain these laws to survivors.
- If charges are pressed, survivors should discuss privacy and disclosure concerns with the prosecutor and/or legal counsel.
Time frame
Some states have statutes of limitation (time limits for initiating legal proceedings). In general, it's easier to report earlier. Sexual assault response centers can help answer questions about reporting to the police.
Immediate steps
The police interview the survivor about what happened. They can help the survivor connect with a health care provider for a medical examination and the collection of physical evidence.
Next steps
Police can help survivors make a safety plan, such as requesting a restraining order.
Survivors can decide to what extent they participate in the investigation and what information to disclose. In most states, the police or district attorney decides whether or not to press charges. While survivor wishes are considered, the choice ultimately rests with the police or the district attorney. After an investigation, the case may be dropped, there may be a plea bargain, or the case may be decided in court. Survivors are usually called to testify in court; the police or a victim advocate can explain how court processes work.
- Survivors are not required to report a sexual assault to the police.
- Survivors can bring a friend, family member, or victim advocate with them.
Ultimately, the support a person chooses to get after an incident of sexual assault or harassment is completely up to them. There is no right or wrong way to go about it. If you or a loved one has experienced sexual assault or harassment, it can be very helpful to talk to someone. RAINN offers free, confidential support via live chat or their 24/7 hotline: 1-800-656-4673.
Learn more about sexual assault prevention, support, and consent here.
Search for a local rape crisis center: Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN)
Learn more about Title IX: Know Your IX
Strategies to help sexual assault survivors of all identities: Student Health 101
Find a local sexual assault response center: National Sexual Violence Resource Center
Tips on supporting survivors: University of Michigan
Self-care strategies for people supporting survivors: Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN)
Boston Area Rape Crisis Center. (2019). Confidentiality and privacy. Retrieved from https://barcc.org/help/confidentiality
Break the Cycle. (2014). Reporting sexual assault to the police. Retrieved from https://www.breakthecycle.org/blog/reporting-sexual-assault-police
Brown University: Title IX and Gender Equity. (2019). I am a responsible employee. Retrieved from https://www.brown.edu/about/administration/title-ix/get-help/i-am-responsible-employee
Forensics for Survivors. (2015). Frequently asked questions. Retrieved from https://www.surviverape.org/forensics/sexual-assault-forensics/answers-to-faq
Harvard University. (2019). Title IX coordinators. Retrieved from https://titleix.harvard.edu/links/title-ix-coordinators
Michigan Tech Title IX. (2019). Responsible employees/mandated reporting. Retrieved from https://www.mtu.edu/title-ix/policy/responsible-employees/
National Sexual Violence Resource Center. (2018). Find help. Retrieved from https://www.nsvrc.org/find-help
Northeastern University Office for University Equity and Compliance. (2019). Frequently asked questions. Retrieved from https://www.northeastern.edu/ouec/frequently-asked-questions/
RAINN. (2019a). Reporting to law enforcement. Retrieved from https://www.rainn.org/articles/reporting-law-enforcement
RAINN. (2019b). What is a rape kit? Retrieved from https://www.rainn.org/articles/rape-kit
RAINN. (2019c). Aftermath: Working with the criminal justice system. Retrieved from https://rainn.org/get-info/legal-information/working-with-the-criminal-justice-system
United States, Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. (2017, September). Q&A on campus sexual misconduct. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/qa-title-ix-201709.pdf
University of Washington. (2019). Making a report to police. Retrieved from https://www.washington.edu/sexualassault/reporting/police/
Yale University Office of the Provost. (2019). When to contact a coordinator. Retrieved from https://provost.yale.edu/title-ix/when-to-contact


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Important Links
Hock's Blog
Hock's Downloads
Hock's Facebook
Hock's Seminars
Hock's Shopsite
Hock's Web Page
New Products
Combat Kicks VID
Critical Contact VID
Death Grip of Knife VID
Dominant/Counter VID
First Contact VID
Impact Weapons Book
Knife Book
The Other Hand VID
You seem to Want to Believe Ralf and Bindini,if you believe him/them,like the video clips then pay the money and take the Seminar.
Sergeant G...,The short answer is; I have no idea who these guys are! There is a German group that has been advertising with a NASTA logo. They have no association with us at all. I attempted to access some of the KOKKAR web sites, but most of them have been discontinued.If you have any more information or emails messages from this group, or names of individuals in this group, I would like to see it. They are obviously presenting themselves fraudulently.Thanks,Jim ScanlonJames J. ScanlonNorth American SWAT Training email@example.com
Gentlemen,This is a message that we sent to the individuals who are using our logofraudulently. Hopefully, this will put an end to their misrepresentation.James J. ScanlonNorth American SWAT Training Association_____From: NASTA [mailto:email@example.com]Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 9:13 PMTo: firstname.lastname@example.com: email@example.com: [SPAM] NASTA LogoSir/Madame,Stop using the NASTA logo immediately. You do not have any affiliation withthe North American SWAT Training Association (NASTA). You are fraudulentlymisrepresenting yourself and your company. Stop using our name and ourregistered trade mark immediately. If you do not stop by September 25,2007 we will be forced to seek legal advice.:: KOKKAR COMBAT ::David R. Wood (Owner)firstname.lastname@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


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VisitVineyards.com's Wine and Food Selections with RACT is an exciting new development with Show Your Card and Save – the world's largest member benefits program.
Now, brought to you by VisitVineyards.com – Australia's leading wine and food travel guide – you can enjoy discounts at selected Tasmanian
Great news for wine and food lovers, and anyone travelling in Tasmania over the holiday season!
It's simple: view the list of participating businesses on the Search and Save page. Then plan your visit, and present your current RACT membership card (or any Australian, NZ, UK, USA or other overseas AAA card if you are a visiting member) on purchase to receive the discount. Enjoying Tasmanian wine and food at the source has never been better value!
To search and save with your RACT or other state's AAA membership card, click here for a full list of participating wine and food businesses »
Receive free news and program updates here


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Grant Garven is boring. Well, not anymore — but he was last summer. In 2009, the Tufts University geology professor spent around $20,000 from research funds to drill three boreholes around the Medford-Somerville campus in order to provide students with an on-site laboratory to study groundwater running through the area.
Grant Garven is boring. Well, not anymore — but he was last summer.
In 2009, the Tufts University geology professor spent around $20,000 from research funds to drill three boreholes around the Medford-Somerville campus in order to provide students with an on-site laboratory to study groundwater running through the area.
Garven estimates the sites — Powder House Rotary in Somerville, the school's Campus Center and Professors Row — make Tufts unique.
"I believe it's the first university on the East Coast where a professor drilled holes in the ground and got away with it," Garven said jokingly.
Garven, who also teaches civil and environmental engineering, arrived at Tufts from Johns Hopkins University two years ago and quickly found it difficult to give students a hands-on way to study groundwater. He said to do so usually involved a Saturday field trip out to Cape Cod, where the U.S. Geological Survey has installed several observation wells, and finding transportation for everyone.
That's when he approached the school's administration about providing a more convenient alternative.
"They probably thought I was wacky," Garven said. "But I received great support from John Vik [Tufts' grounds manager]. He was very enthusiastic. I also got great support from the president, Larry Bacow."
Garven said Dig Safe came out last summer and checked the university sites, pronouncing the project good to go. Cushing & Sons Drilling of Keene, N.H. dug the wells.
What Garven found was both expected — and unexpected.
"We found what we expected in terms of the geology of the area," Garven said. "By Powder House, we found Medford Gabbro (a black type of igneous rock) in a vein that runs from there right through Medford."
Garven said there was something to learn from all the sites and even though it was months ago, data is still being analyzed.
"I really wanted to explore the geology, but I also wanted to learn more about the groundwater," he said. "We can now test for the pressure of the water, measure it with probes, even put a camera down there and actually see the water."
And water is exactly what Garven saw in one of the boreholes — but not in the amount he was expecting. At the last site on the campus quad, Garven made a huge discovery about 250 feet down.
"We hit a big supply of water," he said. "The students started calling it Jumbo's Aquifer. It was a total surprise. We just didn't expect that."
An aquifer is an underground rock formation composed of such materials as sand, soil or gravel that can store groundwater and supply it to wells and springs.
Garven said the find is unusual because the type of hills in which the aquifer rests are torpedo shaped and usually filled with rock and clay left behind by glaciers. This one was filled with gravel.
"The neat thing about hydrology is that until we dig, we might have an idea what's there, but you never really know," he said.
Garven said the aquifer is exciting news for Tufts, which dug a 600-foot borehole at Powder House to find a water source to irrigate the fields several years ago. Without much success, the school gave up on the project.
What the school will do with the new find Garven doesn't know. However, he plans to use this and the other two sites to show his students and others all about the area they live in.
"Kids walk across the campus every day to classes," he said. "They can see firsthand what's underground."
Since the lab has been open, it's given Garven yet another tool in his teaching arsenal.
"Usually a professor stands at a blackboard and lectures or shows a DVD or an old movie," he said. "Last fall, they were drilling right here and the students got to see all the action. It was a really valuable and unique opportunity."
Garven's still trying to get a sense of how permeable the rocks in the area are to groundwater and the outdoor lab will allow him to set up field experiments. He said his next project is to possibly open up the lab.
"I'd like to share it with the community," he said. "The goal is to not only set it up for Tufts students and other departments, but students at other schools."
Medford Transcript


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Here is a special treat that I think you guys will enjoy. It is a lesson that will show you "how to draw chibi Dr. Who", step by step. I can't believe I never thought to do a tutorial on a chibi sized version of the very popular Doctor. Dr. Who is what you call a hidden gem because even though there are thousands and thousands of people that are huge fans of the show, there are also those that are not. I myself didn't know about Dr. Who until someone requested him as a tutorial. In the past there have been lessons submitted by other members as well as artwork based on the Dr. Who series. This chibi version came out so adorable and I love how the pose, facial expression and everything came out. Anyways, you should enjoy this tutorial, because I know I did making it. Thanks people and enjoy!
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


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Many organic foods have been popping up on the shelves of Wal-Mart in recent years, but none have been as popular as organic milk. For many shoppers, particularly mothers with small children, it is the first organic product they try.
Now organic milk is about to become much more widely available, as Wal-Mart rolls out its own organic brand, which will be cheaper than similar milk on the market. But critics worry that what consumers will be getting is a diluted form of organic milk.
Sold under Wal-Mart's popular Great Value label, half-gallon cartons of the milk have been quietly introduced at 1,200 supercenters and Neighborhood Markets, according to a Wal-Mart spokeswoman, Karen Burk.
Wal-Mart's own organic milk is likely to create stiff competition for many other makers of organic milk -- which comes from cows that have not been treated with hormones or antibiotics -- and even sellers of conventional milk.
Harvey Hartman, president of the Hartman Group, a market research firm working with Wal-Mart on its organic initiatives, said Wal-Mart's own brand of organic milk will mean a lot more will be sold in the United States. "They're creating incremental users because they're removing one of the big inhibitors to buying organic, which is price," he said.
Last year, organic milk sales increased by 25 percent from the year before and Mr. Hartman predicts that Wal-Mart's brand could lift annual growth to as much as 35 percent. Currently, organic dairy represents 3.5 percent of all dairy products sold in the United States, according to the Organic Trade Association.
The organic milk Wal-Mart is selling under its own label comes from Aurora Organic Dairy, which also supplies Safeway, Costco, Target and Wild Oats with their store brands of organic milk. But Wal-Mart's entry into the market stirs greater attention from critics.
Activist groups, as well as some organic food retailers and dairies, contend that the company where Wal-Mart and the other big retailers get their milk operates large factory farms that are diluting the principles of organic agriculture and delivering customers a substandard product. They argue that Aurora's cows do not spend any significant time roaming pastures and eating fresh grass; instead they live on a diet high in grains.
"They are trying to cut corners in the interest of producing milk as cheaply as possible," said Mark Kastel, senior farm analyst at the Cornucopia Institute, which represents organic family farmers.
Wal-Mart and its supplier say that those allegations are misleading and that Aurora's two farms in Colorado and Texas are in full compliance with Agriculture Department standards for organic dairy.
Executives at Aurora, which is based in Boulder, Colo., acknowledge that their farms, with 4,000 cows in Platteville, Colo., and 3,300 in Dublin, Tex., are among the largest organic dairy operations in the country. But they say their animals are healthy and contented and that the company's organic milk is of the highest quality.
Wal-Mart's buying power is certainly cutting the cost of its organic milk. An informal survey of organic milk at Denver area grocery stores found that Wal-Mart's label was 8 percent to 35 percent cheaper than other brands. At Wal-Mart, it was selling for an average of 10 percent less than Horizon Organic milk, the brand Wal-Mart has been carrying for three years.
The controversy turns on how closely Aurora adheres to the principles behind the organic food movement. Many organic farmers say grass feeding is essential for organic dairy production because it is part of a cow's natural behavior. Milk from grass-fed cows, they say, is also higher in beneficial fatty acids than milk from cows fed grain, making it more nutritious.
At Aurora's Platteville operation, about 40 miles north of downtown Denver, 4,000 cows are put on grass only when not being milked or when they are nearing the end of a lactation cycle. That totals about two to three months a year. The rest of the time they stay in dirt-lined outdoor pens where they eat from an ample trough filled with a mixture of hay, silage, corn and soybeans.
Clark F. Driftmier, head of marketing at Aurora, said the company planned to reduce the number of cows in Platteville to 1,000 by next summer so all the animals could graze. In addition, he said, the number of acres of pasture at the Texas farm will triple by next spring.
The company, he added, is opening a 3,200-cow dairy farm in Kersey, Colo., that has been designed to allow for year-round daily access to pasture. Mr. Driftmier acknowledges these changes are being made partly in anticipation of the Agriculture Department's plans to tighten rules requiring more grazing for milk to be called organic.
Mr. Kastel of Cornucopia calls Aurora's efforts "greenwashing." He says the farm's acreage per cow will still be low and that the company is overtaxing its animals by milking them three times a day instead of twice, which is the norm at organic farms.
John Mackay, chief executive of Whole Foods Market, the nation's largest organic food supermarket chain, toured Aurora's Platteville farm in May with Margaret Wittenberg, vice president for quality standards. They found it to be "unacceptable" and "not up to our standards," said a spokeswoman, Ashley Hawkins.
While a 4,000-cow farm is not large among conventional dairies, which can hold as many as 25,000 cows, it dwarfs most organic farms. Jim Riddle, organic outreach coordinator for the University of Minnesota and former chairman of the National Organic Standards Board, said that putting thousands of cows on pasture is almost impossible.
Wal-Mart would not say how much it was paying Aurora for its milk and whether that price was lower than the typical $26 per hundred pounds of milk that most organic dairy farmers get. But on its Web site, Aurora boasts that it is one of the lowest-cost producers of organic milk in the country, in part because the Platteville farm has a milking plant on site.
Because Aurora milks its cows three times a day and feeds its animals diets of calorie-dense grains, its milk production per cow is also higher than that of other organic milk producers. In Platteville, Aurora's annual milk output per cow is 20,000 pounds, according to the company, whereas most organic dairies get 14,000 to 18,000 pounds per cow, Mr. Kastel says.
Mr. Driftmier at Aurora says that grass feeding should not be the only measure of animal health and well-being. "Our record of animal welfare is certified by an independent third-party expert," he said. "Our animals are outside all year long; they're never locked into barns."
In accordance with organic standards, Aurora cows also get no hormones or antibiotics and all their feed is grown organically.
Many in the organic industry, however, say that Wal-Mart, in its push to move organics into the mainstream, could do more than simply search for the biggest and lowest-cost producer in the market.
Mr. Riddle, the organic coordinator, points to subsidy programs that dairy companies like Organic Valley, Horizon Organic and Stonyfield Farms are operating to help small and midsize dairy farmers move to organic methods. "These programs are going to help alleviate the organic milk shortage by next year," he said. "But you can't increase the supply overnight or place orders and have them immediately filled. Organic takes time."


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As my kayak hits the Lackawaxen and Delaware Rivers each spring, I am reminded of nature's beauty and why I love living in this region of northeast Pennsylvania. Each time my boat passes a bald …
As my kayak hits the Lackawaxen and Delaware Rivers each spring, I am reminded of nature's beauty and why I love living in this region of northeast Pennsylvania. Each time my boat passes a bald eagle nest or a screeching great blue heron, I appreciate the opportunity to recreate in such peaceful waters.
As an employee of Pennsylvania Power & Light (PPL) at Lake Wallenpaupack, I am always reminded of the partnership between industry and nature. Oftentimes, they go hand in hand. For instance, through PPL's 2005 relicensing to operate a hydroelectric plant downstream from the dam at Lake Wallenpaupack, many programs were put in place to enhance and provide recreation, not only on the big lake, but also on the Lackawaxen River downstream of the plant.
On six consecutive Fridays starting on or after July 1 each year, PPL facilitates boating release days along the Lackawaxen River. Another two weekend days in September or October are also offered.
By modifying power generation schedules and using water from Lake Wallenpaupack, PPL has the ability to make sure that the river has adequate flow for such an event. People come from all over to get the chance to kayak or raft this normally shallow and serene river. This is one of several ways PPL is able to use Lake Wallenpaupack to support recreation and wildlife habitat while generating clean, renewable electricity.
In addition, PPL partners with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to enhance river conditions for trout maintenance, growth and survival by ensuring that the Lackawaxen River can be preserved as a cold water fishery. The program consists of managing power generation from PPL's Wallenpaupack hydroelectric plant during the summer to keep water temperatures downstream of the plant below 75 degrees. The specific area managed for temperature is between River Mile 4 (Route 590 bridge at Rowland) and River Mile 10.
The cooler water provides a more beneficial habitat for wild trout, as well as for the trout stocked by the commission. The program typically runs between May and September, when water temperatures in the Lackawaxen River are most likely to exceed 75 degrees.
Fishermen, rafters, boaters and anyone else who uses the Lackawaxen River for recreation are often interested in water conditions. When the hydroelectric plant is generating, the amount of water in the river increases rapidly. River users should check when the plant is generating to stay safe.
PPL provides a toll-free phone number and website to supply the public with quick information on the Wallenpaupack power plant's generation schedule, discharge to the Lackawaxen River and lake elevations. The information is updated daily, or when there is a change in the generation schedule. For more information, visit www.lakelevelppl.com or call 800/807-2474.
The first boating release this season is scheduled for July 5 from 12 noon to 5 p.m. Check website for updates.
[Katie Lester is PPL Manager of Community Relations, Wallenpaupack.]


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ESA's Proba-1 spies Burning Man festival
Around 50 000 people gathered in the desert in Nevada this week for the annual Burning Man festival. ESA's Proba-1 microsatellite snapped a souvenir as it flew some 600 km overhead.
A mosaic of four 5 m-resolution black and white images was acquired by Proba-1's HRC high-resolution camera on Thursday, showing massed camper vans and tents gathered for the week-long art and self-expression festival.
HRC includes a micro-camera developed by Swiss company Micro-Cameras & Space Exploration. It is one of a series of miniature cameras built by the company for ESA missions such as Proba-2 and SMART-1. One on Rosetta should provide us with the first views from the surface of a comet in 2014.
HRC operates alongside Proba-1's larger CHRIS (Compact High Resolution Imaging Spectrometer) hyperspectral imager, which returns 15 m-resolution scenes across a programmable selection of up to 62 spectral bands, from a variety of viewing angles.
About Proba-1
Fast approaching a decade in orbit, Proba-1 was the first in ESA's series of satellites aimed at providing in-orbit testing of new space technologies. Smaller than a cubic metre, Proba-1's many experiments include the compact HRC, acquiring monochromatic images with an area of 25 sq km.
Proba stands for 'Project for Onboard Autonomy' – both cameras are largely autonomous. Controllers at ESA's Redu station in Belgium send up the location to be imaged – latitude, longitude and altitude – then the satellite itself does the rest, lining up its instruments with its target on the ground.
Proba-1 was launched back in October 2001 as an experimental mission but is still going strong, having since been reassigned to ESA's Earth observation team.
In November 2009 it was joined in orbit by Proba-2, focused on solar monitoring. Proba-3, to test formation-flying, and Proba-V, to monitor global vegetation, are in preparation.


text: AllHipHop.com caught up with B.o.B. and discussed his upcoming album, Strange Clouds, and working with legend Andre 3000. B.o.B. says this record is "more honest", "more evolved", and he's "in his element" on Strange Clounds, set to be released May 1, 2012. He also says the genuineness and honesty of his music will always be the most important thing to him, and that how he feels at the time will always be what fuels his music. B.o.B. also said that working Andre 3000 was a "pass the torch moment" for him. You can watch the videos here or below!


text:
Firefighter candidate found bludgeoned in trunk
Name: Tyrone Anthony Bennett, 22
Location body found: Parking lot of Coach Light Apartments
Agency: Aurora Police Department
Date killed: July 11, 1993
Cause of Death Beaten to death
Suspect: None identified
Four-year-old Devon was sitting alone in a white Cadillac El Dorado in the parking lot of Coach Light Apartments on East 14th Avenue.
The day was July 11, 1993. It was hot, and a bystander got worried after he saw Devon alone in the car for hours. He called police. When they approached the car, blood could be seen dripping from the trunk.
Inside was the body of Tyrone Anthony Bennett, who was so badly beaten the Denver Coroner's Office could identify him only by taking his fingerprints.
It was a brutal ending for a young man who had shown so much promise, despite some gang issues.
Tyrone had been a class officer at Washington High School, where he received


text:
We currently only support searching for taxis within England, Scotland and Wales. You will still be able to search but only for locations within these countries.
Due to Google Maps new pricing model, YourTaximeter is no longer operation. Please see our blog post: How Google Maps new pricing model killed our business
These apply to all tariffs and have their own time and date properties.
These are applied after the tariff and before multipliers.
These are applied after the tariff and before multipliers.
|£0.210 per passenger
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|£0.510 per passenger
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These are applied at the end of the calculation (after surcharges).


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LCA fit with very sparse response pat...
Mplus Discussion
Latent Variable Mixture Modeling
John Schafer
posted on Friday, February 16, 2001 - 6:29 pm
Hi! For many of my LC models the response pattern frequencies can be pretty sparse, which makes the use of the chi square suspect. I remember a neat little paper in MBR, I think, by Linda Collins suggesting a Monte Carlo approach to assessing fit with such data. It strikes me that Mplus has MC capabilities; is there some way to implement Linda's approach in Mplus?
and while I'm here... :) will it become possible to use LC with complex survey data at some point?
Thanks, and thanks for such a great product!
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Saturday, February 17, 2001 - 9:55 am
That is an interesting line of thought. Which MBR issue was that in? I'd like to get back to you about this to say if it can be done inside the current Mplus or needs to be done by generating data outside Mplus and running it through Mplus using the RUNALL Utility (see new web info). Further Mplus developments are going full speed ahead and latent class models with complex sample data is one of several things the team is working on.
John Schafer
posted on Sunday, February 18, 2001 - 7:48 am
Thank you, Bengt! I believe this is the article (I lifted it from Linda's cv, the article is in the office):
Collins, L. M., Fidler, P. L., Wugalter, S. E., & Long, J. L. (1993). Goodness-of-fit testing for latent class models. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 28, 375-389.
It is (IMHO) a pretty cool little article. Thanks again, Chuck
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Sunday, February 18, 2001 - 12:21 pm
Thanks, Chuck. Will get back to you about this.
posted on Wednesday, December 05, 2001 - 7:23 am
I am interested in creating a latent class analysis using a series of mutually dependent variables (e.g. race, age dummies). In this data, people can only have one race and one age category. Is it even possible to use these types of variables to indicate latent class. All of the potential variables that may be included in the model all are in the form of mutually exclusive series. They overlap with other series, but not within series. There are a number of potential series that can be included in this model (e.g. zip code, aid categories, family status, gender).
Second, in a separate run, where there were more variables that were not mutually exclusive, some categories were set to 15. Does this represent a potential problem or merely indicating that everyone of that indicator fits into one category.
posted on Thursday, December 06, 2001 - 6:02 pm
I can imagine a class being defined by a high probability of being in a certain age range, family status, etc. Mplus does not yet handle unordered categorical latent class indicators. Although I have not tried this, it would seem possible to approximate such analysis using a series of dummy binary indicators created from the polytomous variables, as long as only K-1 binary variables are derived from a K-category item. Other readers of Mplus Discussion may have an opinion on this.
Logits fixed at +-15 do not imply a problem. In fact, it helps the interpretation in that such an indicator definately is switched on or off. For instance, a class that is defined as consisting of people positively inclined toward purchasing a youth item might have a low probability for the "age > 65" indicator being switched on.
posted on Monday, December 10, 2001 - 8:45 pm
It would be wrong to use such mutually dependent variables as class indicators, since class indicators should be independent given the class. Represent each series as unordered categorical latent class indicators, rather than through dummy variables. As long as there is no direct effect to this indicator (U on X) there is no difference between ordered and unordered indicator.
As for using "zip code" as a class indicator, you may want to explore the latent class regression to model the impact of exogenous variables on the class membership.
posted on Friday, May 10, 2002 - 4:38 am
Dear all,
When I run a 2 class latent variable model, the error message like this shown up:
Where to increase the number of miterations?
how to fix this problem? The model that I input
is identifiable. YOur information and suggestion
will be appreciated. Thank you.
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Friday, May 10, 2002 - 5:59 am
MITERATIONS is an option of the ANALYSIS command. See page 40 of the Mplus User's Guide.
Patrick Malone
posted on Thursday, August 15, 2002 - 6:02 am
I'm working with an LCA with a large pool of dichotomous indicators (42). I started this project with a more traditional LCA (WinLTA), which, as I understand it, uses the crosstabulation of all of the items and the latent. Based on how long it was taking to iterate, I estimated it might finish sometime in the 22nd century. I reduced the indicator pool to 21 and had better luck.
Does LCA in MPlus have the same limitation? That is, is computation time based on the 2^n cells? Or can I expand the item pool without as many worries?
I'm also running into apparent identification problems pretty early with the 21-item set, where the solution is dependent on starting values (for a 6-class model I tried 20 different sets of starting values and got 20 different solutions). Is this likely to get better or worse with larger numbers of items? Sample size is 890, with a modest degree of missing data (10-20%).
posted on Thursday, August 15, 2002 - 7:26 am
Mplus has quite efficient LCA computations. I have an example with 17 binary items, n=7,300, and 4 classes that takes 50 seconds on my 1 Mhz computer. The number of items should not be a problem.
Having as many local solutions as you report may be an indication that the 6-class model does not have much information in the data to support it, i.e. it may not be suitable for the data. The new Mplus version 2.12, which will shortly be out, offers a new likelihood ratio test (TECH11) that allows you to see if a smaller number of classes is sufficient. Testing the model fit is difficult with many items because of sparse cells, so this approach of testing the incremental fit when adding classes is useful.
Patrick Malone
posted on Thursday, August 15, 2002 - 7:53 am
Great, thanks. 1 Ghz, I take it? These are taking 20-30 minutes per run on a 1.6 or 1.8 GHz (I don't quite remember) machine. I run a SAS job to generate the random starting values, and then run MPlus in batch mode. So it's basically a day devoted to each set of runs.
I did go with a simpler model (5 classes -- 4 out of 20 runs converged on the same solution, and the BIC is only marginally worse than the best BIC from the 6-class models). I look forward to 2.12.
Meanwhile, I'll experiment with adding items.
Patrick Malone
posted on Thursday, August 15, 2002 - 9:03 am
Following myself up. I went to the 42-item models, and was surprised to find that each ran in less than 40 seconds. I've got the warning that the crosstab was too big to allow for calculating the chi-square. But, since I'm not using the chi-square, that's fine with me. Everything I do need (including -2LL) seems to be present. Apparently the chi-square calculation was what was taking most of the 20-30 minutes. If I'm interpreting this correctly, it makes me wonder if in future versions it might be possible to turn that off while running smaller models . . .
posted on Thursday, August 15, 2002 - 9:58 am
Yes, I meant 1 Ghz. Please send the input and data for the run that took 20-30 minutes to
for further investigation.
Andy Ross
posted on Wednesday, October 12, 2005 - 9:55 am
In a LCA I was wondering at what level of sparseness should i be concerned? As far as i have understood it, any level of sparesness will undermine the chi-square test of model fit, and that we should therefore use BIC instead.
However, does there come a point when the level of sparesness will undermine the whole solution? And if so, what is that point?
Many thanks for your support
posted on Wednesday, October 12, 2005 - 11:39 am
It depends very much on the model and how many parameters need to have information from the sparse parts of your data. You need to have at least a couple of observations contributing to a parameter's estimation. To get good SEs one needs larger samples than point estimates. Probably the best way to get a rough sense of this is to do a Monte Carlo simulation using Mplus. There are general guidelines for doing this (although not specifically for LCA) in the Muthen & Muthen (2000) SEM article referenced on our web site. See also montecarlo inputs on your Mplus CD.
Moh Yin Chang
posted on Thursday, August 28, 2008 - 12:28 pm
I'm experimenting Multiple Imputation of large categorical dataset using latent class analysis as proposed by Vermunt et al. (2008). To do so I need to first run a LCA to estimate the density of many categorical variables (about 300). Vermunt et al. recommended to suppress the Newton-Raphson algorithm and standard error estimation in this procedure since we are only interested in the posterior class probability of the subjects. May I know how can I suppress the Newton-Raphson algorithm and standard error estimation in LCA?
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Friday, August 29, 2008 - 8:11 am
You would fix all parameters.
Moh Yin Chang
posted on Friday, August 29, 2008 - 8:52 am
Dr. Muthen,
The only parameters that I'm interested in are class proabilities. Do you mean that I should fix all variances? Would doing so suppress the Newton-Raphson algorithm?
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Friday, August 29, 2008 - 9:43 am
I mean - fix all model parameters. That's the only way to avoid the optimization. You still get estimated posterior probabilities for each individual and each class.
Moh Yin Chang
posted on Saturday, September 06, 2008 - 5:27 pm
Dr. Muthen,
It appears that Mplus does not allow fixing variances for categorical outcomes and all my 293 variables are categorical. What would you recommend me to do to avoid variance estimation?
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Saturday, September 06, 2008 - 5:55 pm
Categorical outcomes do not have variances. You don't need to fix them. Just don't mention them.
Chris Platania-Phung
posted on Thursday, September 15, 2011 - 5:21 pm
I'm interested in conducting LCA on lifestyle data (n=217) with 11 two-category indicators (ordinal) and 1 three-category indicator (ordinal. I'm concerned that being excessive
with the number of indicators/variables
given the small sample size. While concerned about sparse data the computation time is short and class profiles make a lot of sense. Are there assumptions for LCA in terms of minimum sample size relative to number of indicators (and # categories per indicator)?
Looking forward to your reply.
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Thursday, September 15, 2011 - 6:11 pm
I think LCA is perhaps less sensitive to small sample sizes due to it being a parsimonious model. But to get a good feeling for it, you need to do a Monte Carlo study for your particular case, which is easy to do in Mplus (see Chapter 12 of the v6 UG).
Thomas Plischke
posted on Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - 4:59 am
Also concerning the problem of sparse data:
I am applying a Mover-Stayer-Model with four time points and 1,700 cases. For each time point, there is one nominal manifest indicator. I am succeeding in estimating the model if my nominal indicator (and hence also the latent variables) have less than five classes. However, the nominal variable that is of interest to me has seven classes.
If I try to model the Mover-Stayer-Model with more than four classes, either MPLUS processes indefinitely (I quit the program after running three weeks) or tells me that it does not have enough memory space to run it.
I understand that the problem has to do with sparse date. With seven classes and four panel waves, I would ultimately arrive at a crosstable with 7^4 = 2401 cells, with a lot of them being empty. Before I quit my enterprise, however, I would like to ask whether there is anything I can do about this problem. Do you know of a way to run a mover-stayer-model with seven manifest and latent classes?
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - 2:10 pm
The number of classes is not determined by the number of categories of the nominal variable. I would start with 2 classes.
Bernice Garnett
posted on Thursday, June 07, 2012 - 7:46 am
I wanted to know if I am overfitting my latent class model as although it is estimated in Mplus I am not sure if it is empirically identified. I have 5 binary indicators of my latent variable (discrimination) and have estimated four classes of discrimination among a sample of 965 adolescents. Any help would be greatly appreciated?
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Thursday, June 07, 2012 - 2:21 pm
Do you have an LCA with five binary latent class indicators or a model with one continuous factor that has five binary factor indicators?
Bernice Garnett
posted on Monday, June 11, 2012 - 7:18 am
Sorry if I was not clear. I have an LCA with five binary latent class indicators.
Thanks for your help,
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Monday, June 11, 2012 - 11:59 am
How many classes does your model have?
Bernice Garnett
posted on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 2:21 pm
My model has four classes.
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 3:14 pm
You can identify up to 5 classes with 5 binary indicators. See Slide 72 of the Topic 5 course handout to see how to figure this out.
Bernice Garnett
posted on Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 12:10 pm
Thank you Linda for the reference and associated formula... very helpful.
Is their an equivalent way to estimate degrees of freedom and LCA parameters when you have both binary and ordinal indicators. In another analysis I have estimated a 2 class LCA with 3 indicators (one of which is binary and the other 2 indicators are three level ordinal indicators)
I realize that a 2 class LCA model with 3 binary indicators is not empirically identified.
Thank you!
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Friday, June 15, 2012 - 1:06 pm
You need to figure the cells in your H1 model and subtract 1 for the number of H1 parameters. You need to figure the number of thresholds in the H0 model and the number of categorical latent variable means for the H0 model. Just expand on the slide I referred you to.
Joseph E. Glass
posted on Thursday, May 02, 2013 - 2:22 pm
In the TECH10 output, response patterns are printed. For example,
1 00 2 10 3 01 4 11
5 *0 6 *1 7 0*
What does response pattern 5, 6, and 7 indicate, where there is a "*" as one of the values? This is an analysis with two dichotomous variables. Thank you!
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Thursday, May 02, 2013 - 2:30 pm
Please send the output and your license number to
so I can see the context.
Joseph E. Glass
posted on Thursday, May 02, 2013 - 5:22 pm
Hi Linda, thank you for your response.
I don't presently have an active support contract. I looked at this again, it appears that the *'s are not present when I use listwise=on, so I assume the *'s represent response patterns with missing data?
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Thursday, May 02, 2013 - 9:07 pm
I think that is right.
Joseph E. Glass
posted on Friday, May 03, 2013 - 6:23 am
Thank you Linda and Bengt for your responses!
posted on Friday, June 14, 2013 - 1:23 pm
I am fitting a series of LC models in Mplus using weighted data and the newer model fitting procedures (specifically LMR Chi-Square), as well as AIC and BIC.
I'm noticing that LMR Chi-Square and BIC provide indication of a reasonable number of latent classes (T < 5), and substantively the classes seem reasonable. However AIC does not provide an indication of a reasonable number of latent classes.
So, my question is, is the wide divergence between the AIC and BIC results a function of sparse data?
I would guess that AIC is less conservative than BIC in identifying the best latent class solution. Yet I've not seen published examples where the AIC fails to suggest a reasonable number of latent classes.
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Sunday, June 16, 2013 - 4:05 pm
I am not sure that sparse data would lead to this discrepancy. Don't know what might.
cathy labrish
posted on Wednesday, June 06, 2018 - 5:22 pm
I am running a latent class model with 9 binary indicators. Looking at the univariate response proportions, I notice that very few study participants fail to endorse this item (ie. 2 out of almost 500). Given this item provides very little information on which to differentiate individuals, I am inclined to drop it from the model. This item is also a key item when determining study eligibility so one would expect 100% endorsement. My question:
Can items with such skewed distributions lead to problems with a LCAl and it is generally advisable to consider removing them when performing a latent class analysis.
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Wednesday, June 06, 2018 - 6:15 pm
I don't think such an item necessarily leads to problems in the analysis, but it probably doesn't contribute much and you are wise to remove it.
Sam Daneils
posted on Thursday, November 14, 2019 - 1:14 pm
Dear Dr. Muthen,
I have a question on how to improve LCA class homogeneity and separation for indicators with sparse response patterns.
I'm estimating an LCA model with 14 binary indicators initially. But because all of them contain sparse responses and initial LCA model with 14 indicators indicated high bivariate residuals among different indicators, I further joined 14 indicators to 6 indicators.
However, my models (4 class results shown below as an example) still have issues with low class homogeneity and separation. I tried constraining posterior parameters but that didn't help much.
Inspired by your other publications, I think I will try including covariate to the model.
Could you please point me to other approaches I should consider?
Any suggestion is greatly appreciated!
loglikelihood: -31052.761
Akaike (AIC) 62159.521
Sample-Size Adjusted BIC 62277.897
Chi-square 68.19
Entropy 0.642
Thanks in advance!
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Thursday, November 14, 2019 - 5:16 pm
You can work with your 14 items and study their item-specific entropy contribution. See
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Now anyone can have fun with colour thanks to the easy-to-use, expertly coordinated Mary Kay® Mineral Eye Color Quads. Each quad fits perfectly into the Mary Kay® Compact and features four complementary shades that will help you create an eye-catching look in the blink of an eye.
Use one shade or all four – the options are almost endless. From a smoky eye at night to a more neutral eye for day, with four palettes to choose from, you'll be able to enjoy creating a variety of new looks to fit any occasion.
The rich shades range from matte to high shimmer and are bendable and buildable, so you can quickly turn it up or tone it down. And the long-lasting, fade- and crease-resistant formula delivers lightweight, high-impact colour that glides on evenly for a smooth finish. No matter your skin tone or eye colour, you're sure to find more than one quad to love.


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And the speakers are....................
Classic Cary
When I was supping with John Atkinson and Michael Fremer, Mikey mentioned how impressed he was with Cary's true high-end surround processor, the Cinema 11. At Axpona I encountered the North Carolina company's more traditional line, assembled by Fort Lauderdale dealer Let There Be Sound: Cary CAD211 Founder's Edition monoblocks ($20,000), running 70Wpc pure triode; Cary SLP-05 linestage ($8000), Cary CD306 SACD Pro player ($8000), and Cary PH-302 Mk.II phono stage ($3500). Also called into play were the Acoustic Solid Royal turntable ($18,000) with Shelter Harmony cartridge ($5300), Isotek Sigmas A/C. conditioner ($2700), and a large assortment of Cable Research Labs (CRL) cables. Cary's signature sound demonstrated why the company is thought of so highly in the audiophile community.
The Cary PH-302 Mk.II headphone jack wasn't working correctly at the show. Sound was only coming from the left channel. The Cary guy said sorry about this and I left the room. $8000 preamp with a busted headphone jack, yikes.
I would like to sincerely thank Mr. Serinus for his kind words towards our Let There Be Sound/Cary Audio Design co-sponsored suite. It was a true blast to have met such wonderful people throughout the event and feel honored to have been given an opportunity to share our passion for music.Lastly, I would like to humbly mention three other manufacturers involved in our setup which surely played a huge part of its success: Danish loudspeakers maker System Audio's flagship Explorer, A/C line conditioning by Isotek's Sigmas, and last but not least cabling by Cable Research Lab (CRL) which was another sponsor of our suite. All the best!Oswaldo MartinezPresidentLet There Be Sound, Inc.
I would like to clarify Mr. Cohen's comments reference to the "busted headphone jack".Firstly, once again I would like to apologize to Mr. Cohen for the inability of being able to properly demo this amazing product's headphone capabilities. Secondly, to clarify, the unit in question is the SLP-05, not the PH-302 Mk. II - that's the phono stage.And lastly, if Mr. Cohen's impression was that somehow I was indifferent to his needs, once again I offer an apology as that was not my intention. My recollection is that I was quite responsive in trying to rectify the problem, which greatly frustrated me as well : ( and that I excused myself once it was clear I was not going to be able to fix it mid-session and with a packed house waiting to hear the system through the Danish System-Audio speakers. Very sorry it did not work out.Being that the jack has worked before my suspicion is we simply have a bad tube in its headphone section, that's all.All the best,Oswaldo MartinezLet There Be Sound, Inc.
I should put more information on my post (I was rushing as I was typing) so I do apologize for the error of saying the wrong product. I do remember you trying to get the headphone jack working but it was no dice. You guys are forgiven with the Xciter amp. The headphone amp in there was good so I was happy with that. Still the non-working SLP-05 headphone jack let me with a slight bad taste in my mouth. Things do happpen so I understand. I'm guessing it is one of the tubes. Thank you for responding to my comment and sorry if my previous post was rude.
I just want to say that Oz from Let there be sound is an amazing guy. I met him while I was in Ft. Lauderdale on a business trip and I can assure anyone who's reading this that he is a real class act and will spend TONS of time working with you to help you get your system together just right. I am also a very big Cary fan, which is how I met Oz in the first place. It sounds like it was a great show indeed!
I appreciate your kind response Jonathan. No worries. I did not feel your response was rude at all. I was more concerned if you thought I had let you down plus also felt it important to clarify the exact model so we don't confuse anyone.In any event, glad you enjoyed our suite otherwise and hope the rest of your Axpona experience was superb all around. Best.
Just ran across this Post and congrats to Cary, System Audio, Isotek and Cable Research for great sound! To all readers, when in Fort Lauderdale visit the beach, Las Olas shopping and more ... but don't miss Oz Martinez from "Let There Be Sound" - a splendid time is guaranteed for all. A number of us in the service industry could learn something from his service ethic. All the best!


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Santana - Live at Montreux 2011
Santana - Live at Montreux 2011 Previous Broadcasts
KQED 9: Sat, Oct 13, 2012 -- 1:00 PM
The legendary Carlos Santana brings together his unique blend of styles and sounds to deliver a blistering performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival fresh for 2011. Santana's world music, blues, rock 'n roll and jazz fusion has reached across the globe and stayed with audiences through the eras. This live show is a perfect display of the multi-Grammy Award winning artist as not only an accomplished composer and vocalist, but also as the incredible musician who can rank highly among some of the greatest guitarists of all time.
With a truly remarkable career that proves talent and longevity walk hand-in-hand, Carlos takes to the prestigious Montreux stage to play his impressive hit list that includes early tracks "Evil Ways" and "Jingo" from 1969, through to later chart-toppers "Smooth" and "Maria Maria." Other standout classics include favorites "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va."
Repeat Broadcasts:
- KQED Life: Sat, Oct 13, 2012 -- 1:00 PM


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PS Suite
Sony accepting application for PS Suite closed beta program
Sony has is now accepting applications for a closed beta test of its PlayStation Suite SDK. Windows XP and W7 users in Japan, the UK and US can now present their credentials for early access. Once accepted, develops will be able to create applications for PS Vita. PS Suite offers a cross-platform PlayStation-certified development and […]
PS Suite headlines
PS Store now available on Sony Tablet S
As part of the PlayStation Suite, Sony has announced the PlayStation Store for certified devices launches today starting with the Sony Tablet S in Europe and North America.
Yoshida "excited to see what kinds of games," small developers create for PS Suite
Sony's Shuhei Yoshida has said that not only as NGP been in development since "beginning of 2008," right around the time rumors starting trickling out, but that both triple-A "short form games" are in the works for the new handheld.


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3 ways to increase home security
Whether you leave town for a vacation or leave to run a few errands, it's easy for busy people to become careless and leave their home vulnerable to break-ins.
According to the latest FBI statistics, there were 2,159,878 burglaries in the U.S. in 2010, resulting in $4.6 billion in property loss. Out of all burglaries, more than 60 percent were the result of forced entry. Residential burglaries accounted for 74 percent, and more than half occurred during the daytime.
You can enhance the security of your home without spending a fortune with these three simple measures.
Door Locks:
- A deadbolt is a type of lock that has a steel bolt that extends into the door jamb and strike plate of a door frame. The most common type is the single cylinder deadbolt – which is operated by a twist knob on the inside of the door and a key on the outside.
- Locksmiths say unless you have working deadbolt locks and actually use them, your home isn't secure.
- For around $100 per door, you can have a high-quality deadbolt installed.
- If the deadbolts are not functioning properly or they are inadequate, the intruder can kick the door in.
- Organizations like the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) give quality ratings that range from one to three. One represents the highest quality so check the lock before buying.
- New homeowners should have their locks changed, because there is no way to know who previously had keys to the home.
Channel 4's Crime and Safety Expert Ken Jefferson has shown us time and time again that he recommends a double-cylinder deadbolt. There's a key hole on both sides, preventing a burglar from breaking a window, reaching around and turning a knob to unlock it. But Jefferson emphasizes the importance of having the key nearby, in case there is an emergency situation and you need to get out of the house.
- The best lock in the world isn't going to make a difference if the overall quality of your door, doorjamb, and door frame are poor.
- Replace the door. Many exterior doors are designed with security in mind, using reinforced glass or small windows away from the lock to prevent a burglar from reaching in.
- The most secure door feature is a solid core, not a hollow one. To check this, knock on your door: solid doors sound "dead," while hollow doors will echo. To improve security, replace any hollow entry door with one made of metal, fiberglass, solid wood, as they can't be kicked in or broken easily.
- Hiring Tip: Have a professional locksmith assess locks and doors. Only a trained professional can spot the kinds of vulnerabilities that make burglars' lives easier.
- The installation and proper placement of outdoor lighting can enhance the security of a home. Security lighting should be mounted high enough to prevent tampering. Security lights can also be protected by a plastic guard or metal mesh cage.
- When placing and aiming exterior lights, they should illuminate the homeowner's property; however, they should not shine through the neighbors windows. While the initial adjustments can be made during the day, fine-tuning should be done after dark. If used with security cameras, lights should be placed and adjusted to prevent excessive glaring and shadows.
- It's also wise to have a security lighting plan for the interior of the home, especially if you plan to be away for an extended period of time. Security experts recommend using timers to control interior lighting. The best timers will allow random settings so there is no fixed pattern to signal the homeowner's absence.
- Security lighting can lose its effectiveness if it's overused, or not used properly. Security lighting that remains on all night is sometimes ignored, and activity in the area may go unnoticed. Motion sensors can help alleviate the problem by drawing attention to any activity.
Copyright 2013 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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RUSNANO (Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies) fascinates me such that I've posted about the organization and its 'wheeling and dealing' several times with my RUSNANO and 12BF's clean energy investment fund [July 24, 2012] and Russian government sells 10% holding in RUSNANO [June 25, 2012] postings being the latest until now. Virgin Group and RUSNANO have announced a new, joint emerging market fund. From the Nov. 14, 2012 news item on Nanowerk,
Virgin Group, Virgin Green Fund and RUSNANO Capital announced the formation of VGF Emerging Market Growth I. L. P. = with commitments of over $200 million.
The Fund will invest in buyout and growth equity opportunities in mid-cap companies. It will target the resource efficiency, consumer sustainability and renewable energy sectors in Russia, Turkey and CEE [Central Europe and Russia Fund Inc.]. The Fund will benefit from the Virgin and RUSNANO brands, deal flow and local investing experience.
The Oct. 31, 2012 RUSNANO news release (which originated the news item) provides this detail,
The Emerging Market Fund is set up by Shai Weiss, Evan Lovell, Brooks Preston and Tamas Szalai. Weiss and Lovell are theco-foundingpartners of the Virgin Green Fund. Preston formerly of Wolfensohn & Company and Szalai of Bancroft Private Equity will lead the investment team. Andrew Reicher, the former head of CEE Private Equity for Credit Suisse and Chief Investment Officer at Actis, is the non-executive chairman of the investment committee. Collectively, the team brings the experience of investing USD $2 billion in emerging markets through more than 50 transactions. [emphasis mine]
Anatoly Chubais, RUSNANO CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board: "Renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies will provide answers to the key global challenges of natural resources depletion and environment pollution. Developing solutions will be impossible without the use of nanotechnology. I believe the fund will find great opportunities to invest in growth companies in Russia and take them into global markets."
'More than 50 transactions' doesn't sound that impressive to me but perhaps that reflects my ignorance. I'm also surprised they don't mention any specific successes from this previous experience of investing USD $2B.
Sir Richard Branson (founder and chairman of the Virgin Group) or someone who purports to be Branson posted about the announcement when it was made on Oct. 31, 2012 in Moscow on Richard's blog (Note: I have removed links),
Seven years ago at the Clinton Global Initiative I pledged to invest the dividends from our transport business into renewable fuels and resource efficiency.
Since then we have invested in fuel companies, set up our Green Fund, founded the Carbon War Room and established The Earth Challenge – as well as making a number of investments in emerging fuel businesses.
Today, I'm back in Moscow – at the country's largest technology forum – Open Innovations. We are launching our second Virgin Green Fund with our Russian partners Rusnano. This one is targeting the Emerging Markets and the exciting venture will invest in growth companies to improve energy efficiency and find the technologies and fuels of the future.
At the Forum I was quizzed by 100 of Russia's brightest young entrepreneurs and encouraged them to build their businesses with a smile and look to throw some of the conformity that marks so much of Russian business. There is so much enthusiasm and opportunity in the country.
I hope successful ventures arise from this new fund. ETA Nov. 21, 2012: As for this posting's headline, it's a reference to the pervasiveness of the Virgin brand.


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139 posts • Page 5 of 10 • 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 ... 10<Previous topic | Next topic>
WNC_Ed wrote:Thinking about what Michael suggested here:TIP: If you are a Forum Member, write your Forum Username boldly on your Name Tag. It's a great way to "connect" with people you may know only by their username!
And knowing that the forum users are some very clever folk. I was wondering if it wouldn't be fun to have an unofficial, just for fun "contest" to make "the coolest" name tag on the CNC to be worn at the User Group Meeting?
Now this will be my first User Group Meeting so maybe I am being bold in suggesting this but it does seem like it would be fun.
Suggested rules:
1) Name badge must be primarily made on the CNC using Aspire.
2) Badge must have your Forum "handle" and your real name - or - the alias you go by.
3) Must be worn at the Meeting
1st Prize - bragging rights on the forum for a year!
I have included a sample idea for inspiration. This one would be worn like a neckless
As the User Group Meeting is open to anyone with Vectric software it would be good to open up to the competition to all attendees including Cut2D and VCarve users.
does fairly good custom small stuff
hdtheater wrote:Is there a benefit to staying at the Embassy Suites? Curious as I have points for a competing chain and get in free.
ger21 wrote:They were in FL a few years ago.
Users browsing this forum: brucem26, dealguy11, pknvectric, sparky957, tomgardiner and 26 guests


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For Immediate Release
May 15, 2012
Contact: Alison Duquette
Phone: (202) 267-3883
WASHINGTON – As part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Transportation Week and to kick off the summer travel season, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today launched an education effort to help parents and caregivers make informed choices about their child's safety when they fly.
"Millions of people will take to the skies this summer, and we are doing everything we can to keep air travelers as safe as possible," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "We want to make sure parents and caregivers have the best information to keep their children safe when they travel."
"It's important to remind everyone that the safest place for a small child on an airplane is in an approved child safety seat, not on an adult's lap," said Acting FAA Administrator Michael Huerta.
The FAA has developed a new web site and online information toolkit with information about how to keep children safe when traveling by air. The site includes a downloadable tip sheet for parents and caregivers and a video demonstration on how to properly install a child safety seat on an airplane. The website also includes helpful details about FAA-approved child harness devices, and links to frequently asked questions.
The FAA is working with Airlines for America, the Association of Flight Attendants, Consumers Union, and the American Academy of Pediatrics to share this safety information with parents and caregivers.
According to Consumers Union, "For years Consumer Reports has advocated that all passengers should be properly restrained onboard commercial aircraft, including children under 2. We support the Department of Transportation's educational efforts, so that parents and caregivers can make informed decisions about using child restraint systems when flying. Consumer Reports also urges the airline industry to support these efforts by providing transparent information on child restraint system policies and compatibility."
When purchasing airline tickets, parents and caregivers should contact the air carrier to see if there are any discounts available for children since buying a ticket for a child is the only way to guarantee that a child safety seat can be used during flight.
"The top priority of America's airlines is the safety of our passengers and crew, and we are pleased to be a part of the important FAA educational awareness campaign, encouraging parents to help keep our smallest passengers safe with approved child safety seats," said Airlines for America President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio.
Before flying, parents and caregivers should check to make sure that their child restraint system is approved for use on an aircraft. This approval should be printed on the system's information label or on the device itself.
"As first responders in the cabin, a Flight Attendant's foremost responsibility is to help ensure the safety and security of all passengers. Children should have the same protection adults have in the airplane cabin and by using an approved child restraint device, even our most vulnerable passengers will have much-needed protection in the event of an emergency," said Association of Flight Attendants International President Veda Shook.
The FAA recommends that a child weighing less than 20 pounds use a rear-facing child restraint system. A forward facing child safety seat should be used for children weighing between 20 and 40 pounds. The FAA has also approved one harness-type device for children weighing between 22 to 44 pounds.
"The AAP strongly recommends that children should always ride properly restrained on every trip, on the ground and in the air. For this reason, we are pleased to support the FAA's efforts to educate parents on safe airplane travel," said Robert W. Block, MD, FAAP, president, American Academy of Pediatrics. "The safest place for a child under two on an airplane is in a child safety seat, not on a parent's lap. Whenever possible, parents should travel with a safety seat for use before, during and after a plane ride."
In December 2010, a group of aviation stakeholders known as the Future of Aviation Advisory Committee (FAAC) delivered 23 recommendations to the Secretary and FAA Administrator on workforce development, competition and viability, financing of aviation systems, environmental concerns, and safety. Based on some of those recommendations, the FAA is stepping up efforts to educate parents about the importance of using a child restraint for air travel.
Today's announcement is just one way the Department of Transportation is celebrating National Transportation Week (May 14th–20th). Over the next seven days, the Department is highlighting its commitment to ensuring the safety of America's transportation systems this week and all 52 weeks of the year. Investment in our nation's infrastructure is critical for maintaining and improving safety. Through TIGER grants, discretionary funds and other programs, DOT is working to enhance, expand and modernize American infrastructure, but Congress needs to act. A bipartisan long-term transportation bill is necessary to move our country into the future.
Broadcast quality audio from Acting Administrator Huerta discussing child safety and safe summer travel is available for download at https://dotmediacenter.onehub.com/d/bnuy/
Secretary LaHood's FastLane blog is at http://fastlane.dot.gov/
Visit the FAA's new child safety website at http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/
Follow the FAA on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/FAA and Twitter http://twitter.com/faanews


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Amid the upbeat political speeches and promises of funding increases that marked World AIDS Day, December 1, a group of 13 protesters wearing Robin Hood garb chained themselves together for a "die-in" that blocked off Broadway near City Hall in Manhattan. The reason? To call attention to the over $13 million that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed in cuts to HIV/AIDS housing and services this past year. Bloomberg also opposed a 30 percent rent cap for low-income people living with HIV, a program that keeps thousands in their homes and out of the shelter system.
These cuts impact the most vulnerable and marginalized New Yorkers living with HIV, jeopardizing their access to stable housing and lifesaving antiretroviral treatment. The demonstrators' message to local and international politicians: Talk is cheap! Budgets trump speeches when it comes to fighting HIV/AIDS.
Coordinating the day's action with an Occupy Wall Street march, the die-in highlighted the fact that funds are available for HIV/AIDS services. Protestors urged politicians to vote "yes" on a New York State millionaires tax and called for a financial speculation tax that could generate billions of dollars from Wall Street. This revenue, in turn, could create jobs and fund domestic and international health programs. One such program is the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which recently announced that it will be withholding new grants over the next two years because of broken financial promises by donor governments. The Global Fund decision could keep millions of HIV-positive people around the world from receiving treatment.
But HIV funding cuts are also felt locally. And the wealth disparity in the United States—a major target of Occupy Wall Street protests—is not just a matter of income levels. As more Americans live in poverty, they face harsh realities commonly associated with third-world countries: for example, poor nutrition, housing problems, unemployment, lack of health care—and higher rates of HIV. Robin Hood protesters point out that HIV/AIDS is infecting low-income Americans and people of color in greater numbers. For example, a black woman in the United States is over 20 times more likely to die of AIDS than her white counterpart.
In addition, there's the often-overlooked connection between homelessness and HIV. Up to 70 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS report one or more episodes of housing instability, according a recent Institute for Children, Poverty & Homelessness report, underlining the added fiscal and health burden that HIV presents. The same report showed that the HIV rate for homeless families is nearly 12 times the national average. The first casualties under Bloomberg's proposed budget cuts would be formerly homeless individuals and families living with HIV.
On World AIDS Day, the Robin Hood demonstrators—representing Housing Works, Health GAP, ACT UP New York, VOCAL-NY and Queerocracy—got arrested to remind everyone that we have the power to hold politicians and business leaders accountable for their role in fighting the HIV epidemic.
World AIDS Day at Occupy Wall Street
Demonstrators remind us we have the power to hold politicians and business leaders accountable for HIV/AIDS.


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Take pleasure in freaking out kids and adults alike with this weirdo egg cuber. Not exactly cutting edge, this egg cuber takes in a still-warm egg and squashes it into a cubic shape, all without leaking out the yellowy inside.
Simple, cheap, and fun, which makes it a neat stocking-stuffer for the kids.
Product Page [Egg Utensils - Not the one pictured, unfortunately.]
Egg Cuber [Carabassa via Boing Boing]


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Indo-Iranian, subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages, spoken by more than a billion people, chiefly in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka (see The Indo-European Family of Languages, table). The Indo-Iranian subfamily consists of three groups of languages: the Dardic (or Pisacha), the Indic (or Indo-Aryan), and the Iranian. Some scholars, however, include the Dardic tongues under the Indic classification.
Sections in this article:
- Introduction
- Indic Group
- Iranian Group
- Dardic Group
- Bibliography
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Language and Linguistics