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Just a few months ago, Edwards Air Force Base purchased the new ROBDfor their training program. Check out this great article on the value and cost savings on the ROBD.Read More
The Environics, Inc. Post
Tags: Hypoxia, ROBD, hypoxia training, ROBD2
Environics is pleased to announce the release of the next generation ROBD, available now.
Tags: Hypoxia, ROBD, hypoxia training, research
Hypoxia was in the news recently after a small aircraft went down near Jamaica. After initialing radioing for permission to descend from 25,000 to 20,000 feet due to an indication of an issue, all communication was lost. NORAD tweeted that two F-15s were scrambled to the location and that hypoxia was suspected. The military pilots reported the windows were fogged and the pilot was slumped in his seat, though breathing. The plane continued to fly on autopilot until it crashed north of Jamaica.
Tags: Environics Inc, Hypoxia, ROBD, pilot training, hypoxia training, ROBD2
Tags: Environics Inc, Thermal Mass Flow Controllers, Hypoxia, pilot training, hypoxia training, ROBD2
From time to time, we like to showcase the research of our customers. Our team is always interested in learning more about the huge variety of research projects and discoveries made in labs using Environics systems.
The Environics Reduced Oxygen Breathing device is used worldwide in the training of aviators and others who regularly are flying at altitude. Using the ROBD2, they learn what it feels like to be hypoxic. However, the system is not solely used for training. Several researchers have used the ROBD2 for hypoxia related projects. Today, we focus on the results of a recently published study by lead author, Leonard Temme (Vision Sciences Branch, Sensory Research Division, U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory at Fort Rucker, AL).
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTRI) is more commonly known as concussion. In general, it is suggested the recovery from this type of injury takes 7-10 days, although there is more and more research in terms of those who suffer mTRI repeatedly (such as football players). This recovery time is based on observations made in individuals under unstressed environmental conditions such as a doctor's office or hospital. The authors wanted to examine how putting someone under stress would affect people who have a history of such a trauma. The question was would a person with a medical history of a concussion who seems recovered become symptomatic when exposed to a stress such as sleep deprivation, pharmaceuticals, extreme temperature, anxiety or hypoxia.
A chance observation made during a training study led the authors to this question. Pilots were exposed to a normobaric hypoxic condition that simulated conditions seen at 18,000 feet using an ROBD2. While "flying" under standard conditions, the pilots behaved comparably. However, when the pilots were breathing air with only ~10% oxygen, one pilot lost control of the aircraft without realizing it. Looking into this pilot's medical history, the researchers found he had experienced a significant concussion ejecting from a high-performance aircraft. This chance observation led the authors to this question: Would a stressor, in this case hypoxia, help uncover a symptom that was unobservable under normal conditions?
To begin, two sets of 36 subjects between 18-50 were gathered from the community: one group with a history of mTBI and one without. The subjects were then matched "on the basis of age, gender, tobacco smoking consumption, weight, height, and body mass index" for comparison purposes. Utilizing eight tests from the BrainCheckers test battery, the subjects were examined under both standard conditions and three different reduced oxygen conditions.
While seven of the tests showed no significant difference between groups, the performance on the M2S test, which is a measure of short-term visual memory, did. Under reduced oxygen stress, those with a history of mTBI showed a significant impairment when compared with the control group.
The researchers' findings open up potential avenues for using hypoxia to test brain stress following mTBI. The authors' state, "Such a capability would be particularly important since mTBI, even when apparently completely recovered using conventional examination strategies, may include deficits observable only under stress."
Having a way to clinically measure recovery from mTBI would be a great advantage. It will be interesting to follow these studies.
To read the full article, click here.
Have an interesting project using your Environics system? Share it with us and you may be the included in our next focus!
Tags: customer focus, Hypoxia, pilot training, hypoxia training, ROBD2
Last week, in the YouTube program "Scrubbing In" presented by Navy Medicine, focused on training Naval and Marines for the feeling of hypoxia. In this week's show, the hosts are at Navy Medicine Aviation Survival Training Center in Patuxent River, Md, and the training application of the Environics Reduced Oxygen Breathing Device (ROBD2) is featured.
LCDR Corey Littel, the Director of the Aviation Survival Training Center, discusses what hypoxia is and how the pilots are trained. The Leutenant Commander discusses the use of hypobaric chambers for hypoxia awarenewss training. He explains this method is "slightly outdated." We then are shown training lab containing a number of ROBD2 systems, as well as the use of the "much more modern means of delivering a mask on version" of hypoxia training.
Tags: Environics Inc, Hypoxia, Hypoxia, ROBD, pilot training, hypoxia training
A few weeks back, I shared some information on the flight restrictions enacted due to concerns of hypoxia and hypoxia symptoms in pilots of the F-22 Raptor. Yesterday, it was reported that a potential cause of has been identified.
The flight restrictions, which limit flights within 30 minutes of a landing field, are still in place. According to Col. Kevin Robbins, a commander of the First Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base, 11 incidents of hypoxia have been reported in the last 10 months.
There have been and still are many speculated reasons for the hypoxia (which we review here and here). The latest release suggests that it is not the aircraft itself, but a piece of equipment worn by the pilots, a vest, that is to blame.
Due to the 9Gs the F-22 pilots may endure, an inflatable vest is worn. The vest provides counter-pressure during rapid decompression. While protecting the lungs, it also has the effect of restricting breathing, potentially being a hazard in terms of hypoxia.
The Environics Reduced Oxygen Breathing Device (ROBD2) is used in the training of pilots on hypoxia.
To view the full story, as aired on CBS News, please see below. You can see the ROBD2 used in correlation with the training simulator at about 45 seconds.
Tags: Hypoxia, Hypoxia, ROBD, pilot training, hypoxia training
As a followup to my last post about the restrictions on F22 flights, Stars and Stripes published an interesting article which discusses some of the possible causes. One suggested cause is the oxygen system. The on-board oxygen generation system, or OBOGS, in the Raptors does not use liquid oxygen like the F16. Instead, air is drawn in through the engine and then filtered to increase the oxygen in the pilots' breathing air.
While the OBOGS is one possibility, Air Force investigators are considering other possiblilities, such as contimination as well. Several suggested contaminates are discussed, including the components that are used to create the F22 skin. The skin is created in a unique way to help the fighter evade radars.
For more details on this perspective, please click here. To learn more about the restrictions on the F22, check out our last post.
Tags: Hypoxia, Hypoxia, ROBD, pilot training, hypoxia training
In the news recently, there have been a number of stories regarding the F-22 Raptor and the concerns of pilots and others regarding symptoms of hypoxia in flight. Yesterday, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta ordered the Air Force Tuesday to limit all F-22 flights to distances that would allow pilot to make an emergency landing at any given time. In addition, the time line for addition of backup oxygen to the aircraft has been moved up. The Secretary requested monthly updates on the efforts to local the root cause of the oxygen deficiency in the cockpit.
The symptoms of hypoxia vary between individuals. The initial symptoms can include a general dulling of the senses, clumsiness or drowsiness. Some compare the feeling to being slightly intoxicated.
Without suplemental oxygen or flying to lower altitudes, the symptoms then worsen. Pilots may suffer from any combination of the following symptoms:
tingling in the skin
racing heart
changes in vision
bluish tint to the lips.
Due to the effect on the brain, however, the pilot may be completely unaware that they are having any problems. The Reduced Oxygen Breathing Device is used to train pilots on the early symptoms of hypoxia in a simulated environment so that they may take preventative actions prior to becoming incapacitated.
Please click for more information on the symptoms of hypoxia, how the body becomes hypoxic at high altitude, and on how the Environics Reduced Oxygen Breathing Device is used to train pilots on the symptoms of hypoxia.
Tags: Environics Inc, Hypoxia, Hypoxia, ROBD, pilot training, hypoxia training
Over the past year, I have written several times about the effects of hypoxia, including a video, which showed not only how hypoxia may present itself, but how the hypoxic person may be oblivious to the effects. I also shared information regarding the use of the Reduced Oxygen Breathing Device (ROBD2), and how this system is used in military training to allow pilots to better prepare and understand the symptoms of hypoxia. You can read more here and here.
Today, I wanted to share an interesting study from the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, and the Aviation Survival Training Center, Naval Survival Training Institute, Naval Operational Medicine Institute in Washington. The researchers were attempting to determine how effectively the ROBD (the earlier version of the ROBD2) reflected the reported symptoms of hypoxia when compared to in-flight occurrences.
The researchers began by surveying 566 aviators with a 20 question, anonymous survey about their flight experiences with hypoxia PRIOR to ROBD training. The survey included basic demographic questions followed by questions regarding in-flight hypoxia symptoms they may have experienced. For those who responded that they had experienced hypoxic symptoms in flight, additional questions were asked regarding which symptoms they had experienced.
A second group of 156 pilots were surveyed, also anonymously, following ROBD training at a simulated altitude of 25,000 ft (following the Navy's standard training protocols). Again, the survey included demographic questions as well as questions regarding any symptoms of hypoxia they may have experienced during the training.
Once the data was collected, the results were analyzed using a variety of means (including Chi-square analysis (alpha=0.05), Fischer's exact test (alpha=0.05), and incident
risk ratios). I won't review all of the data and analysis, but some of the key findings are reviewed below.
For those surveyed regarding in-flight symptoms:
20% reported hypoxia symptoms at an average altitude of just over 25,000 ft
Of those who had experienced in-flight symptoms, over half (57%) were not wearing an oxygen mask when the symptoms started and only 21% reported the experience in naval aviation hazard reports (HAZREPs).
The most common symptoms reported were tingling, difficulty concentrating and dizziness.
When comparing the results of the two surveys, the researchers found:
5 of the 16 symptoms listed on the surveys had statistically significant differences in the reported levels (tingling, difficulty concentrating, air hunger, blurred vision, and lights dimming.
For the other 11 of the 16 symptoms, there was NO significant difference between the frequency reported during in-flight experiences and ROBD2 training experiences.
The authors conclude that some of the symptoms differences found may be minimized with some of the updates in the ROBD2, and that additional customization may reduce these still further. Regardless, they state, "Ultimately, the authors recommend the continued use
of ROBD as an operationally focused and seemingly valid training tool," recommending it be used as part of a total program which includes instruction on both the similarities and potential differences between training symptoms and in-flight symptoms.
To read the full article, click here (there is a fee for download. AsMA members have free access).
Tags: Environics Inc, gas mixing, Hypoxia, ROBD, pilot training, hypoxia training


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How to tie a bow tie
Now that the holidays are upon us, everyone is getting dressed up in their finest to attend a slew of festivities, for men that usually means donning a tie of some sort. Here's the best tutorial I've found that gives a clear lesson on how to tie a bow tie.
We ladies may not wear a bow tie as often as men (I have been known, but it's good to know in case you ever need to tie one on a model, mannequin, or bust-form.

subset: commoncrawl


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Contact Lakeside Fishing Charters
Captain Kris Davis
(586) 260-0010
Fishing is our passion. Lakeside Fishing Charters is based in Chesterfield, Michigan.
Give us a call or complete the following form to reserve your charter on Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River or St. Clair River. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us. We will get back to you as quickly as we can.


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UTIA Priorities Poise Institute for Future Success
In the spring of 2015, President DiPietro was asked by the governors office to develop a funding request for the annual higher education budget hearing. In order to put in the ask, UTIA needed to provide (with a very short turnaround time) a list of faculty needs, but there was no succinct place to determine what the needs of each department's faculty needs. The deadline was met, but it became apparent that the Institute would be better positioned if our priorities were more clearly defined. Thus the UTIA Priorities initiative was born.
Initially tasked with determining faculty needs, the initiative grew to also have a strong focus on interdepartmental collaborations that look toward the future. The UTIA Priorities Committee continues to determine the hiring needs of UTIA departments, but the purpose has expanded to include working among thirteen departments and four unitsAgResearch, CASNR, Extension, and Veterinary Medicineto identify future program areas. As it is written, the Committees charge is to, define priorities for future programs in UTIA and provide recommendations for determining a process to fill high‐priority faculty vacancies as they occur over time.
The UTIA Priorities Committee was assembled to identify key issues facing rural and agricultural Tennessee. The group of seven, representing all UTIA mission areas, sought input via a survey of key stakeholders and UTIA staff and faculty from across the state. Participants were asked to identify events, developments, and trends affecting Tennesseans. Several themes emerged including the recommendation that priorities should place an emphasis on the state of Tennessee by using collaborative teams with programs that produce economic, health, and environmental outcomes.
Based on these criteria, departments were asked to submit proposals addressing grand societal challenges. Twenty-one proposals were received from faculty and staff, each focusing on interdepartmental, interdisciplinary, or multidisciplinary programs built around ideas that address grand challenges. All proposals were reviewed and five priorities were established for UTIA:
Faculty involvement has been key for this progressive enterprise. Dr. Becky Trout Fryxell, assistant professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, was approached by her department head to submit a proposal. I saw this as a great opportunity to examine the needs of my research program and help assemble a crossdisciplinary team based on skills or expertise rather than focusing on specialties. We were asked to submit forward-thinking proposals by focusing on what the problems of 2030 will be. She also found the process to be engaging and says, It was also good to listen to other proposals. Clearly in agriculture, there is still a lot to do.
So what is the future of the UTIA Priorities initiative? The committee is currently writing a final report, but this initiative has already seen success. Two proposals have already taken off on their own: one group developed a white paper, and another group was approached by a company interested in their research. Interim Chancellor Tim Cross was also able to use the Priorities to inform his legislative request to fund critical faculty and proposed programs. For the future, the Committee would like to see infrastructure put in place so faculty can submit new proposals; this system would allow proposals to be reviewed by the chancellor and all four deans. To add to the success of these proposals and the Priorities, the Committee says that the most important outcome for this process is that faculty across departments are now talking and working to build teams around ideas.
Associate Dean for AgResearch David White also sees the potential for success, stating, UTIA has made great strides in laying a modern foundation for strategic planning and advancement which builds on current faculty and resource strengths and provides solutions to address current and future knowledge gaps across multiple scientific disciplines. These strategic actions will provide faculty and staff with a new sense of collaborative direction, agreed upon priorities, and outline specific measurable goals which will enable us to both better serve the state of Tennessee as well as position UTIA as a global leader in new and innovative agricultural and natural resource sciences.


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What is it?
Just a few drops of balsamic vinegar is enough to bring a dish to life. True balsamic vinegar is traditionally made from trebbiano grape juice or "must", which is reduced and then fermented and aged in a series of barrels. each barrel is made from a different type of wood, which adds unique flavour characteristics to the finished product. The longer it matures, the more complex and concentrated it becomes.
Grades of balsamic vinegar
The best of the best is aceto balsamico tradizionale – it's considered to be the real deal but it has a price to match. There are plenty of budget-friendly options available for everyday use, such as balsamic vinegars of Modena. These are aged for different lengths of times, sometimes in barrels, and are available in varying grades. one way to judge quality is to take a look at the ingredients list. Some are made with "must", which is more traditional, and others are made with wine vinegar. Quality products don't have any added flavours or colours, such as caramel.
Ways to use balsamic
• Drizzle balsamic vinegar over strawberries or peaches. Grill with a little brown sugar.
• Pour some balsamic vinegar over grilled vegetables, such as zucchini, asparagus and treviso lettuce.
• For a tangy taste, drizzle balsamic vinegar over desserts like zabaglione, panna cotta or vanilla ice-cream.
Australian Good Taste


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Welcome to the second in a series of profiles on unique and interesting Art of Doing Stuff readers.
If you missed it, the first in the series was a profile on K.J. Konick who lives in a bus!
What is a pastor? Is it different from a minister for instance?
A pastor is a minister is a reverend and sometimes a priest. Different denominations and cultures use different words for the same role – in my denomination, we also use teaching elder.
What religion is that?
I am a Presbyterian pastor. ("Presbyter," from Greek, means "elder" in English, thus the teaching elder title.)
How did you become a pastor? Do you go to school like a decorator would? If so, for how long.
Every denomination is different in what they require for someone to enter ordained ministry. As part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – there are other "flavors" of Presbyterians.
The region where I am required a minimum of three years of seminary. It's considered graduate school because the degree conferred is a master's degree – Master of Divinity. I was also required to do a year of field education working in a church in an intern-like capacity. We also spend time in Clinical Pastoral Education. This means spending time as a hospital or nursing home chaplain for instance.
And finally I was required to pass five Ordination Exams: Bible Content, Worship and Sacraments, Theology, Exegesis (largely reading the Bible in its original languages and using your understanding of the translation to develop some form of teaching – a sermon, a Bible study lesson, etc.), and Polity (government of the PC(USA) in this circumstance).
I attended seminary part-time for the first year and then full-time for two-and-a-half years. I did my field education work during seminary and my chaplaincy right after so, all told, the education process for me was four years.
Did you choose the religion you're a pastor of or were you born into it?
Excellent question. I was born into a Roman Catholic family, was raised (actively) in that church, and was married in a Roman Catholic church. I knew by that point that there were things / beliefs / policies with which I disagreed and, when my husband and I attended a friend's out-of-state wedding at a Presbyterian church, we thought it might be a better fit for us. Once we (eventually) checked out the church near us, we knew it was right.
Is being a pastor all you've ever done or did you become a pastor after you weren't satisfied with what you were doing before?
The process moving from my previous work to this work was more of an evolution than a change of heart. I wouldn't exactly say I had a career, although people who go to seminary after time in the workforce are considered second-career seminarians, but I spent ten years working a variety of customer service-oriented jobs. I was at my last company for six-and-a-half years and spent three-and-a-half of those years volunteering as an advisor with my church's high school youth group.
I loved doing that and thought I would be content doing that on weekends and working during the week indefinitely. However, I began to feel an urgency to do more and began seminary part-time. Even then I figured I could continue working full-time and complete my degree in a part-time manner. Again a sense of urgency crept in and I was fortunately able to stop working and attend school full-time.
Do you have time for hobbies or is all your time spent, you know, reading the bible and stuff?
In the last few years, I've begun gardening. I began mostly with pumpkins and a tomato plant or two and some apple trees. Last Christmas (insert Wham! lyrics here) my brother and his girlfriend gave me "Gaia's Garden," about permaculture and the symbiosis of plants and I've become a bit obsessed so, as I can, I'm adding a bunch of complementary plants and things to attract more birds and bees.
Nicole's garden put to bed for the winter.
The pumpkin haul.
Nicole's asparagus bed.
I'm a small-scale DIY-er – the biggest project has been an 8' x 12' treehouse, although having recently demo'd the soffit in our kitchen in an effort to try to figure out what to do with that room, I'm considering tackling building cabinets and floating shelves.
I love to sew…Halloween costumes – nothing that requires great precision or fancy serged edges. And the occasional Jimmy Buffett concert costume. I don't make enough time for it but I really enjoy crafting with paper. I also loved to bake before gluten and I became mortal enemies.
What would others be shocked to find out about you?
Many know it, including in my congregation, but people who first meet me would be surprised, I think, to learn I have ten tattoos. That and the fact that I could listen to George Michael sing a grocery list. And I could watch / listen to (actor) Tom Hiddleston do anything. (If you're a reader, Tom, sorry to be creepy.) And I have a pair of black cherry Doc Martens that don't get nearly enough wearing. And I'm part of a pub trivia team called Captain McThunderstruck.
Some of Nicole's tattoos.
(note from Karen … reading about "Captain McThunderstruck genuinely made me laugh out loud)
Of the topics I cover on The Art of Doing Stuff which are your favourites?
I'd say the posts I store away in my brain most are the decorating ones but I always enjoy ones that make me laugh – which are the great majority.
Nicole's bedroom.
Your take on opening the wine bottle with a shoe remains a favorite. Of the decorating ones, there are too many favorites to name but I love what you've done with your Ikea Expedit, I have been yearning for antlers since I first saw yours, I always love what you do with the dining room, and I was inspired to make handmade tags for Christmas gifts last year (and will be doing so again this year – using one of the circus fonts).
Describe a typical day for you.
Wake up.
See the kid off to school (less than a year left to do that).
Check Facebook.
Read The Art of Doing Stuff (unless I was up after 11:00 PM Central Time, in which case I would have likely read it when it posted).
Get ready.
Drive an hour-and-ten minutes to the church, listening to young adult audio books or satellite radio.
Once I get to work it's time for pastor duties!
As for the pastor duties, every day is different, especially because I am a solo pastor – meaning, if someone is looking for the pastor at the church, it's me. Today is monthly church newsletter day. Other days include leading a lunch-time Bible study; other days preparing for said Bible study. Yesterday I bought t-shirts for the kids to wear as part of their costumes for the Christmas pageant. Last month I took the youth to a haunted house. Some nights I have meetings. Some days I have coffee with colleagues. Some days I meet congregants for lunch or coffee or just a visit in senior housing.
The worship plans have to be figured out – prayers, sermons, songs. The list is much longer but that's a sampling.
Drive home.
Have dinner with my family.
Watch TV / hang out on Pinterest / do work stuff, usually in some combination.
Go to bed and get ready to do it all again.
And that ladies and gentlemen is Nicole. Pastor, mother, DIYer, gardener, Art of Doing Stuff reader. If you want to find out if she's a swearer, you'll have to browse the comment section in this post.
Read the first reader profile on K.J. Konick here.


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Strengthened Cooperation with China University of Mining and Technology
Centre for China Studies received 11 delegates from China University of Mining and Technology (CUMT) on Friday 21st January 2011. The delegation was led by Professor Wang Changsheng, Deputy Dean of Xu Hai College at CUMT.
CUMT is one of the key national universities under the direct administration of the China's Ministry of Education. It is also included in the national "211 project", a government program designed to support and improve top-level institutions of higher learning in China. LTU and CUMT are currently discussing a 2+2 dual degree undergraduate program in Electronic Engineering and Civil Engineering.
Professor Pei Likun, Executive Director of the Centre for China Studies welcomed the delegation; Dr Howard Nicholas, Associate Dean (International), Faculty of Education shared his knowledge and experience in learning models related to employment and industry based learning; Dr Tony Jarvis, Associate Dean (International), Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences had a discussion of possible collaboration in Media Studies with the delegation. Professor Wang Changsheng said the visit was very productive and believed that the two universities will have a fruitful cooperation with the joint efforts from both sides.


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An air traffic controller who was joking on his cellphone about grilling a cat when he could have been preventing a deadly midair collision off Manhattan is back on the job — and now he's routing planes around coastal Virginia, an area teeming with military jets.
Carlyle Turner, 42, is in a control tower again despite a federal investigation that faulted him in a 2009 accident in which a private single-engine plane crashed into a helicopter full of tourists over the Hudson River. All nine people aboard both aircraft were killed.
After a paid suspension, Turner was transferred to the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, WPIX-11 reported.
The victims' families were seething.
"It's awful. It's reprehensible," said Pamela Altman, 65, of Upper Dublin, Pa., whose husband, Steven, was piloting the plane.
"He should have been fired, he should have been prosecuted and he should have gone to jail."
The New Zealand family of the helicopter's pilot, Jeremy Clarke, were "outraged," said their lawyer, Justin Green.
An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board found Turner was on the phone with a co-worker on Aug. 8, 2009, when he was supposed to be monitoring traffic from the tower at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport.
During the call, he joked about barbecuing a dead cat that had been found at the airport
"Fire up the cat," he said, according to the NTSB probe.
Adding a racial slur, he said, "Chinese people do it, so why can't we?" transcripts revealed.
While gabbing, Turner missed hearing Steven Altman read back the wrong frequency for contacting Newark Airport, where a controller wanted to warn the pilot about the helicopter in his path.
Turner and his union successfully appealed a recommendation that he be fired, Green said.
Steven Altman's brother and nephew died with him. Sister-in-law Jaclyn Altman won an $18.7 million negligence settlement from the federal government, the National Law Journal reported.
The feds also paid $14.5 million to relatives of the Italian tourists in the helicopter, while Clarke's parents and sister got $1.5 million.
Pamela Altman said she settled with the feds and the Liberty Helicopter tour company. She wouldn't reveal the amounts.
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) said he was shocked to learn Turner was working again, because "even if this gentleman was totally rehabilitated, it sends such a bad signal to others that he's back on the job in such an important air safety position."
The Newport News airport is about 10 miles from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, called "the home of East Coast tactical air power."
A Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said only, "Controllers have the same due-process rights as other federal employees and are also covered by the provisions of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association contract."
Turner, who lives in Chesapeake, Va., wasn't home Sunday. Neighbors said he and his wife moved in about three years ago.
WPIX reported last week that Turner is one of 12 controllers nationwide who have been reinstated despite being faulted in deadly crashes since 1998.
Additional reporting by Christine Stoddard in Chesapeake, Va.


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Next week is school choice week. Missouri House Speaker Todd Richardson has promised to expand school choice options to include education savings accounts, and expand current charter and virtual schools programs. One additional option that must be a part of legislation presented to Gov. Eric Greitens during this legislative session is vouchers.
Among the array of school choice possibilities in use nationally, four distinct options emerge: public school choice, private school choice, charter schools, and virtual learning. Three of the four categories listed are options already available in Missouri. Adding vouchers would open up avenues within the private school choice arena.
Missouri offers an excellent online distance-learning program for students and has an established and growing charter school movement, with satisfied parents advocating for more. Why not expand upon that with a voucher program? It could start with offering low-income students who are enrolled in an underperforming school the opportunity to use an educational voucher to attend the private school of their choice. The amount of the voucher would be capped. This would provide those children who have the most need and their parents the opportunity to choose a school that better suits their child while keeping costs under control.
In 2007, Jon Huntsman Jr., then the governor of Utah, signed a statewide school voucher program into law. The "Parent Choice in Education Act" enabled all children in the state to access a scholarship to attend any private school of their choosing. How freeing it must be to remove the requirement that one must live in a "great school district" to access a quality education. Currently 13 states, the District of Columbia and the Douglas County School District in Colorado have voucher programs. Missouri should lead on this issue, and adding a voucher program is a great way to do that.
Opponents of school choice often ignore data showing that support for educational choice options is stronger among millennials. Ed Choice, a charter member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, found that millennial support for school choice far outpaces that of older Americans.
The Ed Choice survey asked parents about four programs: charter schools, voucher programs, education savings accounts, and tax-credit scholarships. According to Emily Runge of the Show Me Institute, "Over 70 percent of millennial parents support each of the four school choice programs." Millennials are the current and future parents of the young children who will inherit whatever system we implement today — a system that currently isn't working well for all children. It's important that we see directional shifts in parental desires and respond to them appropriately.
Opponents of school choice decry the use of so-called public money to fund private schools. This isn't a valid argument. Money should follow the child.
There is a wrinkle: the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and, more specifically for Missourians, the Blaine amendment to the Missouri Constitution, which stipulates that "no money shall ever be taken from the public treasury, directly or indirectly, in aid of any church, sect or denomination of religion."
Join Stacy's fight!
Get the latest news from conservative mom, wife, U.S. Air Force veteran and Emmy nominated TV personality Stacy Washington.
In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that excluding religious institutions from school choice programs and funding amounted to discrimination. The court is currently weighing a challenge to Missouri's Blaine amendment. Newly inaugurated Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley insists, "Blaine Amendments cannot be allowed to trump the First Amendment."
I find it amazing, and hypocritical, that some of the most strident opponents of choice opt to send their own children to private schools or have the luxury of a top-rated public school in their neighborhoods.
Douglas Thaman, executive director of the Missouri Charter Public School Association, had this to say about educational choice: "Missouri's charter schools have proven that when parents have a choice and students attend the public school best for them they do succeed. We are optimistic with Gov. Greitens and the tenor in the General Assembly that all families in Missouri will finally have the public school choices they deserve and students will no longer be assigned a school because of their zip code."
I agree. It's past time that we stopped squabbling over terms like "public and private money" and made a definitive move towards solving our educational deficiencies. There are currently 61 charter schools serving over 23,000 students in our state. More than 85 percent of those children qualify for free and reduced lunch and 10 percent of them are special education students.
While these charter school numbers are encouraging, every year that we dither, thousands of Missouri's children get mediocre educations and lose their chance at taking hold of the American Dream. The Show Me State can, and must, do better than this.
Read more about what happened to this column HERE.


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Opinion-Policy Nexus
If desire for change is the most potent force in politics these days, momentum is the most unpredictable one.
No one can predict when momentum will begin to build, how far it will go, or when it will end.
Heading into Sunday night's leaders' debate, it was clear that momentum in the Ontario election had shifted, dramatically, from the Progressive Conservatives to the New Democrats. But no one could predict whether the momentum would be enough to carry Andrea Horwath into office, or whether it would stall or even shift again before June 7.
Horwath did not need to "win" the debate, the most meaningful three-way encounter of the campaign. But she did need to withstand the double-barrelled attack of Doug Ford and Kathleen Wynne. She needed to avoid making a ghastly mistake, and to emerge still standing as an attractive alternative.
Although recent opinion polls show a clear trend toward the NDP and away from the PCs, most of the results are close. Conceivably, the NDP could win the popular vote, yet finish behind the Tories in seats. That's largely because party support is unevenly distributed across the province. And if the Liberals retain enough of their strength in the GTA and southwestern Ontario – as they may – the result could be the election of Conservatives in places that would otherwise go NDP.
To backtrack, the PCs are experts in losing momentum, having made blunders that cost them the election in 2007 under John Tory and again in 2014 under Tim Hudak.
They are poised to three-peat in 2018.
For months, all of the momentum was with the Tories. It gathered force under the flawed leadership of Patrick Brown, who moved the party to the left. It survived Brown's self-immolation. It survived a defective leadership process in which Christine Elliott, the members' choice, was denied in favour of newcomer Doug Ford, a pseudo populist, who yanked the party to the right.
Despite a blustering campaign that betrayed the new leader's inability to grasp provincial issues, the PCs continued to dominate the opinion polls, rising so high that a few reckless pundits predicted they would enjoy the greatest landslide since the days of Leslie Frost.
That's not going to happen now. The choice of Ford shapes up as the ghastly mistake that has derailed the Tory campaign.
I think what happened about two weeks ago was that voters, initially obsessed by a desire to get rid of the Wynne government and to end 15 years of Liberal rule at Queen's Park, started to notice the alternatives.
Horwath appeared calm and reasonable. In Ford, they saw a leader who did not look or sound like a premier. He was too belligerent, too in-your-face, too contemptuous, too slow to reveal his agenda yet too quick to create policy on the fly. For a professed "man of the people," he displayed remarkably few people skills.
Setting aside the issue of corruption in the nomination of party candidates – some of it Ford's responsibility, some his predecessor's – Ford did not present himself as a potential premier who could be trusted to govern wisely, with a steady hand and in best interest of all Ontarians, especially those who do not hail from "Ford Nation."
Speaking of that nation, while Ford may not know how to manage the province's finances, he is sure he knows how to satisfy his base. He promised at the weekend that, as premier, he would mandate a reduction in the retail price of beer to $1 a bottle.
If he thinks "One-Buck Beer" is the path to power in Ontario in 2018, he is either desperate or out of touch with reality. Worse, he is insulting the intelligence of the voters. They know that what Ontario needs is affordable housing, an end to "hallway medicine," decent incomes for all, and equal access to opportunity in education and employment. Life is complicated. Issues are real.
Cheap beer for all is just a cheap election bribe.


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You are here
Featured Resource
Oaks are critical to the health and function of forest and shrubland habitats in the United States, but many native oaks are threatened with extinction in the wild.
This tree plan, not only comprises a history of trees that once stood in the Park and catalogues the trees currently standing, but also directs the succession and maintenance of the tree canopy that future generations of Park users will enjoy.
A standardized monitoring protocol is presented in this document to allow agency staff, land managers, farmers, and others to evaluate the performance of individual pollinator habitat plantings.
Learn about plants being selected and tested for climate change adaptability in coastal areas for agricultural and conservation purposes in this video, funded by the USDA-Nort
Ten years ago the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria embarked on an ambitious project to collect, treat and distribute storm water from the catchment within and around the botanic garden.
In case of disaster, the more prepared you are for response, the better your collection will fare. In a perfect world, you would save all the plants in the collection. But this is not always possible.


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If a customer has available credit, it will show up on the invoice you create for him/ her.
1. Go to Invoices in Transactions.
2. Click the Invoice Number you want to use the credit for.
3. On the Invoice detail page, it will show credit available for that particular customer. Click Credit this Invoice.
4. Credit Adjustment will give you the details of any and all credit available. Choose the Adjustment Date and enter the Amount to adjust.
5. If there are more than one credit memos, choose the one you want to use.
6. Click Make Credit Adjustment. It will adjust the price and save the information.
Things to keep in mind
- Only approved invoices will display the available credit and can be used against the invoice payment.


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New kit in store! Frightfully Delightful
"Frights and chills. Spooky thrills. Candy and nuts. Seedy pumpkin guts. Tricking for treats. Treasure bag of sweets. A floating apparition. Imaginative night vision. Zombie, werewolf, vampire. Witches' cauldrons lit afire. Creepy ghost and spectre. Hooded Reaper—soul collector."
Kizzed By Kelz - 20% Off Sale!
Pics For Design - Buy 1 Get 1 Free Sale!
Scraps N Company - $1 End of Summer Madness Sale!


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From-To: gnats-admin->oliver
Rescue this PR from the 'pending' category and assign.
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From-To: open->analyzed
right now, there is no 4.0.4 compatible patch available. Asking the orginator
of the patch to make an updated version available.
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From-To: analyzed->closed
DRAC was readded to 4.0.6 a minute ago - please update your portstree and try again.


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Q: How does silver work?
A: You get Silver just for playing a full season, or it could be awarded as a result of other site activities.
When your league finishes, you receive silver according to your place.
1st place gets 75 silver.
2nd place gets 50.
3rd gets 30.
4th gets 20.
Everyone else gets 10 silver.
Q: What can I do with my silver?
A: Right now, there is nothing to spend silver on. Collect it and when there is something to spend it on, you'll have a bunch of it.
Q: What is a Credit?
A: 1 Credit = 100 silver.


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Learn more about partnerships with AAPM&R.
Condition: Plantar fasciitis is the inflammation or degeneration of the plantar fascia, the thick, connective tissue that runs from the heel to the ball of the foot.
Background: The condition affects two million people every year and is the third most common injury of runners.
Risk Factors: Obesity and repetitive, weight-bearing activities, such as endurance running or occupations that require prolonged standing, can lead to tearing, swelling and pain of the plantar fascia. Tight heel cords or abnormalities of the foot, leg and ankle also increase risk.
History and Symptoms: Pain typically follows an increase in the amount or intensity of activity, or a change in walking surface or footwear. It occurs in the heel, mid-arch or ball of the foot, and is worse in the morning.
Physical Exam: Patients are evaluated for pain and tenderness along the plantar fascia. Ankle mobility may be limited due to a tight Achilles tendon, and it may be painful to stretch the foot. Limping to avoid pressure on the affected heel may cause hip or lower back pain.
Diagnostic Process: To diagnose plantar fasciitis, healthcare providers evaluate running form; flexibility and range of motion of a patient's lower limb joints; and tightness or weakness of calf, knee, hip or core muscles. X-rays, bone scans, MRIs and ultrasound tests may indicate stress fractures, scar tissue, heel spurs and inflammation.
Rehab Management: Experts recommend a variety of treatments that include weight reduction, proper footwear, shoe inserts, orthotic and arch supports, taping, and night splints. Stretching the foot and ankle, massaging the area, and applying ice for 15-20 minute intervals also may relieve pain and promote healing. In some cases, ultrasound, corticosteroid injections and pain medication are recommended.
Other Resources for Patients and Families: Several sources are available about the importance of stretching, appropriate training levels and proper footwear.
Read the full PM&R Knowledge NOW® article at:
Plantar Fasciitis
Participate in the development of PM&R Knowledge NOW® by applying to be an author of a 1,700-word summary of a clinical topic. View a list of available topics and learn more about how to apply. Volunteering your time and expertise to is a great way to get published and recognized among your peers as a participant in this ground-breaking initiative!


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vinyl flooring installation
Vinyl Flooring Installation in Akron, OH
Improve the appearance of your home or place of business with our vinyl flooring installation service. When you find yourself ready to upgrade your floors, let our skilled and experienced crew get to work! We provide a wide range of choices for your vinyl flooring needs, and our friendly staff is ready to answer any questions you might have about our installation services. Pick the best pattern, color, and style to match your home décor, and we'll install it quickly, efficiently, and affordably.
Have you made the decision to change the floors in your place? Put your trust in our honest and dependable sales and installation team. At our company, we have many years of experience in the flooring industry, and we design, sell, and install high-quality vinyl floors for our loyal customers. Let us give you a hand with your flooring needs today!
Looking for Vinyl Tile Installation Services? Visit Us Today!
Once you visit our spacious showroom, you'll understand why we are the area's leading provider of vinyl tile. In addition, complete installation after the sale is one of our specialties. So make sure to take advantage of this service. Why waste your weekend and your money on specialized tools by doing the work yourself. Let our professionals handle the heavy lifting for you.
As reliable and professional vinyl floor installers, we ensure that your floor is properly installed and amazingly beautiful in a short time. Best of all, we work around your busy schedule. That way our vinyl tile installation service never impacts your home or office routine any more than necessary.
Catering to All of Your Vinyl Flooring Needs
Find all of the vinyl flooring services you need in one place at our flooring superstore. From designing custom vinyl flooring plans for your bathroom to installing new vinyl tile for the kitchen in your home, we have something for everyone at our flooring company. Choose from a large selection of patterns, colors, textures, and styles. We'll also provide examples and guidance to help you narrow down your choices. Once you have found the best match, we are more than happy to install your new vinyl flooring.
Contact us today when you want more information about our custom vinyl flooring options. We install quality vinyl floors in homes and businesses throughout Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson, and Fairlawn, Ohio, as well as the surrounding areas.


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Liu Xia (刘霞)
February 28, 2017
Liu Xia 刘霞
Crime: N/A
Length of Punishment: N/A
Court: N/A
Trial Date: N/A
Sentencing Date: N/A
Dates of Detention/Arrest: October 11, 2010 (house arrest)
Date of Birth: April 1, 1961
Medical condition(s): Unknown heart condition, depression
Place of Incarceration: Home/unknown
Liu Xia (刘霞), activist, poet and wife of Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, has been living under extralegal house arrest since her her husband was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on October 8, 2010. Authorities initially put Liu Xia under police surveillance following her husband's arrest in December 2008. Following the announcement, police allowed Liu Xia to visit Liu Xiaobo in prison to tell him about the award, but then promptly put her under house arrest on her return to Beijing on October 11, cutting off her freedom of movement and expression. She can only go out under escort by national security officers, and such trips are severely restricted to monthly monitored visits with her husband, weekly visits to her parents, and any occasional shopping trip. She is prohibited from seeing friends in "sensitive circles" and her telephone and Internet communications have been shut off.
In May 2011, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) found the house arrest of Liu Xia to be arbitrary and called on China to remove the restrictions on her movement and communications, but Chinese authorities refuse to free her.
In 2012, two of Liu Xia's friends went to her apartment building to try to visit her, but were told by a guard, citing "leaders' orders," that they could not see her. However, in December of that year, a group of journalists and activists managed on two occasions to evade the guards, who reportedly sleep in cots outside her door, to briefly visit with her. On December 6, 2012, two Associated Press journalists conducted the first interview with Liu since her house arrest began. She reportedly was shocked to receive visitors and described her house arrest as "absurd." She also reportedly said authorities cut off her visits with her husband in prison for over a year after the Nobel Prize announcement. On December 28, 2012, five human rights activists evaded guards to briefly visit her, including Hu Jia, who recorded the visit and put it online. She was allowed to make her first public appearance in April 2013 at her brother's trial, where she reportedly shouted "I'm not free" to journalists. Her brother was sentenced to 11 years in prison and then paroled, in a case seen as an attempt to further pressure and punish Liu Xia and her family; authorities have reportedly warned her that he will be sent back to prison if she speaks with activists, diplomats or journalists. In February 2014, a rare video was released of Liu Xia reading poems.
In early February 2014, police accompanied Liu Xia to a Beijing hospital because of symptoms of heart disease—reportedly diagnosed by doctors as a heart attack—and also a throat inflammation. The hospital stopped tests after just one day and sent her home, according to lawyer Mo Shaoping. Initially, doctors said she would be admitted for two weeks for comprehensive tests. On February 18, 2014, Liu Xia was hospitalized for the second time to undergo tests and treatment for a heart condition.
After her husband, Liu Xiaobo, was reported to be suffering from late-stage cancer in June 2017, authorities allowed the couple to have contact at the government hospital where the Nobel laureate was being treated. However, Liu Xia continued to be under tight control and was not able to freely communicate with the outside world. Following her husband's death on July 13, 2017, Liu Xia was disappeared again, and brief videos of Liu Xia released around that time did not disclose her location or her condition. In late November, Beijing activist and friend Hu Jia (胡佳) reported that Liu Xia had had surgery for uterine fibroids sometime around October-November 2017, though the exact date is unknown. Hu also said Liu Xia's depression is extremely severe.
Liu Xia has mentioned to her lawyer severe depression brought on by isolation and restrictions, but she did not want to see a psychologist, fearing that authorities may send her to a psychiatric hospital against her will. Police have warned her family not to speak publicly about her health, and reportedly have refused to allow Liu to travel overseas for medical treatment.
*CHRD's Watch List of Detainees and Prisoners of Conscience in Need of Medical Attention
Chinese Human Rights Defenders


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July, 2020
May, 2020
March, 2020
February, 2020
January, 2020
December, 2019
November, 2019
October, 2019
September, 2019
August, 2019
July, 2019
June, 2019
May, 2019
April, 2019
March, 2019
- Lauren Yee's Multi-Layered Play is a Chinese Puzzlebox
- MoAD Hosts Exhibition from Harlem's Studio Museum
- New Asian Art Exhibition Spotlights Kimono
- New Opera Reimagines "Howards End"
- British Light Artist Bruce Munro Illuminates Montalvo
- Berlin & Beyond Showcases German Film
- Matthew Goudeau Takes Helm of Grants for the Arts
- Art-making From a Trans/Queer POV
February, 2019
January, 2019
December, 2018
November, 2018
October, 2018
September, 2018
August, 2018
July, 2018
June, 2018
May, 2018
April, 2018
March, 2018
February, 2018
January, 2018
December, 2017
November, 2017
October, 2017
September, 2017
- Cunning Sociopolitical Tale Premieres at Crowded Fire
- Why Citizenship? YBCA Invites Artists to Ponder the Question
- Margaret Jenkins Dance Opens 43rd Season
- One-Woman Play Captures Yearning for Home
- Poignant Ballet Examines Homelessness
- Edvard Munch: Between the Clock and the Bed
- Degas: A Tip of the Hat to Milliners
August, 2017
July, 2017
June, 2017
May, 2017
April, 2017
March, 2017
February, 2017
- "The Blues Project": A Performance for Our Time
- Faith-Based Play Explores Compassion, Belief, Community
- Photo Exhibit Captures a Lost Generation of Syrians
- Noche Flamenca Brings Passion, Soul to "Antigona"
- The Tale of Two Afghan Women at Heart of New A.C.T. Play
- Feb Film Fests: Eclectic, Compelling
- Cal Performances: A Home Away From Home For The Trocks
January, 2017
December, 2016
November, 2016
October, 2016
September, 2016
August, 2016
July, 2016
June, 2016
May, 2016
- Beethoven Pops Up All Over Town
- The San Francisco Symphony Brings Bernstein Classic to the Stage
- Activism Takes Center Stage at SF International Arts Festival
- Ojai at Berkeley Celebrates Josephine Baker, Simone Weil
- SFDanceworks Debuts Inaugural Season
- Bringing the Blues Forward
- CJM Hosts Bill Graham Retrospective
April, 2016
March, 2016
February, 2016
January, 2016
December, 2015
November, 2015
October, 2015
September, 2015
August, 2015
July, 2015
June, 2015
May, 2015
April, 2015
March, 2015
February, 2015
January, 2015
December, 2014
November, 2014
October, 2014
September, 2014
August, 2014
July, 2014
June, 2014
May, 2014
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December, 2013
November, 2013
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September, 2013
August, 2013
ODC Resident Choreographer Kate Weare weaves a powerful story inspired by a Crooked Jades concert at Café de Nord several years ago.
It was the music that first spoke to choreographer Kate Weare. She'd always liked bluegrass, but it wasn't until she saw the local, innovative old-time string band the Crooked Jades at Café du Nord that she was inspired to create "World's on Fire," the name taken from the foreboding title song on a Jades album: "World's on fire.
It's a judgment…"
"They have a rawness, an authenticity," she says, of the quintet with its Americana roots. "I felt like I was in a revival church space." When the band played "Moonshiner," a slow, almost dirge-like version of the traditional song ("I've been a moonshiner ever since that I've been born…") she heard in this music the Celtic side of her ancestry. "As Americans we often try to put together a semblance of what our identities are," she muses. "We struggle with understanding lineage. I recognized this old-world music interacting with the new world. It touched me on a profound level." She said to her husband, "I could choreograph to this. I feel something." She made him get up and dance with her, to the surprise of Jades leader Jeff Kazor and the other musicians.
Now, what was created as a quartet (originally called "Bright Land") for the Kate Weare Company in 2010 has been expanded into an hour-long world premiere for nine dancers by San Francisco's longtime, acclaimed contemporary dance company, ODC/Dance, where Weare, an Oakland native who is based in New York, is a resident choreographer. It is co-directed by Weare and ODC founder/co-artistic director Brenda Way for ODC company's home season. The two award-winning choreographers, who have collaborated previously, agree that, metaphorically, they've transformed the piece from a short story into a novel—a series of scenes that transcend time and place yet evoke Appalachia in terms of music, choreography, costumes, set (a suggestion of a deconstructed barn by designer Alexander V. Nichols).
At first, Weare wasn't thinking about the lyrics of the approximately 15 songs she chose from the Jades' repertoire, a mix of traditional and original. "I'm not a narrative thinker," she explains. "But a story emerged through the process—these songs are so infused with story." Still, her collaboration with the Jades did not involve literal interpretations; her approach was toward an under-the-surface emotional dialogue with the music, as she describes it. But along the way she had an uncanny experience. Having heard only the instrumental version of "Pearl Bryan," she choreographed a duet for a female dancer to pound her head against her male partner's chest—"basically she levels him to the floor, puts him in his grave"—not thinking, as she created it, of anything literal, just with the idea of violence in mind. As it happens, Pearl Bryan was actually a 22-year-old pregnant woman found decapitated in Kentucky in 1896; it was said that her boyfriend murdered her after a botched abortion attempt. When Kazor saw the duet, he told Weare, "It's like you've made a revenge song for Pearl Bryan"—right down to her (re-attached) head. It is the way Weare works: serving the essence of the music, reacting instinctively, even perhaps unconsciously.
For Way, a longtime bluegrass fan, the idea of collaborating with Weare and the Jades on the piece, developed when Weare's company was in residence at ODC, was immediately attractive. "I thought this is really a community story and might lend itself to a broader picture than a personal story, with people delineated in different ways," she explains. "And I thought Kate and I have enough in common, there's a lot of weightedness and power in Kate's company and in ours."
At an early public run-through of "World's on Fire," she'd told the audience that in our current divided nation she was drawn to the idea of "framing a complicated and nuanced rendition of the 'other,' in this case a rural mountain community.
"For me," she went on, "this work is a way of focusing on our common humanity. We will recognize ourselves here."
At a rehearsal at ODC Commons in late January, dancer Tegan Schwab was working on a solo set to the haunting a cappella song "Long Time Traveling": "Been a long time traveling here below to lay this body down…"). Initially Way had given her a shirt as a prop and told her, "Think of washing clothes, the burden of doing something again and again, day after day." That was the mood she and Weare were looking for—"the demands of a woman's work." Schwab flaps the shirt, throws it on the ground, tosses it aloft, flings herself upon it, mops the floor with it, wrings it, clutches it, drops it, slaps herself with it, stretches it around her waist, kneels on it. "When we found that piece of music," says Way, "the solo came together in a very evocative way—this heavy sense of carrying on."
Elsewhere on the studio floor, two male/female couples are rehearsing the identical duet (dancers switch roles at different performances, a challenge they were all eager to undertake) while a pair of men tussle and wrestle. The work is vigorous, playful, anguished, intensely athletic—at times dancers throw one another around, flip one another over, twirl one another like pinwheels. One man drops another on the floor with a frightening thud, like a bale of hay. One drags another by the leg. "It's too competent!" says Way at one point. "I'm not feeling the weight. You're too good at it." And, elsewhere, "You have to be menacing," and, "Jeremy, be fierce, a junkyard dog."
In performance, the Jades themselves are onstage throughout, interacting with the dancers, involved with some of the narrative, and interacting with the audience, too, in a kind of call-and-response. Both Weare and Way want an all-encompassing sense of community in the theater. Weare describes the atmosphere that they intend to invoke as mysterious, a place of spiritualism, "sometimes raunchy, sometimes witty and caustic, always with this kind of profound sadness underneath all the music"—the sadness that comes from the fact of hard living, as Kazor has described it.
The following week, at a rehearsal to work on some new sections, four of the Jades were present with banjos, fiddle, guitars (the bass was missing for the day). Lisa Berman, on banjo, sang, "I'm gonna write me
a letter… send it to my baby." The dancers were buoyant. Listen to the fiddle, Weare cautioned them. It makes a little crying sound. Find that sound within the happy bouncy rhythm: "Even though it's up-tempo, it's actually a lament."
World's on Fire
March 7 → 10
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
700 Howard St.


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The Library has announced its reopening plans (click here). The reopening of the Book Shop and acceptance of donations will begin sometime after the Library allows browsing. FAADL plans will be posted here as they are developed.
The Friends Book Shop, which has operated most weekends for over 30 years, and daily since October, 2014, is staffed by volunteers who sort, price, shelve, and cashier. It is a vibrant, busy Independent book store that annually recycles over 200,000 donated materials, selling them at bargain prices.
PRICES: Most hardbacks and trade paperbacks are $2. Most mass market paperbacks are 50¢
2020 Special Sales:
February 22 & 23, 2020 – Bag Sale in the Lobby
May 16 & 17, 2020 – Higher Price Sale in the Multi-purpose Room Cancelled
July 11 & 12, 2020 – Bag Sale in the Lobby Cancelled – All future sale dates are tentative due to the coronavirus outbreak.
September 12 & 13, 2020 – Higher Price Sale in the Multi-purpose Room
December 12 & 13, 2020 – Holiday Sale in the Multi-purpose Room
Friends members are eligible for early admission to the Special Sale at 9:10 am on Saturday. Join here.
Rare and valuable books are sold on eBay, Books by Chance, and Craig's List, where they are competitively priced for the wider marketplace, and allow the Friends to generate additional monies to support the AADL.
Free Books!
If you're looking for free books, check out the Free Shelves in the lobby of the Downtown Library, to the right of the Book Shop. That's where we put books that don't meet our high standards for the "gently-used" books that we sell in the Book Shop, but are too good to put in the recycle bin. The selection is always changing, so check it out often.
The Book Shop
Our extensive selection includes CDs, DVDs, and of course, books, including literature, fiction, mysteries, science fiction, performing arts, classics, children's books, art, beliefs, cookbooks, how-to, biology, health, science, math, computer science, general non-fiction, world languages, travel, reference, biography, history, sociology, political science, gender studies, psychology, self-help, poetry, curriculum, and more.
There are thousands of items for sale and the inventory is restocked weekly, with a steady supply of new titles and interesting selections.
In addition to the Book Shop at the Downtown Library, we also sell a small selection of books at Malletts Creek, Westgate, and Pittsfield Branches.
Through our sales of over 200,000 used books, DVDs, and CDs annually, the Friends support children's programming at the Ann Arbor District Library including Summer Reading and 2nd grade visits. Click on About Us for more information.
When are the shelves restocked?
All restocking in the Friends Book Shop is done by volunteers.
What happened to the old Book Shop space?
It's now known as the "Secret Lab." It's been designed for all kinds of (mostly) children's
activities, sometimes messy ones, to take place.
What happens to donated books? Do they go directly to the Library shelves?
No, donated books are sold in the Friends Book Shop, and the proceeds are donated to the
Library. Over the past several years, over $100,000 has been donated annually. The money
supports children's programming, such as the Summer Game (the summer reading program),
Second Grade visits to the Library, and "It's All Write!" Teen Short Story Writing Contest.
How do the donated books get from the loading dock to the shelves of the Book Shop?
1. Volunteers sort the donations at the dock for quality and condition. Gently-used books in
good condition are sent to the lower level sorting area. Books which are in fairly good shape,
but don't meet the condition standards required for the Book Shop, are put on the Free Cart, in
the lobby of the Downtown Library. Books which have been wet, or are dirty, moldy, or smelly,
are recycled.
2. In the lower level sorting area, the books are sorted into the same subjects that are in the
Book Shop. There is one, or more, subject specialist for each subject. The subject specialists
know their subjects well and restock the shelves of the Book Shop weekly, with the best quality
donated books.
How is the Book Shop staffed?
The Book Shop is staffed by volunteers. Being open seven days a week means that we need a
lot of volunteers. If you would like to be a volunteer cashier, please "Send us a message" on the
Contact Us page.


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Squad news
15 Sep 2012
Laure and Salomão wont travel to Andalusia for the meeting against Granada CF; both players were part of last weeks friendly game against Dubra, but the doctors are keeping the duo on the sidelines. The rest of the team is available.
It seemed that Deportivo was going to face, for the first time on this season, an official game without having casualties, but in the end neither right-back Laureano Sanabria ´Laure´ nor left winger Diogo Salomão have received the medical okay and therefore they are already ruled of the meeting at Los Cármenes against Granada CF.
Both players were part of last weeks friendly game against SD Dubra and it seemed that they were going to have options to take part of Sundays match, but Oltra confirmed on Friday that they are out of the meeting as the doctors believe they are not ready. Bruno Gama, meanwhile, is training with the team, but Depors coach didnt want to confirm if he will be picked for the game; instead Oltra said that he will wait for the last training in order to determine if the winger will be picked or not. Gama is just coming back after picking a grade I muscular strain on his right thigh
Oltra could repeat the lineup used in the first three games in liga, but there are three doubts. The first is to see if Ze Castro could regain a spot at the centre of the defense after the groin injury that sidelined him since the end of the past Segunda season.
The second doubt is if Evaldo Fabiano will stay covering the left-back position; the Brazilian has been criticized by the fans; Oltra has defended him, but the signing of Tiago Pinto may change the tie up. The last signing of the summer is available for the meeting. The final doubt is related to Bruno Gama; Oltra could opt in leaving him on the bench and his replacement could be Javier Camuñas.
These three doubts could be clarified today as Oltra releases the list of picked players. The rest of the team should be the same one of the first three matchdays, with Dani Aranzubia defending the goal, Manuel Pablo performing on the right side of the defense and with Carlos Marchena as one of the two centre backs.
Juan Dominguez and Abel Aguilar will be the two centre midfielders, Juan Carlos Valerón should make his appearance number 299 in liga wearing Depors shirt, Pizzi will attack from the left wing and Riki should stay at the centre of the attack.Tweet


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You don't have to be Dr. Freud of Vienna to know that many of my friends are conflating the food of a country with its history. I was doing something similar while touring the August Sander show at SFMOMA that inspired my meals. I love Sander's work -- an ambitious, not to say quixotic, lifelong attempt to document the German people of the 20th century -- almost as much as I do Eugène Atget's similarly obsessive attempt at chronicling every corner of Paris. "We can tell from appearance the work someone does or does not do; we can read in his face whether he is happy or troubled," Sander wrote.
But whether I was looking at the well-known photograph of the burly-armed pastry cook holding a whisk and a copper bowl or a fashionably attired secretary with a cigarette held negligently between her fingers, I found myself thinking the same troubling thoughts: "Whose side were they on? What did they know, and when did they know it?" Even though the Nazis banned the portraits in 1934 because, according to the Getty Institute, "the subjects did not adhere to the ideal Aryan type," I saw plenty of "ideal Aryan types," as well as the non: suspect bohemians, epicene students, and gypsyish circus performers, many of whom would vanish from Germany soon after they were photographed, their portraits by Sander perhaps the only record of their existence.
I remembered my own woeful evening with an almost comically "Aryan type," the friend of a friend who joined us for dinner one night in the wonderful Alsatian restaurant Storch in Berlin. He was straw-blond, with pink-flushed cheeks and cornflower-blue eyes, already running a little to fat, and probably more than a little drunk when he greeted us in the tavern attached to the restaurant with the news that the place was fully booked and we'd have to eat in the bar room. I couldn't tell if he was irritated by the fact that we'd made a reservation and therefore swept aside his complaint as we swept through the velvet curtain into the main room, or if he would have unloaded his scorn for America onto me all night anyway, through the savory tarte flambée, the faultless rabbit stew, the amazing array of cheeses. That evening I found him at first silly, and eventually annoying, but I knew that he had no power over me, and that I never had to see him again. He was stupid, and mean, and scary. Yet I enjoyed my meal despite his presence and the invisible presence of his spiritual ancestors. (Why does it not surprise me that Hitler was a vegetarian? Note: I do not say that all vegetarians are Hitler! I like vegetables. I even like some vegetarians.) Food is good, and it should bring us together rather than separate us.
Which (and here comes a whiplash transition!) is what it did over the last couple of weeks as I enjoyed several meals at a small chain of restaurants that fed me dependably and deliciously. I was thrilled that my parents were willing to join me in a spontaneous jaunt to the new Chow in Lafayette -- and so were they, though my mother was surprised when she scanned the eclectic menu, including as it does warm marinated Greek olives; tamarind-glazed squid with Thai cucumbers; Rose's home-style spaghetti dinner with meatballs; smiling noodles with shrimp, chicken, coconut, and fresh yellow curry; and char-grilled flat iron steak with caramelized onions, mushrooms, and blue cheese. "I thought we were going to a Chinese restaurant, as in Chow Fun," she said.
"Why not Italian, as in Ciao?" I said. The room was large and high-ceilinged, and we'd entered through a small market in which you could purchase the same kind of produce and meats that were being used to make dinner. We ordered the soup du jour, spicy chicken vegetable, and steamed mussels to start, followed by grilled pork rib chops for my mom, a daily special of a Niman Ranch rib eye steak for my dad, and Thai-style noodles for me. My mother tried a sip of my tangerine-ginger cooler, pronounced it delicious, and then confounded me by ordering a glass of white wine-and-mango sangria over the mango smoothie ("too thick, too filling") she'd been considering. But the little diced bits of rather unripe mango had done nothing to improve the wine, so, with filial devotion, I traded my excellent beverage for her boring one. (I more than made up for it on subsequent Chow visits. I do love fresh tangerine juice.)
But the dull drink was the only disappointment that night. The bright-tasting soup was topped with crisp tortilla strips. The mussels were small and sweet, more than enough to share, and we spooned up all the white wine, parsley, and garlic broth they'd steamed in. The charcoal-grilled steak was satisfying. Though I'd been warned by our charming waitress that the Thai-style noodles in lime-chili broth had proved too spicy for some, I could have used a bit more heat (I like it when my face begins to glow), but it was full of strips of steak, chunks of chicken, bean sprouts, cilantro, all manner of good fresh things, and a generous bowlful, too. (I brought half of it home and finished it while watching TV.)
But the genius dish was the grilled pork chops, which had been brined, and thus were still moist and juicy, sided with baked yams scented with orange, and an extremely autumnal sauté of Brussels sprouts with chunks of pancetta and apple. This was a perfect plate of food, and it was only with some difficulty that I restrained myself from ordering it on my two subsequent Chow-downs. ("We come here for the pork chops," I heard one well-fed burgher tell the couple accompanying him and his wife, and soon enough four plates of pork chops hit their wooden table. I envied them.)
As we enjoyed another excellent dish, a square of deceptively simple-looking ginger cake with pumpkin ice cream and buttery caramel sauce, I looked around and saw a 21st-century equivalent of the small-town diner, full of families enjoying a reasonably priced meal, everything fresh, everything homemade. Or maybe a malt shop, after the movies: Chow even offers a Blushing Orange Dream and a Boston Cooler in addition to milkshakes and malts. (Tucked in a shopping mall, could this be Suburban Chow?)
A week later and my father was pleased to join me in an expedition to Park Chow in the Sunset; we parked a couple of blocks away and enjoyed the short stroll to the restaurant, past small shops and bookstores and lots of other dining options. Park Chow seemed nearly full at 6:30, and we decided against the tables that seemed too close to the open kitchen, choosing instead one near enough to the entrance to be greeted by a blast of cool air every time the door opened. (Too late, we discovered an entire other floor upstairs that was only half full. It would be especially pleasant at brunch because of its many skylights.)
But again we enjoyed everything we (over) ordered: tangy little barbecued chicken wings (I would have liked the traditional celery sticks as well as the blue cheese dip provided); focaccia stuffed with smoked prosciutto, Gruyère, and roasted red peppers; nice, tender pot-roasted beef short ribs in a sticky, winy, bacony sauce over floury mashed potatoes; properly toothy linguine topped with more than two dozen clams in the shell, their brine mixing happily with olive oil, red pepper, lemon juice, and whole cloves of garlic. I had two tangerine coolers.
"And we've had two terrific waitresses," my dad pointed out.
The luck with the servers didn't hold out for the supper Cathy, Jay, and I had (after seeing Quai des Orfèvres at the Castro) at the original Chow, which opened on Church near Market some half-dozen years ago and has been full ever since. The girl and guy who brought us our meal seemed sullen, and the quarter of the excellent fennel sausage pizza with red onions, escarole, basil, and feta (loved the crust) that I was looking forward to for breakfast on the morrow never made it back to our table. We did tote home part of Cathy's very chickeny grilled chicken (this time the mashed potatoes were creamier), along with half of my Burger Royale on a baguette, rare enough to permit reheating. There wasn't anything left of Jay's lightly cooked mahi-mahi. We appreciated the crust on a shared pear, apple, and cranberry cobbler as we shared an appreciation of Chow: three restaurants with the same menu, and a simple philosophy of freshness and generosity ("We are here to feed you," the menu says) that somehow seems perfect for every neighborhood in which we find them.


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As one of our closest biological relatives, some primates can appear eerily similar to humans.
But our different interpretations of facial expressions can be a misunderstanding capable of endangering both people and monkeys.
A new study from the University of Lincoln found that when humans try to guess the facial expressions of Barbary macaques, they often get them wrong—really wrong.
Laëtitia Maréchal, one of the study's authors, attributes this misunderstanding to the human tendency to anthropomorphize animals, or attribute them with human characteristics.
"[Tourists] would see the macaques do what they think is blowing a kiss and try to imitate the interaction," she said. In other words, what the macaques displayed as a warning not to come closer was often perceived as an invitation by people.
Maréchal tested how easily a macaque's facial expression could be intuited among three different groups of online participants. Photos of macaques were shown to people who had worked with the animals for at least two months, those who were shown 2D images of the monkeys' expressions, and those who had rarely or never encountered live monkeys.
They found all participants, regardless of experience, made some mistakes. Of the mistakes made in correctly guessing what a macaque was attempting to communicate, experts made just under seven percent of the mistakes, participants exposed to 2D images made 20 percent of the mistakes, and novices accounted for 40 percent of the mistakes made.
"Aggression displayed by the lips covering their teeth was the most misunderstood," said Maréchal. This was also the expression participants most assumed was the macaque blowing a kiss. She further explained that people tend to be equally bad at reading the facial cues of other primates, such as chimps and orangutans.
"If they appear to be 'smiling' that indicates distrust," Maréchal noted. "You can commonly see [chimpanzees] smiling on birthday cards, but that is a face of distress."
She and the other researchers hope their study can have practical implications for parks that offer wildlife tourism. While macaques are not known to be aggressive, they will respond if they feel provoked.
Making tour guides and park rangers more knowledgeable of the miscommunications between macaques and visitors, she hopes, will prevent distress for the monkeys or the rare monkey bite.
Agustín Fuentes, a National Geographic explorer and chair of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame was unaffiliated with the study but has worked to understand the differences and similarities in human and monkey behavior. He emphasized that those engaging in wildlife tourism should never approach or attempt to pet a monkey, even if it doesn't display an aggressive expression.
Common human behaviors that denote friendliness, such as smiling and making eye contact, are dangerous gestures that can provoke a monkey. Fuentes noted that in addition to facial expressions, macaques communicate using their body language and how closely they stand next to another individual. If observed in the wild, two friendly macaques will stand near each other and create distance when threatened.
"The best thing to do on a wildlife tour is be mellow, hang out, and just watch them," he said.


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Alan Pardew has been delighted to be able to allow his players a proper Christmas this year after banning any festivities 12 months ago.
December 2012 was a difficult time for Newcastle United and their manager who now admits to privately having been deeply concerned about how his squad would cope with the strains of European football.
On Boxing Day last year, Newcastle conceded four goals to Manchester United and then seven at Arsenal three days later as they slipped closer to the relegation zone, a position they failed to properly get out of in the second half of the season.
However, a year on and Pardew is more Santa than Scrooge after as good a run of results and performances as he's enjoyed in three years on Tyneside.
His team travel to struggling Crystal Palace today knowing a win would seem the retain sixth place in the Premier League. The atmosphere around the club is much improved from a year ago when things began to unravel.
Pardew said: "It's a very different Christmas this time around. In fact we cancelled Christmas last year. There were some warning signs for us this time last year, that our schedule was going to be tough and we had a couple of key injuries and our results weren't particularly great.
"That's the problem in this period. The games come thick and fast and you don't even have time to recover.
"Certainly, coming into it after the Europa League programme, which ended last week for Swansea and Spurs and then bang you're straight into this. It's tough and it hurt us last year for sure. We can enjoy Christmas a bit more this time around, we have just had our Christmas lunch at the training ground, and the chef did a marvellous job.
"I even had some brandy butter and that wasn't even on the menu 12 months ago. That's all I can tell you! We had to win some games first."
Pardew can now afford to look back on 2013, a year that had a little bit of everything, even by Newcastle United's strange standards.
The manager admitted recently that feared the sack at the end of last season.
Relegation had been a real possibility until the penultimate weekend of the campaign and while the Europa League run had been fun, it certainly didn't help his league campaign.
Pardew said: "We had a strange end to last season where we had some real highs. The Benfica games (the quarter-final) being the leading example.
"We then had some real lows as well. The biggest problems for us were tiredness and injury to the group. In the second half of the year, what with the preparation we've had and no Europa League, you can see the difference. On reflection you say that the Europa League has a massive impact. There's been a response to what happened last year.
"But I genuinely felt that we were being a little bit harshly treated in terms of five new players coming in during the transfer window.
"They needed to settle in and when you consider injuries to key players, along with the Europa League, and the impact it had by that time, there was a little bit of a loss of confidence.
"But when we got to the summer and looked back to the business we'd done, I in particular felt that there wasn't a lot wrong."
Pardew would like to add to his squad next month, but there is no guarantee that will happen.
This would dismay the fans and would mean Newcastle becoming quite possibly the first Premier League club to go through successive transfers windows without spending a penny on a permanent transfer.
On the flip side, the five French players signed last January have all made an impact.
Mathieu Debuchy and Yoan Gouffran have been magnificent this season, while Moussa Sissoko has picked up his form in recent games. Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and Massadio Haidara have proved fine alternatives. Pardew said: "We just had to tweak it a little bit and then I thought we could get it going again and we've managed to do that, so far because obviously there's a long way to go this season. I've been really pleased with the attitude and application shown. The guys have settled in now and they're looking a lot stronger.
"I look at Tottenham's position where the manager has just lost his job. What did they bring in? Eight players? It's very, very difficult to bring in so many new faces to make it gel. It's difficult for all the other players as well, not just the manager, but for everybody."
It's something I'm pleased about, because I like to think that when we reflect on that January window, it wasn't a knee-jerk reaction.
"We needed some players, but we went and got players that we knew. I think that's worked out well and that's great credit to everybody at the club."


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Films not miss: Powerfully relevant dramas from around the globe
Two feature films at the Byron Bay Film Festival come from the front line of the contemporary world, capturing horribly familiar slices of the zeitgeist, from 2008's extremist massacre in Mumbai to the mean streets of ethnically divided Leeds.
One Less God is a dramatised version of murderous true-life events – from the perspective of the guests staying at Mumbai's large and very grand Taj Mahal Palace Hotel – cowering in their rooms as they hear bombs exploding and gunmen roaming the hallways, blazing away with their AK-47s at anything that moved. It's chaotic, desperate and, yes, terrifying.
The film also covers events from the perspective of one of the terrorists, possibly controversially. He is not immune to the horror of his actions.
The independent Australian production is adrenalin-charged, nightmarish in its way but with empathic depth and breadth.
The film enters the claustrophobic realms of the disaster movies of yore, where the threat sways and closes in, as dread levels rise; this time it's humans turned into killing machines by a lunatic ideology.
But this is not simply a survival story or an action thriller; it's real theatre-of-the-mind.
The episode was seen as a failure of responsibility from politicians to the country's security agencies to the media, and had an unprecedented impact on the nation's psyche.
"It was not just about the fear of the hundreds trapped inside or the multiple bombings and shootings … Rather, the attack on the Taj symbolised something way more powerful. It was a brazen combat against the most affluent and celebrated in the financial capital. It was a brutal strike upon an establishment that symbolised the emergence of an entrepreneurial elite in India," the Times commented.
One Less God is the debut feature by writer-director Lliam Worthington, and features a multicultural cast chosen from his countrymen.
This Australian-esque quality to the action, direction and writing give it a gritty authenticity, which is enhanced by the fact that parts of the dialogue draws upon transcripts taken from the actual event.
A huge amount of time and effort went into getting things right, and into satisfying the ambition to go deeper into the story; to search for the human detail among the carnage.
"With 166 people killed, over 600 injured and thousands swept up in the events, it was India's 9/11" Worthington said. "We spent years researching and writing, and once we became immersed in the events and the geo-politics, we knew we needed to get beyond the timeline of events that were filling the news cycles. We wanted to get to the heart of the tragedy, and also beyond it, to the people on both ends of the guns."
It's a but powerfully relevant story, and one we cannot turn away from – real world events, on our doorstep.
Lies We Tell, on the other hand, is pure fiction, a dramatic "story" from contemporary life.
Fiction, however, located firmly at the crossroads of cultures in cities such as Leeds, where it is dangerous to get caught standing in the middle.
A brilliant young lawyer, Sybilla Deen, crosses that intersection routinely – travelling between a traditional home-life, a multigenerational family of Pakistani origin, where arranged marriages are customary, and the Western professional world, with its contemporary undercurrent of colonialism.
Exposure of her modern Western lifestyle threatens to ostracize her from her community and even endangers her life, and the lives of her vulnerable younger brother and sister.
Similarly caught is Gabriel Byrne, in a wonderfully subtle playing of Donald, the dogged and hyper-loyal driver to fat cat Harvey Keitel; left to "tidy up" after his boss's unexplained death, which includes his mistress, the conflicted Ms Deen.
Donald, a salt-of-the-earth-Yorkshireman, is drawn reluctantly out of his shell, and way out of his depth to protect her, from criminals and predators on both sides of the cultural divide, and from her own unhappy past.
He is drawn not only into a culture he doesn't understand, but a dark criminal world whose casual cruelty is even more baffling.
A passive individual, crushed and subservient, he steps up when his affections and outrage at injustice are pricked, and takes some action.
Raindance commentator Derek Ravenscroft noted that it follows "in the tradition of British thrillers such as Mona Lisa with it's odd-couple pairing in a world of corruption and sleaze".
But, he added, "the setting with its underbelly of arranged marriages, sexual exploitation and British Pakistani gangster culture gives it a unique, contemporary focus".
Director Mitu Misra was born in Punjab, India and raised in Bradford, England, where he faced appalling bigotry – "the usual problems that first generation immigrants have faced throughout time. At school, I was beaten up regularly. If you weren't white in England at that time, it was common to be labelled either a Paki or a Nigger", he says.
His safe haven was being among other immigrants. In Bradford predominately there were Pakistani immigrants, so most of his friends were from Pakistan, with whom he developed family-like relationships.
After the September 11 attacks in New York and the deadly bombing of London buses in 2005 Mitu saw many of his Muslim friends and colleagues show a degree of joy at the tragic events.
He sought to understand the phenomena that were dividing Muslim and non-Muslims and became interested in writing a story about the on-the-ground responses "that would reach all Muslims and change their way of thinking".
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