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Let's get one thing straight: If Steve Buttry Cancer 2.0 doesn't come out the way I'm hoping, I don't want anyone saying I "lost a battle" with cancer. I kicked cancer's ass back in 1999 and lived a wonderful 15-plus years since my first diagnosis. If my second round doesn't end as well, I still won.
Cancer 1.0 was in my colon. We caught it early, the surgeon sliced it out and life went on. A second surgery in 2006 cost me another section of colon, as well as my appendix and a bunch of nearby lymph nodes. The lumps in the appendix and lymph nodes that prompted the surgery were benign, and life went on again.
I also had microsurgery in 2005 to remove a basal-cell skin cancer. Call it Cancer 1.1. Not as big a deal as colon cancer, but again, an ass-kicking. Also possibly an indication that I'm fertile soil for tumors.
I've lived more than a quarter of my life since the first diagnosis. By the 10th anniversary of the surgery, I was so cancer-free I didn't even notice the milestone until a few days after it had passed. I won't say that a semicolon works as well as the full colon, but it didn't keep me from enjoying life.
I've felt more than the usual aches and pains lately, but they raised no concerns initially. I thought a few creaks were part of middle age. Two or three ibuprofen usually kept discomfort at bay. Nov. 14, a Friday afternoon, I came home from work early, complaining of a sharper pain in my back. When the pain was still strong that Saturday, Mimi took me to an urgent care clinic. The doctor there suspected a kidney stone and also diagnosed diabetes. He said I needed to get a CT scan and follow up Monday with my regular doctor. I hadn't yet visited a Baton Rouge doctor (I had an appointment in December for my physical and planned to set up my next colonoscopy then), but the urgent care doc said I'd be able to get in Monday with an internist at the nearby clinic.
When I was showering that Sunday, I notice swelling under my left armpit. I was unsure whether that was a new development or something I was just now noticing, with greater awareness of my flawed body. I showed the swelling to the doctor the next day. That concerned her more than the diabetes or the possible kidney stone.
I now have a bunch of Baton Rouge docs and they ran a bunch of tests: blood, urine, CT, EKG, colonoscopy, two biopsies. The results: Cancer 2.0. No kidney stone, though.
This cancer is mantle-cell lymphoma, a rare non-Hodgkins cancer that, according to the Lymphoma Research Foundation, most often affects men over the age of 60. I turned 60 in October, about when the first aches were appearing. (More on the name of my disease over on the Hated Yankees blog.)
I have more tests to go and won't know the exact course of treatment until next week. But I'll be starting chemotherapy soon, probably later this month. The oncologist and I are confident of successful treatment and a return to good health.
I won't blog here about Cancer 2.0, beyond this post. I'll do that on Caring Bridge. If you care to know more, you can follow that story there. I have posted more medical details there today.
But I keep in touch with a lot of friends here, so I wanted to give you this news. I will continue to write about journalism issues here, though my treatment might affect how often I blog. I might post links to some important Caring Bridge updates here, but otherwise I'll keep this mostly about journalism, as it has always been.
But back to Cancer 2.0. My doctors and I expect me to beat this. But obviously I'm aware of the other possibility. If my death certificate someday lists cancer (whether it's this lymphoma or something else that becomes 3.0) under "cause," that's just a late touchdown to keep me from running up the score.
Here's some of what I've done since I kicked cancer's ass 15 years ago:
I celebrated my sons' graduations from Creighton and Marquette Universities (and Tom's graduation from Mt. Michael Benedictine High School).
I toasted Mike and Joe's marriages to wonderful women (I'm working on my toast for Tom's wedding to another wonderful woman next October).
I welcomed two granddaughters to the family (girls finally outnumber the boys) and I've watched them grow from darling babies into enchanting little girls. I've played with them, sung to them, read to them and taken way too many photos of them (Grandpaparazzi!).
I celebrated my 40th wedding anniversary with Mimi (we learned that first diagnosis days after our 25th). That's more than 5,000 extra days we had together, and I cherish every one. Any strength I might have shown in the face of cancer in 1999 or now is rooted in Mimi. Her faith and determination and humor have carried me through many a weary day.
Mimi and I found our favorite place in the world, Tofino, on the Pacific shore of Vancouver Island, and we've visited there six or seven times, enjoying the starfish, the whales, the bears, the fish tacos and the wild Pacific waves crashing on Cox Beach.
I made more than 30 trips to Canada, visiting every province but Newfoundland-Labrador and enjoying the vibrant cities, majestic mountains and lovely lighthouses of that charming country.
Mimi and I visited the canyons, arches, goblins and mountains of Utah, the redwoods, beaches, Lake Tahoe, Hearst Castle and San Francisco Bay in California (yeah, Disneyland, too), Carlsbad Caverns, the Grand Canyon, Royal Gorge, Gettysburg (half a dozen times), Antietam and News York, Orleans and Haven. My Iowa-farm-girl bride loves the ocean, and I was able to take her to enjoy the Pacific Coast from Anchorage to Oceanside and the Atlantic from Cape Breton to Key Largo.
Mimi and I shivered together in the Siberian winter, cruised Venice in a gondola, straddled the equator, climbed a Mexican pyramid, marveled at the David, rode trains through the Alps, wandered Roman ruins and viewed Gutenberg Bibles. I went to Saudi Arabia without Mimi, shopping in a Riyadh market, staying in a luxury hotel and visiting Saudi newsrooms.
We enjoyed day and weekend trips to the Field of Dreams and other locations around Eastern Iowa; Chincoteague Island, Shenandoah National Park, Monticello and other locations around Washington and a pleasant weekend getaway to Acadiana while awaiting my second cancer diagnosis.
Mimi and I visited our nation's spectacular capital dozens, maybe hundreds, of times. We walked across the Memorial Bridge together; we walked around the Tidal Basin and visited the Jefferson Memorial in cherry-blossom season; we visited memorials to Lincoln, both Roosevelts, King and the veterans of World Wars I and II, Korea and Vietnam, as well as the Air Force and Iwo Jima memorials. We toured the Capitol, White House and Mount Vernon. We marveled at the view of Washington from Kennedy's grave and squinted at his eternal flame from the back of the Lincoln Memorial. We browsed the Newseum, National Museum of the American Indian, National Museum of American History, National Gallery of Art, National Zoo, Spy Museum (we saw a Supreme Court justice getting dinner in the cafe there) and both Air and Space Museums. We laughed at the comedy of Bill Maher and Jon Stewart in their Washington visits. We stood in line five hours to pay respects to Rosa Parks in the Capitol Rotunda (and a couple hours for Jerry Ford).
We visited Mike and Tom in their offices on Capitol Hill and Mike's office in Minneapolis. We walked the catwalks high above the floor of the Mandalay Bay Events Center as Joe gave us a tour of his workplace.
We listened to an ovation for a set change that Joe orchestrated in his senior project at Creighton as technical director for "The Taming of the Shrew." We watched Mike on "K Street" working for Sen. Chuck Hagel and on CNN discussing Hagel's nomination as Secretary of Defense. We celebrated with Tom the Nobel Peace Prize for Kailash Satyarthi, based on a nomination Tom helped prepare for his boss, Sen. Tom Harkin.
We saw pictures and heard tales from Tom's trips to Algeria, Ghana and Slovenia and cruises to various exotic destinations by Mike and Susie and Joe and Kim. We toasted Susie's master's degree and the launch of Joe and Kim's business, Moxie Event Lighting.
We enjoyed Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel and the Everly Brothers in concerts in Omaha and productions of "Wicked" at the Kennedy Center and "Spamalot" in Las Vegas.
I started six new jobs: the Omaha World-Herald, American Press Institute, Cedar Rapids Gazette, TBD, Digital First Media and Louisiana State University. Each place I made cherished friendships, mastered new professional challenges and grew as a journalist and teacher.
I trained thousands of journalists, media executives and journalism professors at more than 400 newsrooms, conferences and seminars around the world.
I taught hundreds more journalism students as the Lamar Family Visiting Scholar at LSU, an adjunct professor at the University of Iowa and Gerorgetown and American Universities and a visiting speaker or panelist at more than 50 other colleges and universities.
I covered some of the most memorable stories of my career: the Cedar Rapids flood, disaster relief in Venezuela, 9/11, an interview with Mikhail Gorbachev and Afghan teachers visiting the Midwest.
I had never blogged or tweeted when I got my first cancer diagnosis. Now I've blogged more than a thousand times, tweeted more than 50,000 and I'm known in journalism more for blogging and tweeting than anything I did in my pre-cancer career.
I was a keynote speaker at journalism conferences in Colorado, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Iowa and Texas.
I received the highest honors of my journalism career: Editor of the Year and TCU's Journalism Hall of Excellence. My colleagues at the Gazette and TBD won two of journalism's most important awards, a Sigma Delta Chi Award for breaking news coverage and an Edward R. Murrow Award for local online news coverage. I ran a monthly and annual awards program honoring the best work of my DFM colleagues.
I watched my Yankees play in both Yankee Stadiums as well as in five other ballparks, and watched other teams play in 15 more parks. I also saw my Kansas City Chiefs play (always with one or more of my sons) in four stadiums. And Mimi and I watched our Creighton Bluejays play dozens of basketball games in Omaha, St. Louis and Fairfax, Va.
Mimi and I visited and gathered with family in Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, Washington (D.C.), West Virginia, Wisconsin, British Columbia and Switzerland. We attended more family gatherings than I can count: weddings, holidays, reunions, adventures, happened-to-be-in-town dinners.
We also gathered for two funerals for nephews who died too young. Tragic as those gatherings were, I'm glad I was around to hold my family tight and to honor both nephews. Part of living is sharing the loss of loved ones, and I am grateful that I was able to visit Patrick on his deathbed and to salute Brandon as the military brought his body back from Afghanistan.
Mimi and I presided at the wedding of our niece, Meg, and her husband, David.
My brothers and sons gathered in 2006 to watch the Super Bowl, two generations of Buttry brothers having fun together. (I think they might have been worried about that 2006 surgery, which came later that month.)
I received a gift from my father nearly 36 years after his death.
I heard my brother Don preach in the same church where Dad preached in the 1970s. I also heard my granddaughters sing, glaciers calve and a wolf howl.
I boasted about Mimi's first novel, Gathering String. (And I've read partial drafts of her second and third novels, both still in progress.)
I gave Grandma her Wikipedia entry.
I reconnected in person or on Facebook with cousins, classmates and friends I had not seen in decades. I made dozens, perhaps hundreds, of new friends through Twitter and this blog.
I saw orcas in Clayoquot Sound, manatees in Tampa Bay, a humpback whale off Virginia Beach, dolphins frolicking in the surf of North Carolina's Outer Banks and wolves, grizzly bears, moose, caribou and Dall sheep in Denali National Park.
Mimi and I canoed Key Largo, kayaked the Root River and Salmon Creek and rafted the whitewater rapids of the New River (rumor has it we were tossed from the raft, but there is no photographic or video proof of that). We cruised the Gulf of Mexico, Potomac River, St. Croix River, Lake Coeur d'Alene and at least a dozen other bodies of water.
I helped my mother into her twilight, visiting as often as I could as she has slipped into the fog of Alzheimer's.
This year I made it to Alaska, my 50th state, with our sons and their families, who gave us the trip as a gift. The glaciers, wildlife and family time were a highlight of my 60 years, right up there with the boys' births and weddings and our own wedding.
I took my sons to a Kansas City Royals World Series game. Would it be too much to hope for a Chiefs' Super Bowl?
That, friends, is my bucket list. My bucket runneth over. Whatever else comes is bonus. I will grab that bonus with relish. I'm planning to dance at Tom and Ashley's wedding next year and maybe at Julia and Madeline's many years from now.
But if this round of cancer doesn't go as well as the first one, I'm good to go.


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The NFL has admitted an officiating error in Sunday'sKansas City Chiefs-San Diego Chargers game that played a role in determining the league's playoff field.
On NFL Network
NFL Replay
will re-air the San Diego Chargers' 27-24 win over the Kansas City Chiefs from Week 17 on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 4:30 p.m. ET.
"With 0:08 remaining in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers, Kansas City faced a fourth-and-12 from the San Diego 23. The Chiefs attempted a 41-yard field that was no good," the league said in a statement.
"On the play, San Diego lined up with seven men on one side of the snapper. This should have been penalized as an illegal formation by the defense.
"Rule 9, Section 1, Article 3(b)(1) of the NFL Rule Book (page 51) states that 'No more than six Team B players may be on the line of scrimmage on either side of the snapper at the snap.' The rule was adopted this year as a player safety measure.
"The penalty for illegal formation by the defense is a loss of five yards. This rule is not subject to instant replay review. Had the penalty been assessed, it would have resulted in a fourth-and-7 from the San Diego 18 with 0:04 remaining, enabling the Chiefs to attempt a 36-yard field goal."
There's no guarantee that Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop would have connected on the 36-yard field-goal attempt. But if the correct call was made and Succop connected on the re-kick, the Chargers would have lost the game and the Pittsburgh Steelers would be preparing to play in Cincinnati this weekend.
We break down all the Week 17 action and look ahead to the playoffs in the latest "Around The League Podcast."

subset: commoncrawl


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Five Reasons Your Pastor Will Not Ask for a Raise
My recent blogpost on pastors' salaries drew a lot of attention. There are indeed some heated emotions on both sides of the issue. Much of the concern expressed about the pay of ministers seems to focus on those cases of real indulgence and abuse. But it's those cases that get the most attention and, sadly, hurt the vast majority of ministers who are faithful stewards of God's money.
The Real Numbers
Look for a moment at these numbers. Let's assume there are 500 cases of financial abuse and indulgence among ministers taking place today. I'm not convinced the number is that high, but we will use it as a starting point.
There are approximately 1.2 million paid staff members in Protestant churches. That means there are four cases of financial abuse for every 10,000 ministers. To state it positively, there are 9,996 ministers of every 10,000 who are either paid adequately or below their needs.
The Survey Says . . .
My son, Art Rainer, recently completed a book (to be released in June 2013) on ministers' salaries and other financial issues. An informal survey of over 100 pastors provided some of the data for one chapter of the book. In that survey, over 80 percent of the pastors indicated they were financially struggling. About the same number said they needed a raise.
But 100 percent responded that they had never asked for a raise. All of them said that. There were no exceptions.
Why Won't Pastors Speak Up?
So why are pastors so reticent to express a real need that they have? And why is the apprehension almost universal among all ministers? Essentially, we found five answers to these questions.
First, the ministers are aware that a few bad examples in ministry have poisoned perceptions for many. The abuses have garnered much attention. Many ministers think that they will be associated with the small minority if they say a word.
Second, many ministers view money as an "earthly" issue. Their role is to focus on spiritual matters. They are to keep quiet when any discussion of their pay takes place. They certainly are not to ask for anything financially.
Third, there are always critics in the church looking for any issue to go after the pastor or other staff ministers. If ministers broach the subject of a pay increase, they give critics ammunition to attack the minister verbally and in writing. Ministers are keenly aware of such a risk.
Fourth, pastors know the hurts and needs of their church members and those in the community. They know that many are suffering worse than they are financially. They are therefore very sensitive to speak about their own needs. When one has ministered to three families in the past year that declared bankruptcy, that pastor feels terrible even hinting that his family is struggling financially. This reality has been especially vivid during and after the Great Recession.
Fifth, we found that a number of church members think that any mention of financial needs by their pastor demonstrates a lack of faith. The members freely quote out-of-context Bible verses to demonstrate the weak faith of the pastor who is courageous enough to mention this need.
Of course, most of the critics of a pastor's pay would gladly accept a raise in their own jobs. It's just different for their pastor, they surmise. And that is a very sad perception.
A United Front?
I am keenly aware that my writing on these financial issues engenders debate among many church members and ministers alike. I do not desire to be divisive. To the contrary, I am praying for a united response to help those ministers who have a real financial need.
No one should deny the reality that, in a few cases, ministers do not reflect healthy, biblical stewardship. But I pray that the few bad examples won't become a reason for church members to remain silent about their pastors' financial needs.
In all likelihood, your pastor will not speak up about any financial needs. What do you think about this dilemma? What should we as church members do? What do you ministers think about this matter?


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Brendan Smith is an journalist, oysterman and labor activist. He is co-founder of Global Labor Strategies, a consulting partner with the Progressive Technology Project, and has recently joined the staff of the Labor Network for Sustainability. As a proud member of the emerging "green jobs" movement, he also runs an 50 acre organic oyster farm off the Thimble Islands of Long Island Sound.
Brendan has published two books, In the Name of Democracy (Holt/Metropolitan) and Globalization From Below (South End), and co-produced the PBS documentary Global Village or Global Pillage?, which was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2000. He also served as a consultant on the documentary about Lt. Ehren Watada titled In the Name of Democracy: America's Conscience, A Soldier's Sacrifice. His commentary has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The Nation, The Guardian, CBS News.com, YahooNews and the Baltimore Sun Times. He is a graduate of Cornell Law School. To contact or read more about Brendan's work, go to: www.bsmith.org.


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As part of Facebook's push into e-commerce, a crucial initiative to diversify the company's revenues, the social network is rolling out the ability to give friends a gift card loaded with money for multiple retail stores.
Facebook has experimented with gift cards in the past, but rather than allowing you to purchase goods at retail stores, the cards were the opposite—plastic gift cards sold at places like 7-Eleven that let you spend money on Facebook, primarily for virtual goods in games.
The Facebook Card is the polar opposite—a gift card you manage on Facebook but use in the real world. You can add money from retailers like Jamba Juice, Olive Garden, Sephora, and Target. For example, you can give a friend a Facebook Card loaded with $50 for Jamba Juice, and $100 at Sephora.
Once you purchase the card, your friend gets notified and in a few days, will receive the Facebook Card via mail. Recipients can check balances on Facebook's mobile app.
SEE ALSO: Facebook Beats Profit And Revenue Expectations, The Stock Drops Anyway
Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.
Join the conversation about this story »
Dope Right? Read the original article in the link below
Facebook Is Rolling Out A New Kind Of Gift Card


text: Bri Vega in "Big Break 7" is the best thing to happen to the "Big Break" series since, well, Bri Vega in "Big Break 6." Bri was the winner of "Big Break 6," of course. And one of the things she earned by winning that competition is a full-time season on the Futures Tour in 2007, minus the headaches of finding money for travel expenses. Bri has played 35 events on the Futures Tour in the past with a high finish of fourth. Bri played collegiately at North Carolina State, where she was the team's 2-time MVP, and won the 2004 Massachusetts State Amateur before turning pro.


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I'm putting out an APQB --- That's an All Points Quilt Bulletin!
I need your assistance in helping me track down the name and source of this block pattern!
Alicia L writes:
I am sorry to bother you, but I have a quilt top and do not know what the pattern is called. I thought that you might be familiar with it. It seems so familiar yet I just cannot find any reference to it anywhere. I hope you know it.
I live in Southeast Oklahoma and am a retired school counselor. I quilt----mostly for my family. I grew up in South Texas but did not really get an interest in quilts until about 15 or 20 years ago.
This quilt top I bought recently in Conway, Arkansas. And it is a beauty. I have not decided what to do with it. I look forward to your insight.
Thank you, Alicia L
Do you recognize this block?
It seems to be related to a kaleidoscope in some way, but I didn't have the time to really go looking for this specific pattern, and thought you could help me do some detective work!
If you know what this block is called, or where the pattern could be found, can you leave a comment below? I'll have Alicia come check the comments section for any helps you can give her while I am away!
Isn't this just a wonderful scrappy mess of color?
If anyone can help her, I know my readers can!


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We have kitchen and home appliances stores throughout the Twin Cities, but for the last several years we've also had an appliance outlet in Minneapolis, right on Nicollet Avenue (2 blocks west of 35W & Diamond Lake Road).
You can still access our same inventory of new household appliances, but the Outlet Center is home to our best discounts for those looking for budget (aka cheap) appliances. It's not just scratch and dent, but also seasonal merchandise and discontinued models.
Think Warners' Stellian warehouse sale, all year round.
Next year, we'll be celebrating our 25th year in the Windom neighborhood at this location. Thanks to everyone who continues to support local, independent businesses like ours!


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Tree Island on Alta Lake
Alta Lake Campground is located near Telluride, Colorado. The campground is free. Within hiking distance are two more lakes. This one is located at the campground at the base of Palmyra Peak.
Aspen Trees and Colorful Underbrush
Photo taken near Aspen, Co. in autumn.
Colorado Aspen
Photo taken near Cottonwood Lake, near Buena Vista, Colorado.
Cottonwood Creek
Cottonwood Creek is the outlet creek of Cottonwood Lake, located near Buena Vista, Co.
Fallen Tree on Clear Water of Shadow Mountain Reservoir, Colorado
Shadow Mountain Reservoir is located near Grand Lake, Colorado.
Cottonwood Creek II
Located near Cottonwood Lake , Buena Vista, Colorado.
Ducks on Alta Lake at Sunset
Ducks swimming through the golden reflection of Palmyra Peak at the Alta Lake Campground near Telluride, Co.
Frost covered Juniper in the Garden of the Gods
One of those magic moments when hoar frost covers everything and there are only moments before the sun melts it all. Ancient juniper trees in the Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado Springs, Co.
Classic View of the Garden of the Gods
As threatening clouds appear, the spires of red and pink sandstone rise majestically in the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Co.
Pikes Peak and the Garden of the Gods
This view was taken from the overlook on Mesa Road in Colorado Springs, Co. Storm clouds above lingered long enough after a shower to collect the colorful rays of a sun setting over the mountains.
Aspen Leaf Circle of Life
Photo taken on the way to Aspen, Colorado on a rainy day.
Maggie Gulch Waterfall
Maggie Gulch is located east of Silverton, Colorado. Look for the sign for Maggie Gulch and follow the trail by the creek.
Aspen Trunks and Autumn Underbrush
In some areas near Aspen, Colorado, the autumn colors at the foot of the tree trunks outshine the golden leaves of the trees.
Frosted Juniper arches around the Kissing Camels Rock formation in the Garden of the Gods Park
The Kissing Camels at the top of this tall sandstone rock are framed by juniper tree branches covered with hoar frost. One of many scenes you will find throughout the year in the Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Lower Maggie Gulch Falls
This is a companion photo of another image in this gallery taken of the beautiful waterfalls a few miles east of Silverton, Colorado. This one gets up close to a multi-colored rock.
Indian Paintbrush flowers near Black Bear Rd.
This unnamed basin area, south of Ouray, Colorado has abundant wildflowers and mountain waterfalls that beg for their photo to be taken. Take the Black Bear Pass off highway 550 near the bottom of Red Mountain Pass. Four wheel drive vehicle recommended.
Window Rock at Siamese Twins
Garden of the Gods Park, the # 1 rated park in the country, has many places worthy of that Kodak moment, including this one that frames Pikes Peak from the Siamese Twins rock formation.
Molas Lake and the Grenadier Mountains
One of my favorite landscapes. Taken at sundown, the foreground was in shadow, so I used my flash to better show the wildflowers. Molas Lake has a campground and is a good fishing spot just south of Silverton, Colorado.
Alta Lake and Campground
I fielded many great shots from this camping trip! The campground is free and trails lead to two other lakes nearby.
Ghost Town near Alta Lakes
On the road to Alta Lakes and the campground, this ghost town appears on a curve in the road. This area is not far from Telluride, Colorado.
Paint Mines
The Paint Mines Interpretive Park is located in a county park a few miles southeast of Calhan, Colorado, which is 30 miles east of Colorado Springs. It is so-called because of the colorful clay and sandstone hoodoo rocks that Native American Indians used in making their clay bowls and other items, as well as at least one brick manufacturer.
Scenic of Winter Park Ski Area
I took this photo with my Bronica 645 medium format film camera. I have forgotten the name of the road, but it is not far from Winter Park and Fraser, Colorado.
Tall Aspens
Who doesn't like to look at golden Aspen trees reaching for the sky? This image was created in the Maroon Bells Park outside of Aspen, Colorado.
Shadows and Golden Leaves
Aspen leaves cover the ground as if a treasure box of gold coins had spilled.
Yonder lies Telluride! From the road that takes you to Bridle Veil Falls, Telluride is the heart of where the best of Colorado can be found.
Twin Peaks and Barn at Twin Lakes
Sometimes great photo opportunities almost fall into your lap. This photo was literally taken across the street from the town of Twin Lakes, Colorado. So many opportunities in this area!
Yankee Boy Basin
The twin falls, twin peaks, and abundant wildflowers is why I call this area Colorado's Garden of Eden. A 4 wheel drive vehicle is recommended in order to reach this location which is just outside of Ouray, Colorado.
Early Morning Storm at Twin Lakes
On the way to Aspen and just beyond the town of Buena Vista, Twin Lakes has a look of the high desert, while providing mountains and lakes that make Colorado famous.
Near Sundown at the Paint Mines
This shot is along one of two trails leading to the Paint Mines, a county park near Calhan, Colorado. The trails lead to sandstone and clay formations that come in many colors, including red, orange, tan, pink, white, and purple.
Corn Lilies at Yankee Boy Basin
I've visited this area near Ouray, Colorado many times and have photographed many wildflowers, but the Corn Lily plant is as beautiful to behold as any of the flowers seen there. In this shot they make a great foreground to the San Juan Mountains.
Cripple Creek Pond
Cripple Creek is a small mountain town that is now home to several casinos but was made famous by the gold rush of the 1800's. I spotted this gorgeous scene while taking the back way to Cripple Creek. It is situated on fenced private property.
Pikes Peak and Gateway Rocks
Looking pretty much like it did when the Ute Indians camped here for their pow wows, except now it has trails, a parking lot and a visitors center, the Garden of the Gods is a major attraction to visitors to the Pikes Peak Region. It's a favorite of photographers, amateurs and pros alike.
Columbine Flowers and Mt. Sneffels
Yankee Boy Basin is my personal favorite place in Colorado to visit and photograph.
Cottonwood Lake
This is a great area for Fall photos. I have several in this gallery. It is located near Buena Vista, Colorado which is on the way to Aspen, Colorado.
Crested Butte
Crested Butte, Colorado is a ski resort but is also known as the Wildflower Capital of Colorado. The mountain town has real charm and when the snow melts that skiers love, they stay for the wildflowers that will soon come.
Waterfall Near Black Bear Pass
One of several creeks that the spring thaw creates in this basin area south of Ouray, Colorado. The basin is a collection point for several creeks that converge and bring moisture and silt that feeds the abundant wildflowers. Four wheel drive and high clearance vehicles recommended.
Sunset on Shadow Mountain Reservoir
On the southern end of this lake is a campground where this photo was taken. Shadow Mountain Lake hooks up with Grand Lake and is between the towns of Grand Lake and Granby, Colorado.
Pikes Peak at Sunrise
Gateway Rocks in the Garden of the Gods frame America's Mountain at sunrise.
Grenadier Mountains from Molas Lake
Sunset on the Grenadier Mountains creates this mountain reflection on Molas Lake, a few miles south of Silverton, Colorado.
Sunset on the Grenadiers
The San Juan mountains are a beautiful backdrop for Molas Lake at sunset.
Colorado Mountain Stream
Companion photo for another found in this gallery. Stream is unknown but is located near the Million Dollar Highway 550 between Silverton and Ouray.
View to the West of Molas Lake
Mountain beauty surrounds this area south of Silverton, Colorado.
Overlook off Colorado Highway 550
Molas Lake is just a whitish area at the base of the San Juan Mountains in this view but it is a beautiful area to camp, boat, fish and take photographs.
Twin Hoodoos of Paint Mines West
Alta Lake and Campground
Still water reflections of a tree island and Palmyra Peak make this shot work for me. Alta Lake Campground.
Palmyra Peak
Taken at Alta Lake Campground near Telluride, Colorado. When the sun sets the water gets very still and very colorful.
Creek Near Black Bear Pass
Rocky Mountain beauty near Ouray, Colorado. Take Black Bear Pass road off highway 550 just past Red Mountain Pass.
Alta lake
Alta Lake Campground is one of the most beautiful places in Colorado.


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December 5, 2007
Twentysomething: Why I regret getting straight A's in college. Although this is a regret most people will never have to face, she raises some interesting points.
Consumerist has links to landlord-tenant laws in every state. This may be worth bookmarking in case you ever need it in the future.
Here Comes Another Bubble, a new video from The Richter Scales on the inflated value of Web 2.0. Its catchy, clever, and possibly a spot-on prediction for the internet.
Mark your calendar for the Geminid Metor Shower! From Thursday evening, December 13th at about 10PM to dawn on Friday, the 14th, enjoy the best meteor shower of the year.
How to cat-proof your Christmas tree with jingle bells and Easter eggs. It looks adequately festive, too!
Seven Strange Lucky Charms. Hairball, anyone? Penis bone? Hey, it's your luck!
Remote Control Etiquette. Good and not-so-good advice from the experts on how to share control of the television.


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Courage. Trust. Great teams have these, weak teams don't.
There is nothing quite so disappointing as a group of talented people who can't achieve because they lack mutual trust. Likewise, it's tough to see folks who can't speak up because they either don't have the courage or don't trust their colleagues enough to listen to what they have to say and react constructively.
With dwindling trust or courage, you're building yourself a culture of silence. This manifests itself in very destructive ways:
- People do not speak up. Even when it is important for the progress of the team and company, people are reluctant to voice their opinions. It takes individuals with tremendous courage to speak up and when they do, they are labeled as dissenters and not supported even though they are saying what everyone wants to say — but won't dare.
- There is no room for failure. Most successes are preceded by wonderful failures. Not having the trust of leadership or colleagues eliminates failure as an option and stifles innovation. If you can't fail for fear of retribution, you probably aren't going to succeed at higher levels.
- Nobody challenges each other. If I think you'll try to sabotage me or get revenge because I disagree with you, I'm going to be less likely to challenge your points and assumptions. I won't be vested in your success enough to challenge your core arguments. Healthy discourse goes out the window and those with the loudest voice — or those who speak first — start winning out.
- Your true talent bleeds. People with better options don't tolerate a culture of silence. They recognize lack of trust and leave fairly quickly for better opportunities. You often won't hear about why they really left. It's always the "opportunity I couldn't pass up." As you might suspect, there's usually more to it than that.
- Politics run rampant. In an environment where nobody truly knows where people stand, extroverts get a lot of credit and overshadow the silent majority. Politics, defined as, "people advancing their careers or agendas by means other than merit and contribution," replaces any meritocracy with a bureaucracy. Ben Horowitz wrote a good post about politics.
Here's how you can prevent building this culture of silence:
- Listen to people. People who do not listen or practice in selective listening do not trust the speaker enough to consider they may be right. Maybe you're formulating your response before they are done talking. Maybe they are just totally wrong. Either way, if you start talking immediately after someone makes a point and come back with 10 reasons why they are wrong you are telling them something very clear: I do not trust you and I don't value your opinion. Don't do this — just listen.
- Forget about blame. Blame is a huge waste of time in most cases. Can you recall any time you pointed out it was someone's else's fault where working with that person again was easy? If so, congratulations; that might be the first time in human history. Assume the best in your colleagues. Allow them room to fail and help them. It will pay off tenfold in the long run.
- Sort things out directly without bosses. I can't recall a time where cc-ing someone's boss resulted in a positive outcome. Adults tend to work things out directly and when they can't, they escalate. If you conduct normal business thinking, "if I say something, it could go directly to my boss," you're going to say less — or agonize over what to say. Try to work things out with people directly and avoid involving their superiors unless you've already tried and didn't get results. You just might be able to resolve things with less drama and avoid losing trust.
- Don't play the victim. Everybody hates you and you're just trying to do your job, right? I remember hearing stuff like this; I think it came from 6 years olds dealing with their first exposure to groups of other people. It has no place at work. Excuses, blaming others, entertaining all forms of outward influences as plausible scapegoats before addressing what you did or what you could have done differently is a good way to lose people's trust and confidence in you — it's also mentally exhausting. If you play the victim and enter meetings like mama bear protecting her cubs, you're going to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Don't be a victim. Be strong. People will respect you for it.
- Avoid character attacks. Maybe you think Jim is a huge asshole. Maybe Mike is crazy and he gets on your nerves. Maybe Jenny said something that hurt your feelings. A good way to screw yourself is to be irresponsible in how you share this internal dialogue. Vent to your friends, your partner, whatever — but keep it clean — always. Word gets around and you don't want people to hear your internal dialogue. Keep the nasty stuff to yourself. Don't play that game — everyone loses when it becomes too personal or vindictive.
Organizations lacking trust and courage can generate both noise and silence at inopportune times. Those who get drowned out have a lot to offer; the analytical, the listeners, the silent majority contribute just as much to the long-term health of the organization.
So speak up, be heard, but always listen to others. Trust they are saying things for the right reasons — give them the time they deserve before you hammer their opinions into tiny itty-bitty pieces. After all, their next point may be brilliant. But you'd never know if they lacked the courage to speak in a room full of people ready to pounce.


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In the stone age and probably before, there were high priests and priestesses who kept society under some control by threatening them with the wrath of various gods. We tend to think today we live in more enlightened times, but I think in the last two or three decades we have made huge strides backwards.
Human nature forces many people to need approval from their peers, to feel good about themselves,to feel they are on moral high ground, indeed to feel what religions call holy. Many of these needs have been met historically by religion, and of course even today for many people. But when you take away religion, those needs don't go away, the vacuum left sucks in all kinds of 'isms', according to taste. Vegetarianism, environmentalism, humanism, liberalism and even secularism are all meta-religions, modern abstractions that invoke the same behaviours as conventional religion. Secularism has made big progress in getting rid of Christianity from the UK, but it hasn't been replaced by rationality, it has become almost a religion in its own right, just one set of beliefs replacing another, claiming the high ground exclusively for its advocates, with sanctimonious behaviour, exclusion of other points of view, pontificating on the truth, proselytising and so on.
I am not saying that these isms are always wrong or that all their follows indulge in such behaviours. Wanting to protect the environment is highly commendable, but all sensible people want to protect the environment, not just those who call themselves environmentalists. It is perfectly possible to be a vegetarian without looking down your nose at everyone else. It can even be well argued that it is a good idea for all kinds of health and environmental sustainability reasons, but it does tend to stretch sometimes to more than a purely rational decision. What I am saying is that isms attract people who are trying to fill these same human needs that religion once filled, as well as perfectly rational people like you, I hope.
I would go further and be provocative and say that when people join these isms with pseudo-religious motivations, they corrupt them, their need to feel holy taking priority over the core of the ism itself. That then is a problem. Vegetarians who progress into animal rights extremism can cause damage to the ecosystem, eventually harming animals, as we saw with the release of mink into the British countryside. Someone who joins an environmental group and worships mother earth is far more likely to cause damage to the environment via a dogma-based, anti-science mindset than they are to protect it. We've seen plenty of examples in recent years, with carbon credits and biofuels infamously working together to incentivise destruction of rainforest, bogs and other important habitats, as well as causing the deaths of many people (I've seen recent estimates of 350,000) via starvation due to increase in food prices resulting directly from these policies.
It is obvious that such behaviours can damage the cause they claim to support. Good intentions may arise from meta-religious pressures, but the wisdom of decisions correlates negatively with them. I've always argued that emotions should be used only as a driver to solve a problem, and once the decision to act has been made, they should be set aside. They should not be used as a means to decide the best mechanism to solve it. That should be done using a logical analysis of the problem, followed by development of potential solutions and rational comparison of their system-wide, full-lifetime effectiveness, before finally picking the best and implementing them. Emotions themselves tell us little about how the non-human bits of the universe work or how to fix things that are going wrong. And even in the human parts of the world, where they may govern people's decision making so can be an important part of the system being analysed, they are of relatively little use unless at least analysed objectively.
Government suffers from such problems too. The problems where religious governments run things are pretty obvious, but political ideologies such as liberalism are almost equally rich in meta-religious tendencies, they just point in different directions. I will avoid debating the merits of different political viewpoints, you can make up your own mind, but consider how many political decisions are motivated by a desire to feel the moral high ground rather than looking objectively at evidence. And look at the consequences all around us. Loss of objectivity leads to loss in decision quality.
But let's go back to environmental issues. It is here where the worst damage is being done at the moment. Even though the field of climate science is a tiny fraction of science as a whole, the whole of science has been badly tarnished by the corruption here. This didn't start with Climategate, that was just another step along the way, but it was a big step. Just a few people putting their personal beliefs and their desire to occupy what they consider as the moral high ground above scientific objectivity has caused huge damage to the wider community of scientists. Scientists in every field now are doubted because of these few bad apples. And like any religious split, the many followers of the debates on climate change have polarised into religious squabbles. Although some of the debate is high quality and objective on both sides, much isn't. The press coverage of the issues adds another layer of religious zeal to make it extremely hard to distinguish what the facts are in any aspect of the debate. The level of corruption now is such that both sides claim completely opposite interpretations of the same input data. Even for scientists, a sensible position can only be taken after enormously lengthy reading and analysis to try to filter out the good from the bad. Science shouldn't be that hard, but it has been made so by pollution from meta-religion. And the rest of science has been corrupted by association now. Many people have far less faith in science than they had, and that makes it even easier for religiously motivated claims to gain ground. If we cannot stop the slide, we will head back into a dark age where priests masquerading as scientists carry as much authority as genuine scientists on the best way forward.
Science will recover, but it may take decades. The reason is the depth of the infiltration of meta-religion into many important circles, and the strength of the human tendency to want to feel morally or politically correct. If either side of any debate manages to claim followers because of this, and it happens frequently, it becomes harder to get to the facts that should be the basis of good science. Experiments get distorted, data discarded, evidence tweaked, models misdirected. Results get misrepresented and spun, truth buried deeply and disguised so well it might as well not be there. And we all lose because in the end, objective, good quality science is the only way we can figure out how the universe works and how to fix stuff. Religion won't work, and meta-religion changes science into psuedo-science. It is a disease that must be eradicated if we are to reap the benefits that science can bring.


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Long, Lean, Low,& Mean
Take a g-ride in this land cruiser
It's not your average Super Chevy-type feature car, but then there is nothing average about this car. Keeping up with the Joneses is the last thing that owner/builder Chris Bassett had in mind. Just in case there are a few of you wondering what you're looking at, this sleek phantom-like Chevrolet is a '60 Biscayne. Why a Biscayne? Why not? Chris is no stranger to working with cars; he works with them all day long. Being a manager at C.A.R.S., he is privy to the inside scoop of who is doing what and how they are doing it.
When it came time to build his own street machine, visions of Camaros and Chevelles were not entertained for very long. As Chris put it "I wanted to do something different, you don't see many of these cars running around." That dream machine was lying dormant at home in the family garage. In 1997, Chris purchased the Biscayne from a friend in Washington State. At the time of its purchase, it had only 32,000 miles on it, but as Chris says "It was a mess, and very rough." Once the big car was home, he jumped on it like a hobo on a ham sandwich. But somewhere along the way something happened. It wasn't a typical case of buyer's remorse or a busted bank account. It was a case of dissatisfaction, the kind you experience on Christmas morning when you open a present from your grandma only to find an itchy wool sweater you have to wear for a whole year. Well, maybe that's a bit dramatic. But when Chris was done with his first rebuild and restoration of the Biscayne, he flat out didn't like it and now, he had to look at it all the time.
For nearly seven years, the Biscayne just sat there, and like an old girlfriend that won't go away, it was a constant reminder of what he didn't like. But that was about change. In 2004, the dormant Biscayne was scheduled for a full frame-off restoration. The body was separated from the frame, put on a rotisserie, and media blasted. After the body was clean, it was sent to Shane East at Jim East Autobody. Meanwhile, back at the bat cave, the frame had been powdercoated and made ready for a life-changing operation.
Back in the day, when you turned a corner in these long land yachts, the occupants would roll around in the cab like dice in a Yahtzee cup--not today. With modern upgrades, it could cut corners with the best of them and the pilot and crew could continue cruising in style! Some of the latest and greatest suspension components and brakes were on the top of the list, including: Air Ride technologies and Performance Online disc brakes on all four corners, KYB shocks, and Firestone springs. To complete the modern upgrade of his frame, Chris wisely chose Intro Wheels Matrix model wheels. Sporting 20s in the front and 22s out back, along with Pirelli P-Zero rubber, this large-barge Chevy was ready to handle some g's. Powering this big Bow-Tie is a basic 350-inch crate Mouse. Nothing too fancy here, just a proven combination backed by a smooth-shifting TH350 trans.
Once the frame and body were back together again, there was one last thing on the list. Ray Miller Custom Upholstery cut, tucked, snipped, and stitched the fine looking gray and black leather interior you see. From stem to stern and top to bottom, this Biscayne has received a new life like no other. It is now a long, lean, low, and mean-handling g-Machine.
Tech SpecsOwner: Chris Bassett
Vehicle: 1960 Chevy Biscayne
Color: White. Glasurit-Urethane
Occupation: Manager @ C.A.R.S.
Engine: Chevrolet 350 crate motor, Mattson 3 row aluminum radiator and oil cooler, Vintage Air AC, Hedman Headers, and a Billet Specialties Tru-Trac Serpentine system.
Transmission: TH350
Rear Axle: GM 10 bolt w/3.70 gears.
Suspension: Performance Online 2-inch drop Spindles and rotors, Air-Ride Technologies upper and lower control arms and bags w/ KYB shocks and Firestone Springs.
Wheels: Intro "Matrix" 20s in the front and 22s in the back. Pirelli P-Zero tires.
Stereo: Sony X-plod w/Memphis Audio amps and speakers.
Interior: All custom stitched by Ray Miller CustomUpholstery. Glass and carpet provided by C.A.R.S.
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After an impressive three-week spell at the top of the ELSPA GfK-ChartTrack All Formats Top 40, Capcom's Resident Evil 5 has finally relinquished its grip – with Nintendo's Wii Fit recapturing the top spot.
Resident Evil 5 still does well, however, clinging onto second position.
Also climbing is EA's FIFA 09, which climbs three places to number three. Midway's Wheelman puts up an impressive performance, too, improving on last week's 11th spot to claim number four this week.
The highest places new entry is Warner's Wanted: Weapons of Fate, which debuts at number 15. The only other new entry is Blade's WSC Real 09: World Snooker Championship, which sneaks into the Top 40 in 39th.
Elsewhere in the charts, THQ's WWE Legends of Wrestlemania falls from fifth place to 21st.
The ELSPA GfK-ChartTrack All Formats Top 10 in full (for the week ending April 4th 2009:
1. Wii Fit (Nintendo)
2. Resident Evil 5 (Capcom)
4. Wheelman (Midway)
5. Call of Duty: World at War (Activision Blizzard)
6. Street Fighter IV (Capcom)
7. Professor Layton and the Curious Village (Nintendo)
8. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision Blizzard)
9. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Sega)
10. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (Rockstar)


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We would like to introduce a new premium line of Little Jimmy push carts. With the ever changing Health Department standards in some states, we have developed prototype carts that meet the NSF International Standard for Food Equipment.The new carts have ultra premium Little Jimmy graphics, created to be almost scratch proof, weather proof and fade resistant. They are equipped with lockable lids, umbrella attachment, and optional plexiglass sneeze guard.
These are larger than our standard Little Jimmy carts (40″ x 25″ x 32.5″ high) and do NOT fit into most SUV's and mini-vans. Sizes available are:
- 4 can (5 gallon or 8 3-gallon stacked 2 high) 30″ x 30″ x 41″ high optional item removable freezer cold plates.
- 6 can (5 gallon or 12 3-gallon stacked 2 high) 41″ x 30″ x 41″ high optional item removable freezer cold plates.
- Electric cart for 6 cans (4 5-gallon, 2 partial/3-gallon size) 41″ x 30″ x 41″ high.
These are available to pre-order with a deposit for existing customers.
New customers can upgrade their cart packages, deposit required.
Contact the office for more information at 1-800-763-4348.


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Mickey, the Wolfhound - Delightful Dogs Greeting Card
Purchase Options Not Currently AvailableLog in or Create Account to purchase.
Mickey, the wolfhound, was a favorite dog of the wonderful animal illusrator, Cecil Aldin (1870-1935). Aldin made many paintings and drawings of Mickey, who was one of the dogs who spent their days in his studio, and whom he referred to as his 'board of directors.'
Cecil Aldin (1870-1935) was a prolific English artist and illustrator. While living in London, he became friends with the Beggarstaff Brothers (William Nicholson and James Pryde), with John Hassall, Phil May and Dudley Hardy, and their influence on his work was great. Aldin, however, developed his own style and was particularly skillful at conveying the humor, love and antics of the dogs and other animal friends.
He did a great deal of advertising work, including posters, for such companies as Bovril, Coleman and Cadbury's. Royal Doulton, the china manufacturer, produced about sixty items with Aldin's art between 1910 and 1939. The obituary in The London Times asserted that there never yet has been a painter of dogs fit to hold a candle to him.
Cecil Aldin has always been a favorite of ours here at Green Tiger Press, and we have laughed at his wonderful illustrations and reproduced many of them over the years.
Our notecards are custom printed at our location in Seattle, WA. They come bagged with an envelope.
A6 (4.5" X 6.25") with Envelope
Cecil Aldin


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Copyright © 2023 HSTRY CLOTHING
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This classic short sleeve t-shirt features a crewneck and a comfortable regular fit showcasing HSTRY's Independent custom graphic print.
Content + Care• Cotton• Machine wash• Imported
Copyright © 2023 HSTRY CLOTHING. All Rights Reserved.
Use Promo Code "HSTRY30" for 30% off your entire order! Valid now through November 30th.


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Picking up on A Couple of Proof of Concept Demos with the Cloudworks API, and some of the comments that came in around it (thanks Sheila et al:-), I spent a couple more hours tinkering around it and came up with the following…
A prettier view, stolen from Mike Bostock (I think?)
I also added a slider to tweak the layout (opening it up by increasing the repulsion between nodes) [h/t @mhawksey for the trick I needed to make this work] but still need to figure this out a bit more…
I also added in some new parameterised ways of accessing various different views over Cloudworks data using the root https://views.scraperwiki.com/run/cloudworks_network_d3js_force_directed_view_pretti/
Firstly, we can make calls of the form: ?cloudscapeID=2451&viewtype=cloudscapecloudcloudscape
This grabs the clouds associated with a particular cloudscape (given the cloudscape ID), and then constructs the network containing those clouds and all the cloudscapes they are associated with.
The next view uses a parameter set of the form cloudscapeID=2451&viewtype=cloudscapecloudtags and displays the clouds associated with a particular cloudscape (given the cloudscape ID), along with the tags associated with each cloud:
Even though there aren't many nodes or edges, this is quite a cluttered view, so I maybe need to rethink how best to visualise this information?
I've also done a couple of views that make use of follower data. For example, here's how to call on a view that visualises how the folk who follow a particular cloudscape follow each other (this is actually the default if no viewtype is given) –
And here's how to call a view that grabs a particular user's clouds, looks up the cloudscapes they belong to, then graphs those cloudscapes and the people who follow them: ?userID=1174&viewtype=usercloudcloudscapefollower
Here's another way of describing that graph – followers of cloudscapes containing a user's clouds.
The optional argument filterNdegree=N (where N is an integer) will filter the diaplayed network to remove nodes with degree <=N. Here's the above example, but filtered to remove the nodes that have degree 2 or less: ?userID=1174&viewtype=usercloudcloudscapefollower&filterNdegree=2
That is, we prune the graph of people who follow no more than two of the cloudscapes to which the specified user has added a cloud. In other words, we depict folk who follow at least three of the cloudscapes to which the specified user has added a cloud.
(Note that on inspecting that graph it looks as if there is at least one node that has degree 2, rather than degree 3 and above. I'm guessing that it originally had degree 3 or more but that at least one of the nodes it was connected to was pruned out? If that isn't the case, something's going wrong…)
Also note that it would be neater to pull in the whole graph and filter the d3.js rendered version interactively, but I don't know how to do this?
However…I also added a parameter to the script that generates the JSON data files from data pulled from the Cloudworks API calls that allows me to generate a GEXF network file that can be saved as an XML file (.gexf suffix, cf. Visualising Networks in Gephi via a Scraperwiki Exported GEXF File) and then visualised using a tool such as Gephi. The trick? Add the URL parameter &format=gexf (the (optional) default is &format=json) [example].
Gephi, of course, is a wonderful tool for the interactive exploration of graph-based data sets…. including a wide range of filters…
So, where are we at? The d3.js force directed layout is all very shiny but the graphs quickly get cluttered. I'm not sure if there are any interactive parameter controls I can add, but at the moment the visualisations border on the useless. At the very least, I need to squirt a header into the page from the supplied parameters so we know what the visualisation refers to. (The data I've played with to date – which has been very limited – doesn't seem to be that interesting either from what I've seen? But maybe the rich structure isn't there yet? Or maybe there is nothing to be had from these simple views?)
It may be worth exploring some other visualisation types to see if they are any more legible, at least, though it would be even more helpful if they were simply more informative ;-)
PS just in case, here's a link to the Cloudworks API documentation.
PPS if there are any terms of service associated with the API, I didn't read them. So if I broke them, oops. But that said – such is life; never ever trust that anybody you give data to will look after it;-)


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Neighborhood Memory Café gives Alzheimer's patients a place to socialize (GALLERY)
FORT WALTON BEACH — Cynthia Gilley and her father Ted held hands as they watched the packed dining room at the Synergy Organic Juice Bar and Cafe.
"Are you having fun?" Gilley asked him.
He responded with an almost imperceptible nod, a slight widening of his smile and a few extra rubs on her hands.
Ted and Gilley joined nearly 20 Alzheimer's and dementia patients and their caregivers for a Neighborhood Memory Café at Synergy on Friday afternoon.
See photos from the event. >>
The Memory Café tries to give patients and caregivers a place to relax and be themselves, said Maryann Makekau, one of the organizers.
"Even in the midst of (Alzheimer's), we can still build new memories," Makekau said.
The effort and organization required to get patients out of the house can be daunting, she added.
"It's an activity to have an activity," she said with a laugh.
The Memory Café helps patients improve their language skills, make small decisions and spend time with their family and friends.
Synergy closed its doors to the public for a few hours to host the event. Co-owner Amy Likins said the gathering is an opportunity for the downtown restaurant to be a greater part of the community.
"We try to be something more for the community," Likins said. "It's more than providing food; we want to provide a place for them to get what they need."
The Memory Café takes place the last Friday of each month.
For Gilley, the event gave her the chance to take time out of a busy schedule and have fun with her father.
"This is a very social event," she said. "For someone as social as he was, this is great."
TO LEARN MORE: For more information about the Neighborhood Memory Café, contact Maryann Makekau at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Interstitial Cystitis / Painful Bladder Syndrome
What is IC/PBS?
Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a condition that results in recurring discomfort or pain in the bladder and the surrounding pelvic region. The symptoms vary from case to case and even in the same individual. People may experience mild discomfort, pressure, tenderness, or intense pain in the bladder and pelvic area. Symptoms may include an urgent need to urinate, a frequent need to urinate, or a combination of these symptoms. Pain may change in intensity as the bladder fills with urine or as it empties. Women's symptoms often get worse during menstruation. They may sometimes experience pain during vaginal intercourse.
Because IC varies so much in symptoms and severity, most researchers believe it is not one, but several diseases. In recent years, scientists have started to use the term painful bladder syndrome (PBS) to describe cases with painful urinary symptoms that may not meet the strictest definition of IC. The term IC/PBS includes all cases of urinary pain that can't be attributed to other causes, such as infection or urinary stones. The term interstitial cystitis, or IC, is used alone when describing cases that meet all of the IC criteria established by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
In IC/PBS, the bladder wall may be irritated and become scarred or stiff. Glomerulations—pinpoint bleeding caused by recurrent irritation—often appear on the bladder wall. Hunner's ulcers are present in 10 percent of people with IC. Some people with IC/PBS find that their bladder cannot hold much urine, which increases the frequency of urination. Frequency, however, is not always specifically related to bladder size; many people with severe frequency have normal bladder capacity. People with severe cases of IC/PBS may urinate as many as 60 times a day, including frequent nighttime urination, also called nocturia.
IC/PBS is far more common in women than in men. Of the estimated 1.3 million Americans with IC, more than 1. million are women.1
1Clemens JQ, Joyce GF, Wise M, Payne CK. Interstitial cystitis and painful bladder syndrome. In: Litwin MS, Saigal CS, editors. Urologic Diseases in America. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; 2007. NIH publication 07–5112: 123–154.
What causes IC/PBS?
Some of the symptoms of IC/PBS resemble those of bacterial infection, but medical tests reveal no organisms in the urine of people with IC/PBS. Furthermore, people with IC/PBS do not respond to antibiotic therapy. Researchers are working to understand the causes of IC/PBS and to find effective treatments.
In recent years, researchers have isolated a substance found almost exclusively in the urine of people with IC. They have named the substance antiproliferative factor, or APF, because it appears to block the normal growth of the cells that line the inside wall of the bladder. Researchers anticipate that learning more about APF will lead to a greater understanding of the causes of IC and to possible treatments.
Many women with IC/PBS have other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia. Scientists believe IC/PBS may be a bladder manifestation of a more general condition that causes inflammation in various organs and parts of the body.
Researchers are beginning to explore the possibility that heredity may play a part in some forms of IC. In a few cases, IC has affected a mother and a daughter or two sisters, but it does not commonly run in families.
How is IC/PBS diagnosed?
Because symptoms are similar to those of other disorders of the bladder and there is no definitive test to identify IC/PBS, doctors must rule out other treatable conditions before considering a diagnosis of IC/PBS. The most common of these diseases in both sexes are urinary tract infections and bladder cancer. In men, common diseases include chronic prostatitis or chronic pelvic pain syndrome. IC/PBS is not associated with any increased risk of developing cancer.
The diagnosis of IC/PBS in the general population is based on the
* presence of pain related to the bladder, usually accompanied by
frequency and urgency
* absence of other diseases that could cause the symptoms
Diagnostic tests that help rule out other diseases include urinalysis, urine culture, cystoscopy, biopsy of the bladder wall, distention of the bladder under anesthesia, urine cytology, and laboratory examination of prostate secretions.
Urinalysis and Urine Culture
Examining urine with a microscope and culturing the urine can detect and identify the primary organisms that are known to infect the urinary tract and that may cause symptoms similar to IC/PBS. A urine sample is obtained either by catheterization or by the clean catch method. For a clean catch, the patient washes the genital area before collecting urine midstream in a sterile container. White and red blood cells and bacteria in the urine may indicate an infection of the urinary tract, which can be treated with an antibiotic. If urine is sterile for weeks or months while symptoms persist, the doctor may consider a diagnosis of IC/PBS.
Culture of Prostate Secretions
Although not commonly done, in men, the doctor might obtain prostatic fluid and examine it for signs of a prostate infection, which can then be treated with antibiotics.
Cystoscopy under Anesthesia with Bladder Distention
The doctor may perform a cystoscopic examination in order to rule out bladder cancer. During cystoscopy, the doctor uses a cystoscope—an instrument made of a hollow tube about the diameter of a drinking straw with several lenses and a light—to see inside the bladder and urethra. The doctor might also distend or stretch the bladder to its capacity by filling it with a liquid or gas. Because bladder distention is painful for people with IC/PBS, they must be given some form of anesthesia for the procedure.
A biopsy is a tissue sample that can be examined with a microscope. Tissue samples of the bladder and urethra may be removed during a cystoscopy. A biopsy helps rule out bladder cancer.
Future Diagnostic Tools
Researchers are investigating and validating some promising biomarkers such as APF, some cytokines, and other growth factors. These might provide more reliable diagnostic markers for IC and lead to more focused treatment for the disease.
What are the treatments for IC/PBS?
Scientists have not yet found a cure for IC/PBS, nor can they predict who will respond best to which treatment. Symptoms may disappear with a change in diet or treatments or without explanation. Even when symptoms disappear, they may return after days, weeks, months, or years. Scientists do not know why.
Because the causes of IC/PBS are unknown, current treatments are aimed at relieving symptoms. Many people are helped for variable periods by one or a combination of treatments. As researchers learn more about IC/PBS, the list of potential treatments will change, so patients should discuss their options with a doctor.
Bladder Distention
Many people with IC/PBS have noted an improvement in symptoms after a bladder distention has been done to diagnose the condition. In many cases, the procedure is used as both a diagnostic test and initial therapy. Researchers are not sure why distention helps, but some believe it may increase capacity and interfere with pain signals transmitted by nerves in the bladder. Symptoms may temporarily worsen 4 to 48 hours after distention, but should return to predistention levels or improve within 2 to 4 weeks.
Bladder Instillation
During a bladder instillation, also called a bladder wash or bath, the bladder is filled with a solution that is held for varying periods of time, averaging 10 to 15 minutes, before being emptied.
The only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for bladder instillation is dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, brand name Rimso-50). DMSO treatment involves guiding a narrow tube called a catheter up the urethra into the bladder. A measured amount of DMSO is passed through the catheter into the bladder, where it is retained for about 15 minutes before being expelled. Treatments are given every week or two for 6 to 8 weeks and repeated as needed. Most people who respond to DMSO notice improvement 3 or 4 weeks after the first 6- to 8-week cycle of treatments. Highly motivated patients who are willing to catheterize themselves may, after consultation with their doctor, be able to have DMSO treatments at home. Self-administration is less expensive and more convenient than going to the doctor's office.
Doctors think DMSO works in several ways. Because it passes into the bladder wall, it may reach tissue more effectively to reduce inflammation and block pain. It may also prevent muscle contractions that cause pain, frequency, and urgency.
A bothersome but relatively insignificant side effect of DMSO treatments is a garlic-like taste and odor on the breath and skin that may last up to 7 hours after treatment. Long-term treatment has caused cataracts in animal studies, but this side effect has not appeared in humans. Blood tests, including a complete blood count and kidney and liver function tests, should be done about every 6 months.
Oral Drugs
Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium (Elmiron)
This first oral drug developed for IC was approved by the FDA in 1996. In clinical trials, the drug improved symptoms in 30 percent of patients treated. Doctors do not know exactly how the drug works, but one theory is that it may repair defects that might have developed in the lining of the bladder.
The FDA-recommended oral dosage of Elmiron is 100 mg, three times a day. Patients may not feel relief from IC pain for the first to 4 months. A decrease in urinary frequency may take up to 6 months. Patients are urged to continue with therapy for at least 6 months to give the drug an adequate chance to relieve symptoms.
Elmiron's side effects are limited primarily to minor gastrointestinal discomfort. A small minority of patients experienced some hair loss, but hair grew back when they stopped taking the drug. Researchers have found no negative interactions between Elmiron and other medications.
Elmiron may affect liver function, which should therefore be monitored by the doctor.
Because Elmiron has not been tested in pregnant women, the manufacturer recommends it not be used during pregnancy, except in the most severe cases.
Other Oral Medications
Aspirin and ibuprofen may be a first line of defense against mild discomfort. Doctors may recommend other drugs to relieve pain.
Some people have experienced improvement in their urinary symptoms by taking tricyclic antidepressants or antihistamines. A tricyclic antidepressant called amitriptyline (Elavil) may help reduce pain, increase bladder capacity, and decrease frequency and nocturia. Some people may not be able to take it because it makes them too tired during the day. In people with severe pain, narcotic analgesics such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) with codeine or longer-acting narcotics may be necessary.
All drugs—even those sold over the counter—have side effects. A person should always consult a doctor before using any drug for an extended amount of time.
Electrical Nerve Stimulation
Mild electrical pulses can be used to stimulate the nerves to the bladder—either through the skin or with an implanted device. The method of delivering impulses through the skin is called transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). With TENS, mild electric pulses enter the body for minutes to hours, two or more times a day either through wires placed on the lower back or just above the pubic area—between the navel and the pubic hair—or through special devices inserted into the vagina in women or into the rectum in men. Although scientists do not know exactly how TENS relieves pelvic pain, it has been suggested that the electrical pulses may increase blood flow to the bladder, strengthen pelvic muscles that help control the bladder, or trigger the release of substances that block pain.
TENS is relatively inexpensive and allows people with IC/PBS to take an active part in treatment. Within some guidelines, the patient decides when, how long, and at what intensity TENS will be used. It has been most helpful in relieving pain and decreasing frequency in people with Hunner's ulcers. Smokers do not respond as well as nonsmokers. If TENS is going to help, improvement is usually apparent in 3 to 4 months.
If TENS is effective in relieving symptoms, a person may consider having a device implanted that delivers regular impulses to the bladder. A wire is placed next to the tailbone and attached to a permanent stimulator under the skin. The FDA has approved this device, marketed as the Inter-Stim system, to treat urge incontinence, urgency-frequency syndrome, and urinary retention in people for whom other treatments have not worked.
No scientific evidence links diet to IC/PBS, but many doctors and patients find that alcohol, tomatoes, spices, chocolate, caffeinated and citrus beverages, and high-acid foods may contribute to bladder irritation and inflammation. Some people also note that their symptoms worsen after eating or drinking products containing artificial sweeteners. Eliminating various items from the diet and reintroducing them one at a time may determine which, if any, affect a person's symptoms. However, maintaining a varied, well-balanced diet is important.
Many people feel smoking makes their symptoms worse. How the by-products of tobacco that are excreted in the urine affect IC/PBS is unknown. Smoking, however, is the major known cause of bladder cancer. One of the best things smokers can do for their bladder and their overall health is to quit.
Many patients feel that gentle stretching exercises help relieve IC/PBS symptoms.
Bladder Training
People who have found adequate relief from pain may be able to reduce frequency by using bladder training techniques. Methods vary, but basically patients decide to void—empty their bladder—at designated times and use relaxation techniques and distractions to keep to the schedule. Gradually, they try to lengthen the time between scheduled voids. A diary in which to record voiding times is helpful in keeping track of progress.
Surgery should be considered only if all available treatments have failed and the pain is disabling. Many approaches and techniques are used, each of which has advantages and complications that should be discussed with a surgeon. A doctor may recommend consulting another surgeon for a second opinion before taking this step. Most surgeons are reluctant to operate because some people still have symptoms after surgery.
People considering surgery should discuss the potential risks and benefits, side effects, and long- and short-term complications with a surgeon, their family, and people who have already had the procedure. Surgery requires anesthesia, hospitalization, and weeks or months of recovery. As the complexity of the procedure increases, so do the chances for complications and failure.
People should check with their doctor to locate a surgeon experienced in performing specific procedures.
Two procedures—fulguration and resection of ulcers—can be done with instruments inserted through the urethra. Fulguration involves burning Hunner's ulcers with electricity or a laser. When the area heals, the dead tissue and the ulcer fall off, leaving new, healthy tissue behind. Resection involves cutting around and removing the ulcers. Both treatments are done under anesthesia and use special instruments inserted into the bladder through a cystoscope. Laser surgery in the urinary tract should be reserved for people with Hunner's ulcers and should be done only by doctors with the special training and expertise needed to perform the procedure.
Another surgical treatment is augmentation, which makes the bladder larger. In most of these procedures, scarred, ulcerated, and inflamed sections of the patient's bladder are removed, leaving only the base of the bladder and healthy tissue. A piece of the patient's colon—large intestine—is then removed, reshaped, and attached to what remains of the bladder. After the incisions heal, the patient may void less frequently. The effect on pain varies greatly; IC/PBS can sometimes recur on the segment of colon used to enlarge the bladder.
Even in carefully selected patients—those with small, contracted bladders—pain, frequency, and urgency may remain or return after surgery, and they may have additional problems with infections in the new bladder and difficulty absorbing nutrients from the shortened colon. Some patients become incontinent, while others cannot void at all and must insert a catheter into the urethra to empty the bladder.
Bladder removal, called a cystectomy, is another, infrequently used surgical option. Once the bladder has been removed, different methods can be used to reroute the urine. In most cases, ureters are attached to a piece of colon that opens onto the skin of the abdomen. This procedure is called a urostomy and the opening is called a stoma. Urine empties through the stoma into a bag outside the body. Some urologists are using a second technique that also requires a stoma but allows urine to be stored in a pouch inside the abdomen. At intervals throughout the day, the patient puts a catheter into the stoma and empties the pouch. Patients with either type of urostomy must be very careful to keep the area in and around the stoma clean to prevent infection. Serious potential complications may include kidney infection and small bowel obstruction.
A third method to reroute urine involves making a new bladder from a piece of the patient's colon and attaching it to the urethra. After healing, the patient may be able to empty the newly formed bladder by voiding at scheduled times or by inserting a catheter into the urethra. Only a few surgeons have the special training and expertise needed to perform this procedure.
Even after total bladder removal, some patients still experience variable IC/PBS symptoms in the form of phantom pain. Therefore, the decision to undergo a cystectomy should be made only after testing all alternative methods and seriously considering the potential outcome.
Are there any special concerns regarding IC/PBS?
No evidence exists that IC/PBS increases the risk of bladder cancer.
Researchers have little information about pregnancy and IC/PBS but believe that the disorder does not affect fertility or the health of the fetus. Some women find that their IC/PBS goes into remission during pregnancy, while others experience a worsening of their symptoms.
The emotional support of family, friends, and other people with IC/PBS is very important in helping patients cope. Studies have found that people who learn about the disorder and become involved in their own care do better than people who do not. The Interstitial Cystitis Association (ICA) maintains a list of support groups.
Hope through Research
Although answers may seem slow in coming, researchers are working to solve the painful riddle of IC/PBS. Some scientists receive funds from the Federal Government to help support their research, while others receive support from their employing institution, drug pharmaceutical or device companies, or patient support associations.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesE(NIDDK's) investment in scientifically meritorious IC/PBS research across the country has grown considerably since 1987. The Institute now supports research that looks at various aspects of IC/PBS, such as how the components of urine may injure the bladder and what role organisms identified by nonstandard methods may have in causing IC/PBS. In addition to funding research, the NIDDK sponsors scientific workshops where investigators share the results of their studies and discuss future areas for investigation.
Clinical Research Network
The Interstitial Cystitis Clinical Research Network (ICCRN) is a product of two NIDDK programs: the Interstitial Cystitis Database (ICDB) Study and the Interstitial Cystitis Clinical Trials Group (ICCTG). Established in 1991, the ICDB was a 5-year prospective cohort study of more than 600 men and women with symptoms of urinary urgency, frequency, and pelvic pain. The study described the longitudinal changes of urinary symptoms, the impact of IC on quality of life, treatment patterns, and the relationship between bladder biopsy findings and patient symptoms. The ICCTG was established in 1996 as a follow-up to the ICDB study. The clinical trials group developed two randomized, controlled clinical trials of promising therapies, one using oral therapies—pentosan polysulfate sodium (Elmiron) and hydroxyzine hydrochloride (Atarax)—and the other administering intravesical treatment using Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). BCG is a vaccine for tuberculosis that stimulates the immune system and may have an effect on the bladder. The ICCTG also developed and conducted ancillary studies of various biomarkers such as heparin-binding-growth-factor-like-growth-factor (HB-EGF) and anti-proliferative factor (APF).
In 2003, the ICCTG became the ICCRN, which is conducting additional clinical trials, either sequentially or concurrently, over a second 5-year period. Ancillary studies will be developed and conducted in conjunction with the trials. One of these trials is studying the effectiveness of amitriptyline (Elavil) in treating PBS, which includes IC. Amitriptyline has FDA approval for the treatment of depression, but researchers believe the drug may work to block nerve signals that trigger pain in the bladder and may also decrease muscle spasms in the bladder, helping to cut both pain and frequent urination. Participants in the trial will be randomly assigned to take up to 75 milligrams of amitriptyline or a placebo each day for 14 to 26 weeks.
Suggested Reading
The materials listed below may be found in medical libraries, in many college and university libraries, through interlibrary loan in most public libraries, and at bookstores. Items are listed for information only; inclusion does not imply endorsement by the National Institutes of Health.
Articles and Book Chapters
Keay SK, Warren JW. Is interstitial cystitis an infectious disease? International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. 2002;19(6):480–483.
The Interstitial Cystitis Clinical Trials Group. A pilot clinical trial of oral pentosan polysulfate and oral hydroxyzine in patients with interstitial cystitis. Journal of Urology. 2003;170(3):810–815.
The Interstitial Cystitis Clinical Trials Group. A randomized controlled trial of intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin for treatment of refractory interstitial cystitis. Journal of Urology. 2005;173(4):1186–191.
Books and Booklets
Moldwin RM. Interstitial cystitis survival guide: your guide to the latest treatment options and coping strategies. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.; 2000. (Available by calling 1–800–HELP–ICA.)
Sandler GG, Sandler A. Patient to patient: managing interstitial cystitis and overlapping conditions. New Orleans, LA: Bon Ange LLC; 2000.
Sant G, ed. Interstitial cystitis. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven; 1997.
Article courtesy of the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearning. The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC) is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Established in 1987, the Clearinghouse provides information about diseases of the kidneys and urologic system to people with kidney and urologic disorders and to their families, health care professionals, and the public. The NKUDIC answers inquiries, develops and distributes publications, and works closely with professional and patient organizations and Government agencies to coordinate resources about kidney and urologic diseases.
Publications produced by the Clearinghouse are carefully reviewed by both NIDDK scientists and outside experts.
Copyright © ProHealth Solutions. All rights reserved.


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Editor's note: Watch Drew Griffin's report on several cancer charities that have raised millions of dollars. He investigates how that money is being used. Tune in to AC360° at 8 and 10 p.m. ET.
For more than a year, my colleague, producer David Fitzpatrick, and I have been crisscrossing the country exposing corrupt charities. We've found there is no shortage of greedy scam artists who will ask for your heartfelt donations, only to squander your money or keep it as their own.
We've had doors slammed in our face by so-called veterans' charities. They raise money in the name of our country's military heroes; yet in some cases, hardly any money reaches veterans in need.
We've exposed the gifts in kind trick, where well-intentioned people give donations to a charity group, and then the organization sends leftover junk, hand-me-downs or giveaways to the needy. They pretend it's somehow proof of their "charitable work."
In one case, thousands of bags of coconut M&M's were sent to a non-profit for homeless veterans. The same "charitable group" sent these homeless vets shiny surplus Navy dress shoes. We've even found left over football pants being "donated" as a gift in kind to a veterans service organization. (Was that in case some homeless vets wanted to field a sports team?)
We've seen money raised in the names of war vets, war pets, animals in general, and now even cancer patients. And we've shown you, in detail, just how it all appears to be one big scam – a way to enrich the lives of the charity operators or outside companies hired to help the charities raise funds.
Tonight, we begin another chapter in this investigation. We partnered with the Tampa Bay Times and The Center for Investigative Reporting, who compiled a list of America's 50 worst charities – based on how much money they waste on fundraising and phone solicitations.
Our reporting partners looked at tax returns from the charities themselves and analyzed them line by line. They examined how money, donated by generous Americans, was squandered by non-profit charities. The information all comes from the charities who report the same information directly to the IRS.
And yet again I am disappointed by what we can't report to you. The federal government has not acted. Understaffed and overworked regulators cannot keep a close eye on the many charitable organizations that seem to be profiting from their non-profit status.
It is even more surprising in the wake of the scandal surrounding the Tea Party applications. Non-profit investigators at the IRS scrutinized applications for Tea Party groups seeking non-profit status, but have apparently not been able to stop the charities we've exposed.
As I say, we've done the work, along with the Tampa Bay Times and The Center for Investigative Reporting, and there is now a comprehensive list of malevolent groups.
Not surprisingly, for this report and all the other reports we've been airing, the IRS repeatedly declined to comment.
If you've ever contributed to a charity, or intend to in the future, don't miss tonight's report at 8 and 10 p.m. ET on CNN.
Post by: Drew Griffin and David Fitzpatrick
Filed under: Cancer • Charity Investigation
You should also be investigating the Trinity Broadcasting Network, which always finds time to ask for money and prayers for itself, but never for those involved in major disasters. They run a scroll across the bottom of their screen asking for support constantly, but no mention of prayers or money to be sent to charities or victims of the Boston bombings or the West, Texas explosions, or the tornado victims. The Crouch family lives in luxury in Santa Ana, CA.
This is not Christianity!
YMCA one off biggest scams out there.
I just don't know what to say. This is just wrong and it makes me so angry that they are just a bunch of fakes.
I would love to see someone actually build a spreadsheet of all charities in the USA.. Input the data from the IRS forms and do follow up work. I would bet less than 2% of all money, goods and equipment donated actually is helping a person in need. Remember when there was a big push to donate a car or boat? Who in the end got the free car? Or did some scam charity pocket the proceeds in the name of some disability.
Another latest charity scam is claiming to be a non-profit to help the disabled. They find people to donate for free expensive durable medical equipment and turn around and sell them to the poor and disabled for thousands of dollars.e pockets. Or list the equipment on craigslist. What services are they providing if they get the equipment for free anyway? They should be giving away the equipment not making money off of it.
Not 12 hours after watching this revealing broadcast, the #1 worst charity, Kids Wish Network, contacted me for a donation. I emphatically told them NO!! What a disgrace for these people to be living high on the hog on monies given them in good faith.
Thank you, Anderson, for reporting these fraud "organizations". There are so many scams out there that people who just want to help others will send money to but do not know more about are not really legitimate organizations! It is the same with religious organizations as well!
Please make sure that people understand that the kid wish network is NOT affiliated with Make A Wish foundation!
And we wonder why we can't find a cure for cancer! Wow, this is incomprehensible! The greed of some people is hard to even process!
Anderson Cooper goes beyond the headlines to tell stories from many points of view, so you can make up your own mind about the news. Tune in weeknights at 8 and 10 ET on CNN.
Questions or comments? Send an email
Want to know more? Go behind the scenes with AC361°


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Columbia Pictures canceled Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4 yesterday, leaving John Malkovich's future as the geriatric supercrook Vulture up in the air. On the upside, the actor has signed on a new movie adaptation of Warren Ellis' espionage comic Red.
Although Malkovich confirmed his participation in a Raimi-helmed Spider-Man sequel over the weekend, Monday's news that Sony's Columbia Pictures was rebooting the franchise quashed only a mere handful of fans' dreams of ever seeing Malkovich fill the Vulture's leathery, feathery leotard. Fortunately, he's signed on for a role in the upcoming Bruce Willis vehicle Red, a project much more befitting of a stentorianly bad-ass actor such as Malkovich.
The miniseries Red debuted in 2003 on DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint. It tells the tale of Paul Moses, a happily retired CIA wetwork operative who's deemed a political liability by the Director of the CIA. Paul's naturally irked that his old employer tries to snuff him during his golden years, so he goes a killing spree just to get his peace and quiet back. Malkovich will costar with Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Mary-Louise Parker, Julian McMahon, Richard Dreyfuss, Ernest Borgnine and Brian Cox. (No word on whether Lucius Fox, William Stryker, Dr. Doom, or Mr. Holland are slated to cameo.)
Who will Malkovich portray? Why, a high-strung sociopath, natch. According to The Hollywood Reporter:
The part will allow Malkovich to exercise his comic sensibilities as he plays retired a CIA agent, a contemporary of Willis', who is erratic and paranoid that everyone is out to kill him and joins Willis in is quest to find out who wants them dead.
Red isn't the only DC Comics adaptation Malkovich's adding to his resume - he's scheduled to shoot additional footage for Warner Bros.' weird Western Jonah Hex later this month. Malkovich will play villain Quentin Turnbull opposite Josh Brolin's titular bounty hunter. Rumor is the reshoots are for quality control purposes. THR again notes that:
The movie originally was scheduled to open Aug. 6, 2010, but was then moved up to June 18—the middle of the summer tentpole season. Some insiders said the new infusion of scenes and money was designed to fix certain problems with the movie; others have said it's being done to beef up the moderately budgeted pic so that it can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the big-budget tentpole crowd.
Silly movie makers. You don't need things like "production values" or "narrative coherence" to sell this flick. You have Jonah Hex costar Megan Fox, the walking, talking meme! Just unleash her on the talk show circuit a week before the premiere, quoting nothing but Kierkegaard and the Book of Revelation. Audiences will be so perplexed they'll have no choice but to come in droves.
[via Superhero Hype and THR.com here and here]


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Create a configuration for the Microsoft Translator cloud service to use your Microsoft Translation account for translating AEM page content, community content, or assets.
|Translation Label
|The display name for the translation service.
|Translation Attribution
|(Optional) For user-generated content, the attribution that appears next to translated text, for example
Translations by Microsoft.
|Workspace ID
|(Optional) The ID of your customized Microsoft Translator engine to use.
|Subscription Key
|Your Microsoft Subscription Key for Microsoft Translator.
After you create the configuration, you need to activate it.
The following procedure uses the touch-optimized UI to create a Microsoft Translator configuration.
On the rail, click or tap Tools > Cloud Services.
In the Microsoft Translator area, then click or tap Show Configurations.
Click the + link next to Available Configurations.
Type a title for your configuration. The title identifies the configuration in the Cloud Services console as well as in page property drop-down lists. The default name is based on the title. Optionally, type a name to use for the repository node that stores the configuration. You should use the default value for the Parent Configuration property which is the path of the repository node.
Click Create.
In the dialog box that appears, type values for the properties and then click OK.
The following Microsoft Translator cloud service configurations are installed with the Geometrixx samples. Some sample configurations use a trial Microsoft Translation account that allows for a maximum of 2 000 000 free translated characters per month.
The Microsoft Translator Trial License configuration is a sample configuration that is installed with the Geometrixx Outdoors sample package. This configuration uses a Microsoft Translator account that has a free subscription that allows for 2 000 000 translated characters per month.
The Microsoft Translator Trial License - Geometrixx-outdoors configuration is a sample configuration that is installed with Geometrixx Outdoors. This configuration uses the same free Microsoft Translator account as the Microsoft Translator Trial License configuration. The account has a free subscription that allows for 2 000 000 translated characters per month.
This Microsoft Translator configuration is optimized for use with the type of content of the Geometrixx Outdoors sample site.
Microsoft Translation configuration pages provide a convenient link to the Microsoft web site for obtaining an account subscription that is adequate for production systems.
On the rail, click or tap Tools > Operations > Cloud > Cloud Services.
In the Microsoft Translator area, click or tap Show Configurations, then click or tap Microsoft Translator Trial License (Microsoft Translation Configuration).
On the configuration page, click Upgrade Subscription. Use the Microsoft web page that opens to configure your account.
Microsoft Translation configuration pages provide a convenient link to the Microsoft web site for customizing your Microsoft Translator engine. (https://hub.microsofttranslator.com)
You need to activate your cloud service configurations to support translated content that is replicated to the publish instance. Use the method of activating a complete section (tree) to activate the repository nodes that store the Microsoft Translator or third-party cloud service configurations. The nodes are located below the following parent nodes:


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Entice customers to sign up for your mailing list with discounts or exclusive offers. Include an image for extra impact.
Our Kitsch Towel Scrunchies are luxuriously soft & absorbent scrunchies that keep your hair back after the shower while drying your hair! These scrunchies accommodate all hair lengths while providing comfort during your post-shower routines.
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Please note this item is a final sale.
Local pickup is available at our retail location downtown Lethbridge at 314 7th Street South. Our pickup hours are Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Please wait for a pickup email before coming down as local pickups are not dropped off every day.
Please note that the storefront inventory and online inventory are separate, due to space constraints. That means not all items you see online are available in-store.
Items eligible for a return are issued as a store credit.
Read our full return policy here!


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When you're super rich, you don't have to rip your own CDs—you can have a $5000, 2TB audiophile command center like the Olive O6HD do it for you. They'll sound better that way, too.
The O6HD, designed to be the central hub for serious home audio systems, can hold music from 6,000 CDs, uncompressed, with full album art and tags. You can navigate all those tunes with the built-in 10.1" touch screen or on your iPad or iPhone via Olive's iOS app. And as you'd expect from a $5000 HD music server, they'll sound good.
The O6HD packs a state of the art DAC and dedicated power supply to keep your music sounding pristine, and it's equipped to handle HD music, which reportedly has 250 times the resolution of a regular old CD. The unit comes preloaded with 12 HD tracks so you can hear just how lousy your CDs actually sound.
For you Tony Starks and Bruce Waynes and even non-crime fighting audiophiles out there, the O6HD is available for preorder now. [Olive via Unplugged]