text:
[Web Link Undisclosed meetings, private funds cloud downtown debate]
[Web Link Editorial: The push for 27 University ]
Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, December 4, 2012, 2:40 AM
Original post made on Dec 4, 2012
Comments (28)
Good community input on the 27 University opportunity guided this in a better direction.
In this transit hub, why isn't lodging one of the components? Lodging could be a win for everyone.
For the university which owns the land, lodging would be convenient for the many campus and hospital visitors.
For those coming by rail, bus or car, lodging would provide a one-stop location for shelter and dining while reducing traffic during commute hours.
For theater goers, the same benefits as the paragraph above.
For the city, lodging would provide an ongoing stream of transient occupancy taxes not shared with the county or state.
For Councilman Gail Price who said she "felt very uncomfortable with the comments implying some hidden agenda by the staff" is very real. If it's uncomfortable, please do something so the public process is truly a process that is legal and fair. Palo Alto is a chaos of congested merged lanes that back up El Camino to even reconfiguring California Ave, often referred by staff "outdated" is ludicrous. Council members like and staff work closely with groups who will support their cause. The public sees THIS transparency. In recent years, City Council members has been transforming what Palo Alto was known for, it's once small town charm to selling out to developers and certain groups.
This development could be a boon to Palo Alto, a bold step to redevelop a confused and confusing piece of property and its awkward auto and bus circulation. It also provides a chance to give our great local theatre, TheatreWorks, a permanent home.
The proposal needs more study and assessment of the secondary consequences, as residents and the Council determined last evening. Those efforts should go forward to assure maximum benefits in the future. And they should move with deliberate speed so that the opportunity does not become a casualty of process.
We Palo Altans have a penchant for wanting things to get better but not change. That won't work for our significantly sized and highly desirable city that is beautiful in most of its places but certainly not along much of El Camino.
Ray, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I for one don't think we need to hand over the keys to the stanford affiliated developer, as the university clearly has done, and if you wan't to upgrade el camino why not plant some flowers. Costs a lot less. And nobody needs to get rich from some back room deal. And you might even feel a little better getting those olds hands a little dirty again.
> This development could be a boon to Palo Alto,
> a bold step to redevelop a confused and confusing
> piece of property and its awkward auto and bus circulation.
This property is owned by Stanford, and currently leased by the City for use by a restaurant, a Red Cross office, and a park (which now has an underground reservoir for water storage). Is that really so "confusing"? And how will adding this massive complex actually reduce the confusion? Thinking that adding four massive office towers and a theater on this property will somehow take the "confusion" out of it—and be a "boon" to the taxpaying residents of the city at the same time is beyond delusional. Adding thousands of new car trips downtown, will further increase the frustration of everyone who works/lives in this tiny little commercial space.
> It also provides a chance to give our great local theatre,
> TheatreWorks, a permanent home.
TheatreWorks is a private organization—not a ward of the public treasury. If this organization wants a "permanent home"—then let if raise the funds itself, rather than expecting a handout.
@Gail Price and James Keene - If the sentiment of the public makes you uncomfortable or hurts your feelings, maybe you ought to think about what is being said and take the comments as constructive feedback rather than reacting defensively. There's really no need to make the public the enemy of our local government.
@Greg Scharff who doesn't want Staff to be constrained by the Comprehensive Plan or the Rail Corridor Study- the documents that guide our land use decisions. Just because an act is legal, doesn't mean it is in the public's best interest or is ethical. Your job is to make policies and direct staff to follow those policies. The role of a Council Member is not to meet with Staff and Developers in private to design projects that do not conform to existing land use policies and zoning code.
Why do all the options that the council want to pursue involve a theatre? what about housing instead, or as the Daily Post editoral suggested - how about putting the tracks underground so that downtown and 27 University could all be integrated together?
And what of the $250,000 the city council voted to spend on site planning? Why isn't the developer paying this (as is typical)?
Assigning grades to council members on this episode, I would give
Karen Holman an A
Pat Burt a D
Gail Price a F
Greg Scharff a F
Assigning a grade to City Staff - I would give them an F
Thank you, Palo Alto Weekly, for covering this meeting and the developments.
The Development in question - big "D" - is a major big deal and we, the public taxpayers, deserve to know all about it and have balanced consideration given to merits and faults. The project should not be rushed through, after all, from what I have read and heard from individual homeowners, they go through a costly and lengthy process to remodel/build homes here, so why should an ugly tower complex be rushed through approvals?!
I am concerned about a Stanford-affiliated billionaire developer who is all over this region, not just Palo Alto, from what I read in the local press. Oversight is needed in cases like this where one individual hopes for a major profit yet all of us living and working here may be severely impacted. My sense is that traffic WILL be a major issue, and after this city council goes to such extents posturing about the need to reduce lanes of traffic on certain roads, get everyone on bikes, etc., then to permit a massive tower complex seems inconsistent. At least, let's ask some questions.
Also, many of us are sympathetic to TheatreWorks for their plight of seeking a reasonable venue - as are OTHER performing arts organizations, incidentally, but that should hardly be the driving force behind approving or not approving this massive tower complex.
Another thing - recused at times or not, too many City Council members are cozy with Stanford, one of the world's wealthiest universities, with which many of us residents here are entirely unaffiliated but from which many of us suffer from speeding cars (101-Embarcadero-right up to the university), yet we highly-taxed local residents are told we must make "concessions" to Stanford!
"with which many of us residents here are entirely unaffiliated but from which many of us suffer from speeding cars "
Here we go again, the complaints that the "masses" are suffering because of Stanford. It is thanks to Stanford that Palo Alto is what it is today. People knew that Stanford existed before they moved here--yet they still came--now we hear constant complaints from them about "evil Stanford".
But I would like to see anonymous' data showing that the cars "speeding" on Embarcadero are all going to Stanford. Maybe these people did not know that their homes were near one of the main roads in the city.
Also, as expected, the usual contingent of naysayers and the "Palo Alto was so wonderful X years ago" crowd were out at the meeting yesterday attempting to pressure the council to take Palo Alto back into the last century.
We also hear complaints about the "manhattanization" of Palo Alto--for that to occur, Palo Alto would have to have night life, theatres, movies, the arts, world class museums etc. Palo Alto has none--except for an enlarged ego about it's place in the world,
Someone mentioned putting the train underground here. Would Arillaga be interested in financing the train to go underground from University to San Antonio Road? Maybe he would put up some of his billions and we could have a vote to fund the rest publicly? That seems like a project that would have a huge impact on the community and pave the way for placing his Arts Center on top of it. I know the high speed train is supposedly coming, but I personally doubt it will ever be built.
The proposal is just to big. Period. Maybe that is the developers plan. Ask for something HUGE so that the city can feel good about itself for negotiating it down to big, but not huge.
i will vote for it,
You will not be voting on this plan in June. Council is doing Mr. A and Stanford a favor, delaying this, when most people would rather it go away.
you say
"Here we go again, the complaints that the "masses" are suffering because of Stanford. It is thanks to Stanford that Palo Alto is what it is today. People knew that Stanford existed before they moved here--yet they still came--now we hear constant complaints from them about "evil Stanford".
Nobody said the "masses" are suffering, that is your language. People are pointing out very specific issues relevant to the livability of PA, which have nothing to do with who gets credit for Stanford or Palo Alto's success.
Stanford is part academic institution, part corporate powerhouse. Since Stanford has not said a peep about this project, who is behind it? The school, or the business conglomerate?
Are you the only Stanford voice?
Palo Alto already has a defined process for developing Coordinated Area Plans that is contained in Chapter 19.10 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code located in Title 19 (Master Plans) of the Code: Web Link
I wonder if people would feel differently about the original proposal if were located on the other side of El Camino Real in Stanford's Arboretum. The project area would have to be annexed to the City, but Stanford could obtain an amendment to its County General Use Permit to exclude the project's traffic when calculating whether Stanford is abiding by the General Use Permit requirement of no net new trips.
Putting such a project that would generate $15,000,000 revenue for Stanford at the entrance to the university would provide a true gateway project.
The link in my previous post does not appear to work. So here is Chapter 19.10 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code:
Chapter 19.10
19.10.010 Purposes.
19.10.020 Initiation.
19.10.030 Procedures.
19.10.040 Contents of coordinated area plans.
19.10.050 Coordinated development permit required.
19.10.060 Development must be consistent with coordinated area plan.
19.10.010 Purposes.
This chapter establishes procedures for preparation of coordinated area plans. This chapter is intended to achieve, and shall be implemented to accomplish, the following purposes:
(a) To create enhanced opportunities for building a sense of community through public involvement in planning processes which are designed not only to satisfy constitutional due process requirements, but also to provide residents, and business and property owners with early, meaningful opportunities to help shape the physical components of their neighborhoods and community.
(b) To emphasize and enhance architectural qualities, public improvements, and site design by providing a graphic, visual linkage between policies and programs established in the Comprehensive Plan and specific development entitlements and public improvements.
(c) To facilitate physical change by each of the following methods:
(1) Accelerating and coordinating the planning process within selected areas so that private development and re-use can proceed under streamlined city review processes.
(2) Encouraging rational private investment by providing specific, dependable information about the design requirements, development standards, and uses allowed on a particular site.
(3) Analyzing and considering the economic environment so that the planning process works in conjunction with the marketplace, rather than independent of it.
(4) Coordinating and timing public infrastructure investment to facilitate desirable private land uses.
(d) To assure Palo Alto's environmental quality by using the Comprehensive Plan Environmental Impact Report to focus environmental review on area and site-specific issues and changed circumstances.
(e) To facilitate orderly and consistent implementation of the city's Comprehensive Plan and development regulations.
(Ord. 4454 § 2 (part), 1997)
19.10.020 Initiation.
Coordinated area plans shall be initiated as set forth in this section.
(a) Initiation. Coordinated area plans shall be initiated by motion of the city council, upon its own initiative or upon request of the planning commission. Planning commission or council action may be based upon the request of any person or the director of planning and community environment. The council will consider support or opposition from residents, and property and business owners, but such support or opposition shall not compel or preclude council action. The council will further consider whether the area has been identified in the comprehensive plan for coordinated area planning.
(b) Minimum Area Size. Coordinated area plans may be prepared for any area that includes more than one parcel.
(c) The city may from time to time establish application forms, submittal requirements, fees, and such other requirements, administrative guidelines and regulations as will aid in the efficient preparation and implementation of coordinated area plans.
(Ord. 4454 § 2 (part), 1997)
19.10.030 Procedures.
Coordinated area plans shall be prepared in accordance with the procedures set forth in this section.
(a) Council Goals and Policies. Council will establish goals, objectives, and a schedule for each coordinated area plan at the time the plan is initiated or shortly thereafter. The goals and objectives will be supplemental to existing Comprehensive Plan policies and programs. Council may establish goals, objectives, and a schedule during preliminary review pursuant to Chapter 18.97.
(b) Community Involvement. Each coordinated area plan will be prepared pursuant to a program for city-facilitated interaction between residents, business and property owners, and other interested persons. The program shall contain, at a minimum, the following elements:
(1) Working Group Formation. The city council shall appoint a seven-to-fourteen-member working group comprising residents, business and property owners, and persons representing broader community interests including, but not limited to, environmental, community design, and business perspectives. The working group shall be advisory to the staff, planning commission, and city council. The working group shall be assisted by a city-designated facilitator who may be a consultant.
(2) Working Group Tasks. The working group shall assist staff in preparing a draft coordinated area plan that contains each of the components set forth in Section 19.10.040. The working group shall, at a minimum, accomplish each of the following tasks to facilitate preparation of the coordinated area plan:
(A) Initial Public Meeting. The working group shall conduct an initial public meeting to accomplish the following:
(1) Establish the general parameters of the plan;
(2) Conduct environmental scoping;
(3) Identify any known public infra-structure needs and plans;
(4) Explain any known private development proposals;
(5) Introduce staff and consultants to the public;
(6) Identify additional important participants;
(7) Identify any other relevant constraints and opportunities.
(B) Regular Public Meetings. The working group shall conduct regular meetings. The working group may also form subcommittees to meet from time to time to address particular issues or components of the coordinated area plan. All working group or subcommittee meetings shall be open to the public, with notice provided to property owners and other persons who have expressed an interest in the matter to the city. At least one regular meeting during the first half of the scheduled working group tasks will be conducted as a joint meeting with the city council. The city council may direct additional or revised goals and objectives during or following such meeting(s).
(C) Community Update Forum. The working group will schedule and notice at least one community update forum designed to keep the larger community informed of progress on the plan, and to seek the ideas and advice of the larger community regarding the content of the coordinated area plan.
(c) Schedule. Coordinated area plans, including review and action by the planning commission and city council, will generally be completed within twelve to fifteen months of the initial public meeting of the working group.
(d) Public Hearings. The coordinated area plan shall be considered at public hearings before the planning commission and city council prior to adoption. Notice of the public hearings, initial meeting and community update forum(s) shall be given in the same manner required by law for amendments to the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance.
(e) Planning Commission and Other Board and Commission Advice and Recommendation. The planning commission shall make a recommendation to the city council upon each coordinated area plan. The director of planning and community environment may seek advice of any other city board or commission if such advice is deemed desirable.
(f) Adoption. coordinated area plans shall be adopted by ordinance upon a determination of the city council that the public interest, health, safety and general welfare will be served by the plan, and that the plan is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. The city council shall also consider the manner in which the proposed coordinated area plan will integrate with and be implemented by the capital improvement program. The city council may approve, reject or modify all or part of the coordinated area plan.
(g) Amendments. An ordinance adopting a coordinated area plan may establish procedures for amendments of the plan, including but not limited to procedures authorizing minor amendments by the director of planning and community environment.
(h) Fees. As part of the ordinance adopting a coordinated area plan, the city council may impose a coordinated area plan fee upon persons seeking governmental approvals which are required to be consistent with the coordinated area plan. The fees shall be established so that, in the aggregate, they fully recover but as estimated do not exceed, the cost of preparation, adoption, and administration of the coordinated area plan, including costs incurred pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act. The fee charged will be reasonably prorated to take into account the applicant's relative benefit derived from the plan.
It is the intent of the city council to charge persons who benefit from coordinated area plans for the costs of developing those plans which result in savings to them by reducing the cost of documenting environmental consequences and advocating changed land uses which may be authorized.
The city council may require a person who requests adoption, amendment, or repeal of a coordinated area plan to deposit with the city an amount equal to the estimated cost of preparing the plan, amendment, or repeal prior to its preparation.
(Ord. 4454 § 2 (part), 1997)
19.10.040 Contents of coordinated area plans.
Each coordinated area plan shall contain at least the following components.
(a) The distribution, location, and extent of land uses, including, but not limited to, industrial, office, commercial, residential, public facilities and open space, within the area covered by the plan. The land uses established by the plan may be supplemental to or different from the uses permitted and specified in the city's zoning districts. For retail commercial and professional office designations, the coordinated area plan shall also include the preferred and allowable uses, their respective orientation, articulation, and floor area ratio. For housing designations, the coordinated area plan shall also include density, floor area ratio, orientation, setbacks, and graphical design prototypes.
(b) The proposed distribution, location, and extent and intensity of major components of public and private transportation, sewage, water, drainage, solid waste disposal, energy, and other public improvements proposed to be located within the area covered by the plan and needed to support the land uses described in the plan.
(c) A program of implementation measures including development regulations, public works projects, and financing measures necessary to carry out the plan. This program shall be specifically coordinated with the city's capital improvement program ("CIP"), and may include CIP revisions necessary to implement the plan.
(d) Standards and criteria by which development will proceed, if needed.
(e) Specific architectural and site design objectives and requirements, including but not limited to the scale of streets, building orientation, placement and design of public and private parks or plazas, courtyards, arcades, porches, walls, fences, trellises, sidewalk treatments, and parking configuration. Design guidelines that are specific to the conditions of the area shall be included to address each land use type, streets, parks, and any public facilities. Specific objectives and requirements may be adopted in addition to, or in lieu of, existing zoning and design requirements. The coordinated area plan shall include preliminary elevations and information regarding facades, roofs and building materials.
(f) A determination of the economic and fiscal feasibility of the plan with specific analysis of market place factors and incentives and disincentives to the desired development product, as well as a cost-benefit analysis of public infra-structure investments and projected economic benefits to the city and community.
(g) Environmental review, provided that to the maximum extent feasible the Comprehensive Plan Environmental Impact Report shall be used as a master or tiered EIR in order to streamline and focus environmental review of the coordinated area plan.
(Ord. 4454 § 2 (part), 1997)
19.10.050 Coordinated development permit required.
A coordinated development permit shall be required before any building or structure is erected, constructed, enlarged, altered on the exterior, placed or installed on any site located within an area subject to an approved coordinated area plan.
(Ord. 4454 § 2 (part), 1997)
19.10.060 Development must be consistent with coordinated area plan.
No coordinated development permit shall be issued, nor shall any building or structure be erected, constructed, enlarged, altered on the exterior, placed, installed or moved within an area subject to an approved coordinated area plan except upon a finding that the resulting building or structure is consistent with the coordinated area plan.
(Ord. 4454 § 2 (part), 1997)
The best way is to go UP!! The towers seem logical.
It isn't totally surprising that Ray Bacchetti, retired vice president of Stanford University, is in favor of the plan.
Nor was it surprising that most of those who spoke in favor are Trustees of TheaterWorks.
For all those Palo Altans wearing rose colored glasses: Don't be too quick when replacing an old ROBBER BARON with a new one...
As to burying the trackage, consider the cost DEMANDED by the City of Golden, CO ( yes, THAT Golden ) to bury the C470 highway through the city limits...
God forbid we let a philanthropist build us a beautiful theatre, fix our transit hub, create a nice public space that connects downtown to Stanford -- things the City has been talking about for 30 years with nothing achieved. Arillaga is willing to spend some $100 million of his own money, and instead of making (pleasant) suggestions on how we might prefer for him to adapt his gift to our community, our residents call him nasty names, and revile our own city planners for even speaking to him. Is it any wonder that the last major public building gifted to Palo Alto was by Lucie Stern 80 years ago? Who on earth would want to get involved in this mudfight today? Ashamed to call this town home.
"Beautiful" like our current city hall and the office tower on University Avenue alright. (sarcasm intended).
>For Councilman Gail Price who said she "felt very uncomfortable with the comments implying some hidden agenda by the staff"
Just look at how Alma Plaza was pushed through despite objections from almost every citizen who spoke. I have no faith in the process being unbiased anymore
Someone slammed me above because I noted Stanford-bound traffic races up Embarcadero from 101 into the university; I WITNESS the exact cars doing this because of my route (I head off to the right when the road splits) - I have seen this for YEARS. A lot of cars come off 101 at a high rate of speed and this is a RESIDENTIAL neighborhood, not an expressway up to Stanford, as they seem to think. We are constantly lectured about the merits of bicycling, taking the train, and narrowing our roads; yet NOBODY deals with the STANFORD TRAFFIC. We residents who pay taxes are heavily impacted NOW with Stanford traffic; all I am doing is noting this in good faith and asking that it be dealt with if/when Stanford and their developer get their way and push this project through.
Longtime resident--well stated and completely true. Note that it is always the same group of people (bob Moss, Herb Borack, Emily Renzel, Enid Pearson, Tina Peak,Fred Balin etc) that are against any all change to Palo Alto (because it was sooooooo wonderful X years ago!!!!)
"Someone slammed me above because I noted Stanford-bound traffic races up Embarcadero from 101 into the university; I WITNESS the exact cars doing this because of my route (I head off to the right when the road splits) - I have seen this for YEARS. A lot of cars come off 101 at a high rate of speed and this is a RESIDENTIAL neighborhood, not an expressway up to Stanford"
And anonymous, I will ask you again how do you know that all the traffic racing off of 101 is going to Stanford??? And given the nature of the exits from 101 to Embarcadero, I doubt many cars are "racing" off of 101. Maybe the traffic to Stanford is driving the prevailing speed (though it may not be the posted speed) and it is people turning off at Louis, Newell, Middlefiled etc that are "racing".
The problem is that people live next to a major local thoroughfare, knowing that it is one and expect to limit traffic to appease their needs [portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
Do you have any concrete suggestions on how to deal with the traffic?? Please provide them and your data for drivers going to Stanford.
We will not get a chance to vote on this because the votes against it would be overwhelming. It's a no-brainer!
Arrillaga doesn't care how it all looks because he does not live here. He just can't stop making money, is all. And he does not need any more of it, as the fifth richest man in California.
[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
To the people who govern Palo Alto:
Stanford is a UNIVERSITY, not a private golden goose organized just to enrich Palo Alto.
And guess what? City government is there to serve the people and a lot of Palo Alto (and area) residents make a buck or two because of Stanford.
But I guess a politician wouldn't necessarily know that. [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
@Longtime resident -- The concern that you're hearing is that citizens want the public's business to be done in public. This is similar to the school board mess that came out a few months ago, where elected officials collude with staff to treat public process as an unnecessary irritant to getting things done. No one has mentioned the Brown Act, although it does seem like there are a lot of serial meetings happening with city staff as the intermediary, and the "proposal" is getting shaped by those meetings (per the Weekly article last week).
The idea that Arrillaga has to have his tender sensibilities protected from the public is just a symptom of City Council members with stars in their eyes. Arrillaga himself didn't get to be a billionaire by taking his ball and going home because somebody looked at him cross-eyed.
"No one has mentioned the Brown Act, although it does seem like there are a lot of serial meetings happening with city staff as the intermediary, and the "proposal" is getting shaped by those meetings (per the Weekly article last week)."
The Brown Act issues regarding this project were discussed in some detail on the earlier thread:
Web Link
I am not sympathetic to those amongst our community who cannot deal with changing and adapting.
By the same token, this project proposal also lacks my sympathies.
I generally find the proverbial "Palo Alto Process" to be tiresome. In this matter, it is appropriate.
The presenations I heard at PARC and witnessed at the Council meeting this week were deceptive. It may or may not have intentional, but the merits of this idea did not pass muster with me after what I had presented to me and observed.
My usual inclinations support development and taking a thought process that is out of the "box."
I reluctantly do not believe this project works in its current form.
Don't miss out
on the discussion!
Sign up to be notified of new comments on this topic.
Post a comment
Get the day's top headlines from Palo Alto Online sent to your inbox in the Express newsletter.
How well is City Manager Ed Shikada performing his job?
By Diana Diamond | 13 comments | 2,419 views
Farm Bill and the Organic Movement (part 5) Plus: Global Plant Forward Summit, April 18 – 20
By Laura Stec | 14 comments | 2,155 views
Steins plans VIP service pig roast and cellared beer reveal to celebrate 10th anniversary
By The Peninsula Foodist | 0 comments | 2,087 views


text:
Dashboard technology that lets drivers text and email with voice commands — marketed as a safer alternative — actually is more distracting than simply talking on a cellphone, a new AAA study found.
Automakers have been trying to excite new-car buyers, especially younger ones, with dashboard infotainment systems that let drivers use voice commands to do things like turning on windshield wipers, posting Facebook messages or ordering pizza. The pitch has been that hands-free devices are safer because they enable drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.
But talking on a hands-free phone isn't significantly safer for drivers than talking on a hand-held phone, and using hands-free devices that translate speech into text is the most distracting of all, researchers reported in a study released Wednesday. Speech-to-text systems that enable drivers to send, scroll through, or delete email and text messages required greater concentration by drivers than other potentially distracting activities examined in the study like talking on the phone, talking to a passenger, listening to a book on tape or listening to the radio.
The greater the concentration required to perform a task, the more likely a driver is to develop what researchers call "tunnel vision" or "inattention blindness." Drivers will stop scanning the roadway or ignore their side and rearview mirrors. Instead, they look straight ahead, but fail to see what's in front of them, like red lights and pedestrians.
"People aren't seeing what they need to see to drive. That's the scariest part to me," said Peter Kissinger, president and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, the group's safety research arm. "Police accident investigative reports are filled with comments like the 'looked, but did not see.' That's what drivers tell them. We used to think they were lying, but now we know that's actually true."
There are about 9 million cars and trucks on the road with infotainment systems, and that will jump to about 62 million vehicles by 2018, AAA spokeswoman Yolanda Cade said, citing automotive industry research. At the same time, drivers tell the AAA they believe phones and other devices are safe to use behind the wheel if they are hands-free, she said.
"We believe there is a public safety crisis looming," Cade said. "We hope this study will change some widely held misconceptions by motorists."
AAA officials who briefed automakers, safety advocates and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on the study's findings said they want to limit in-vehicle, voice-driven technologies to "core driving tasks." The National Safety Council, responding to the AAA study, also called on industry and policymakers "to reconsider the inclusion of communications and entertainment technology built into vehicles which allow, or even encourage, the driver to engage in these activities at the expense of focusing on driving."
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers was skeptical. "We are extremely concerned that it could send a misleading message, since it suggests that hand-held and hands-free devices are equally risky," the association said in a statement.
The automakers' trade group said the AAA study focuses only on the mental distraction posed by using a device and ignores the visual and manual aspects of hand-held versus hands-free systems that are integrated into cars.
Other studies have also compared hand-held and hands-free phone use, finding they are equally risky or nearly so. But a recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study of drivers' real world driving experiences found hand-held phone use was less safe than hands-free.
Distracted driving is more widespread in the U.S. than in Europe, according to a survey of drivers about their cellphone and texting habits released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this year. More U.S. drivers reported talking on their cellphones behind the wheel than their counterparts in seven European countries. A larger share of U.S. drivers also reported reading or sending text or email messages while driving. Only Portugal's drivers matched those in the U.S. for this distracting habit — 31 percent in both countries.
Researchers at the University of Utah who conducted the study for the AAA measured the brainwaves, eye movement, driving performance and other indicators of 32 university students as they drove and performed a variety of secondary tasks, ranging from listening to music to sending emails. Cameras were mounted inside the car to track drivers' eye and head movements. A device that drivers pressed was used to record their reaction time to red and green lights introduced to their field of vision. Drivers were fitted with a special skull cap to record their brain activity.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Welcome to week 14 where this week we have been thinking about some of the little extras that sometimes get overlooked at the festive season - table settings! These needn't be elaborate - sometimes the most simple gestures make a bigger impact. We have been making place cards, napkin rings, stamping napkins and making wine glass charms. And the nice thing about doing them this early in the year is that you can customise them to match your decor and have them all ready to lay out during the holiday period.
And we have another fabulous Guest who has joined us this week - Ameli has created the most beautiful invitation and napkin ring to inspire and we would like to thank Ameli very much for agreeing to do this for us.
We would love to see your table settings - it needn't be the whole lot, just one of the above will do, or you may have other ideas of your own that you would like to share with us. Don't forget to leave us your link so that we can come over and drool over your festive table settings. If you need a little inspiration and motivation, here are some samples from Ameli and our fabulous team:
Love from


text:
Recent advances in microelectronics technology and production processes have led to the rapid acceleration in MEMs and LED manufacturing, and breakthroughs in silicon photonics and printed/flexible electronics. But what comes next? The latest manufacturing, materials and production developments in all these technologies will be featured at SEMICON West 2013 (www.semiconwest.org), to be held on July 9-11 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California.
The co-location of LED, MEMS, silicon photonics, and printed/flexible electronics-focused exhibitors and technical presentations within the framework of SEMICON West is aimed at maximizing the synergies between semiconductors and related adjacent markets, as each shares many of the same manufacturing materials, equipment, and processes. Over 200 exhibitors and nearly 20 hours of technical presentations will be focused on these adjacent markets, with leading manufacturers, experts and scientists in their respective fields.
Emerging and adjacent technology sessions at SEMICON West include:
# Adding Value in Next Generation MEMS — This session will address the critical challenges and barriers for MEMS as the market evolves from "one product — one process" craftsmanship to high volume, more flexible manufacturing. Speakers from STMicroelectronics, Yole Développement, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, X-Fab, Texas Instruments, and Bodymedia will address the latest trends and developments
# MEMS & Sensor Packaging for the Internet of Things — The use of MEMs devices is exploding in volume and diversity. To meet this challenge, MEMs packaging and integration technologies will evolve to include controlled stress packaging, selective hermeticity, solutions for multiple sensors, and integrating intelligence and even energy supply and wireless transmission solutions. This session will feature keynote presentations by Janusz Bryzek, Ph.D., VP Development, MEMS and Sensing Solutions, Fairchild Semiconductor and Jiri Marek, Ph.D., senior VP of Engineering Sensors, Automotive Electronics Division, Robert Bosch.
# Looking Ahead to the Next Generation of HB-LED Manufacturing Technology — Industry leaders will look at the current state of progress of some of the key developments that could potentially be disruptive, from alternative substrates and critical defect analysis to light extraction strategies and innovative packaging. Speakers from Yole, Bridgelux, Philips Lumileds, Azzurro Semiconductors, KLA-Tencor, and Seren Photonics will examine the latest breakthrough innovations.
# Building an Infrastructure for Silicon Photonics — We've invited a selection of leaders across the value chain — from the leading research labs to the key chip and systems makers — to talk about the current state of the technology, the likely solutions for integrating photonics with CMOS, and the industry ecosystem that will be needed to manufacture it, including experts from IBM, Cisco, Luxtera, Kotura, and Photonic Systems.
# Integrating Conventional Silicon in Flexible Electronics — Some flexible electronics systems incorporate both printed electronics and silicon technology. This session, presented by SEMI's partner FlexTech Alliance, will explore various techniques for creating very thin silicon chips that can be incorporated in flexible systems and finding ways to cost effectively and reliably integrate more conventional processors or MEMS sensors or high-speed RF communications with printed/flexible electronics systems. Speakers from American Semiconductor, Sandia National Labs, Jabil, Terapac, MC10, and Thin Film Electronics will examine the latest developments.
# Emerging Materials and Processes for Transparent Conductors — This FlexTech Alliance workshop allows you to learn first-hand from materials and process experts about product and manufacturing requirements for transparent conductors in a range of applications. Material performance, manufacturing cost, and maturity are among the discussion topics. Speakers include: Applied Materials, Brewer Science, Cambrios Technologies, CareStream Health, FlexTech Alliance, Fujifilm Dimatix, Nanotech Biomachines, NovaCentrix, Touch Display Research, Sinovia Technologies, and Unipixel.
SEMICON West 2013 (www.semiconwest.org) is the annual tradeshow for the micro- and nano-electronics manufacturing industries. Over 30,000 typically attend this event, and over 620 companies will exhibit the latest innovations and solutions for advanced manufacturing. For the sixth year, SEMICON West will be co-located with Intersolar North America, the leading solar technology conference and exhibition in the U.S. Every major semiconductor manufacturer, foundry, fabless company, equipment and materials supplier — plus leading companies in LEDs, MEMS, displays, printed/flexible electronics, PV, and other emerging technologies — attend SEMICON West.
[info]www.semiconwest.org [/info]


text:
Language: EN
Shop now. Pay later.
The Csepel brake bridge in white will provide you with total safety when braking along with an excellent response. It has a very fast lever opening and the pads can be adjusted so that they adapt perfectly to the rims of your bicycle and provide you with safe braking. The Csepel double pivot brake bridge is resistant thanks to its aluminum construction.
The Csepel company was founded in Hungary in 1928 by Weiss Manfréd. Csepel is the only company that is responsible for the total production of bicycles and components in the country. After the end of the communist regime, the factory was privatized and focused on producing high quality bicycles to improve the quality of life of its citizens. Among the bicycle components that the brand manufactures for urban cycling are handlebars, saddles, brake calipers, grips, frames, forks, handlebar straps and many more. All with a wide range of carefully selected colours that identify the brand.
Decades later Csepel has among its objectives to promote clean and environmentally friendly transport, both locally and internationally. They participate in sports, family and environmental events in order to change lifestyles and have better health and physical condition. They continue to produce high quality bicycles and components at a reasonable and accessible price so that everyone of all ages can enjoy cycling.
Write your review. Be the first to rate this product


text: Youtuber Mckeiyane (cansadapisces) sex tape and nudes photos leaks online from her onlyfans, patreon, private premium, Cosplay, Streamer, Twitch, geek & gamer. cansadapisces yana nudes sexy Youtuber teen revealing her tits and shaved pussy full naked photos. Mckeiyane creates try on hauls sexy bikini and lingeri Mega forlder and dropbox Twitter and Instagram. @mckeiyane


text:
Miscellanious topics not listed below.
Use this control to limit the display of threads to those newer than the specified time frame.
Allows you to choose the data by which the thread list will be sorted.
Order threads in...
Note: when sorting by date, 'descending order' will show the newest results first.
Forum Rules


text:
Starting in the 1930s, U.S. farm programs focused on reducing crop surpluses and sending checks to farmers when crop prices fell. That all changed in 1996. In a political parallel to today's Tea Party-influenced environment, the Republican-controlled Congress decided that year that it was time to let the free market – not government – drive the farming economy. In renewing the farm bill that year, lawmakers voted to end the traditional farm subsidy system in favor of five years of "market transition" payments to farmers. But then a strange thing happened. The payments that were supposed to decline annually never actually went away. Farm programs turned into a cash crop for big agribusinesses, which co-opted federal policy and turned it into a perennial giveaway that disproportionately benefits large landowners and wealthy farm operations. And that remains the reality today.
The industrial agriculture lobby has been defending the controversial "direct payment" form of taxpayer-funded subsidies ever since they were first authorized. These fixed, automatic checks go out every year to the largest growers of commodity crops, such as corn and cotton, whether farmers need them or not and despite the fact that farm household income has eclipsed average U.S. household income. Farm income for the largest operations, in particular, has soared sky high.
As Environmental Working Group's Craig Cox said to the New York Times, "How do you justify this kind of money going to a sector of the economy that's booming while other folks in the country are suffering?"
The epitome of waste is spending taxpayer money when we don't have to. Thanks to the current drive to slash the ballooning federal deficit, Congress is finally on the verge of eliminating direct payments. That would open the door for a farm policy that levels the playing field for all of agriculture and creates a fiscally responsible safety net that actually helps keep working farm and ranch operators on the land.
This timeline is a comprehensive look at how direct payments have hurt taxpayers, farmers and the environment over the past 15 years. It also highlights the critical importance of budget and spending transparency in federal policy, and farm policy in particular. Because data on who received direct payments, and how much they received, was publically available, EWG's Farm Subsidy Database was able to document how direct payments became an expensive handout to large-scale agribusinesses, absentee landowners, and profitable mega-farms. One reason to be skeptical of current proposals to shift direct payments to "revenue insurance" schemes is that such a system would almost surely end farm subsidy transparency.
1992-1995: "Following the Money"
Modern industrial agriculture is a resource-intensive and environmentally damaging enterprise. For years, programs subsidizing large-scale commodity growers have been flush with federal cash, while proven conservation programs that help protect water, soil and wildlife habitat from the ravages of industrial agriculture have lacked adequate funding. With Congress beginning to work on the 1996 farm bill, EWG resolved to compete more effectively with the farm subsidy lobby if conservation programs were to receive their fair share.
EWG also thought the public ought to know what was happening on Capitol Hill. Its data team began filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and finding out just who was cashing those farm subsidy checks. EWG built a searchable database from the tens of millions of federal records and opened its Washington, D.C. office to journalists and other news media professionals, who began reviewing the records and filing reports on the serious inequities in farm spending that the data showed.
1995-1996: The Republican House
In 1994, when the Republican Party took more than 50 seats to take control of the House of Representatives, farm income and crop prices were high. Sound familiar?
The GOP, led by House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia, persuaded Congress that farmers would be far better off without farm subsidies – and the government restrictions on what crops they could grow that came with them. Moreover, like today, there was tremendous pressure to reduce the federal deficit, and cutting the subsidies looked like a good way to do that. As a result, in 1996 lawmakers passed the so-called "Freedom to Farm" bill, which was supposed to phase out all traditional subsidies and create "market transition" payments to ease into a subsidy-free farm system. Lawmakers promised taxpayers that the payments would decline each year and end completely after five years. But that never happened.
As EWG President Ken Cook pointed out at the time, the reality was that, "The 1996 farm bill would not phase out subsidy programs and at least $4 billion or more would be available for every year after it expired in 2002. In fact, it would make things worse by divorcing payments entirely from market conditions, actual farming activity, and economic need." He was right.
1998-1999: Doubling Up Market Loss Payments
In a marked contrast to today's farm economy – one that most informed observers agree will be robust for years to come – within two years of the signing of the 1996 farm bill the farm economy had deteriorated and farm income and crop prices fell sharply. Farm lobbyists stormed Capitol Hill and demanded that lawmakers boost what were supposed to be declining market transition payments. In 1999-2001, Congress obliged and sent $21.4 billion to farmers as "market loss payments," which essentially doubled the market transition payments farmers had been receiving. Congress defended the generous spending as emergency relief. In reality, a significant portion of the aid went to a very small group of recipients who were already benefiting the most from taxpayer dollars.
2001: Farm Subsidy Database Goes Online
Having generated an enormous amount of interest through its in-house computer system, EWG decided to publish its Farm Subsidy Database online for the public to see. Within a month, it had been searched 5 million times. As the New York Times reported, the database "not only caught the attention of lawmakers, it also helped transform the farm bill into a question about equity and whether the country's wealthiest farmers should be paid to grow commodity crops while many smaller family farms receive nothing and are going out of business." It has been updated every year with new data and has logged 320 million searches to date.
In 2001, Rep. Ron Kind, a Wisconsin Democrat, introduced legislation to direct more farm bill dollars to conservation programs and rural development, putting the spotlight on the lavish direct payments documented in the Farm Subsidy Database. Kind and other lawmakers used the subsidy data to bolster their arguments as they argued their positions in floor debates and, in some cases, vented their outrage. His bill lost despite garnering 200 votes, but a strong coalition representing a wide range of interests – taxpayers, conservation and wildlife –began to form, and the calls for reform grew louder.
2002: Congress Authorizes Even More Subsidies
Buoyed by a budget surplus, lawmakers returned to Washington and decided to bring back all the traditional farm subsidies – and keep the market transition payments, too. They changed the name from "market transition" to "direct" payments, but the checks continued to go out year after year regardless of need. Taxpayers footed the bill even when farm prices and incomes were high, without regard to other subsidies beneficiaries were receiving or whether they were actively engaged in farming at all. Since 2002, direct payments have cost the federal government about $5 billion a year on average, for a total to date of $41.4 billion. They are figured into land value estimates, drive up land prices and rents and make it harder for small farmers to expand and new farmers to enter farming.
Meanwhile, the more traditional counter-cyclical payments, which were also authorized in 2002, compensate farmers for drops in market prices. These programs have created perverse incentives that often reduce profitability and drive up taxpayer cost. Over the last decade, the government has paid out $15 billion in counter-cyclical payments.
2003: Subsidies Are Not "Saving the Farm"
In 2003, the average American household made about $59,000 per year. Farm households made $10,000 more, but almost all of the extra income came from off-farm sources – jobs in other sectors of the economy. With farmer incomes above national averages, it seemed odd to many that the government continued to dole out direct payments, and that wasn't all. That year, Congress began funneling billions of dollars in disaster aid to hundreds of thousands of farms on a regular basis. A farm-by-farm review counted $11.3 billion in disaster payments from 1995-2003 – on top of direct payments.
2005: Bush Administration Opens Door to Reform
The Bush administration took issue with the inequities in the system and took the lead on farm bill reform. In 2005, it released a budget proposal to limit subsidy payments to farmers to $250,000. It was a very big deal at the time because the administration opened the door to reform on the most contested issue in agriculture policy. But big agriculture lobbyists were far from giving up.
2006: The Washington Post's Year-long Investigation
Washington Post reporters helped advanced the case for reform in a series called "Harvesting Cash," which included more than a dozen stories and several interactive maps.
On the campaign trail for the Democratic nomination for President, Iowa's then-Gov. Tom Vilsack called for farm subsidy cuts and told the Post, "I didn't get much of a reaction from farmers because deep down most of them know the system needs to be changed." The Post went on to report that, "Vilsack joined a host of interest groups from across the political spectrum that are pressing for changes in government assistance to agriculture."
2007: The Kind-Flake Amendment
Taking advantage of the momentum for reform, Reps. Kind and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) introduced a bipartisan amendment in the House to end direct payments and overhaul other subsidies in order to invest more farm bill money in conservation and nutrition programs. Unfortunately, the Kind-Flake amendment failed and the House passed a new farm bill that maintained the status quo.
2008: Subsidy Lobby on the Defensive
In the run-up to the 2008 farm bill re-authorization, the subsidy lobby and farm organizations pressed relentlessly for billions of dollars in additional taxpayer support in the form of still more lavish direct payments. However, there was enough push back from lawmakers and reformers to block an increase.
National and local media circles began highlighting the calls for reform by publishing 477 pro-reform editorials that year. EWG's interactive online map analysis noted, "Few issues have garnered as much editorial page criticism of Congress, which by and large has acceded to the subsidy lobby's preferences for unlimited taxpayer support for the largest commercial farming operations in the country. This occurs while most farmers and ranchers receive no support at all. Congress' unwillingness to take on these special interests has only increased the clamor for change in the nation's newspapers."
Despite the overwhelming support for change, Congress sent a farm bill to President Bush that didn't make a dent in direct payments. Instead, it brought on board two new subsidy programs, including the Average Crop Revenue Election program that guaranteed farmers a set level of farm income. Bush responded by vetoing the entire bill. Due to a clerical mistake, Congress had to re-pass the bill and send it to the President again. He vetoed it again, but both vetoes were overridden. The subsidy-laden bill became law.
2010: The Snowball Effect and the Elections
For most of 2009 and 2010, the country was digging out of an economic recession, and cost-cutting ideas were at the top of the agenda. None other than Rep. Peterson, long a die-hard farm subsidy defender, acknowledged the intensifying criticisms in a statement: "One of the issues that needs to be looked at or addressed is, are these direct payments being capitalized into land values and rents? And is that making it more difficult for young farmers to get started?"
Not long after, the Iowa Farm Bureau announced it would support cutting off direct payments to farmers if the money went towards crop insurance instead. The Delta Farm Press wrote, "The Iowa Farm Bureau action, which is not binding on any other state Farm Bureau, may be the first by producers to call for an end to direct payments, which have become a favorite target of criticism by non-farm groups."
An analysis titled "Democrats' Bitter Harvest," showed rural Democrats who voted for the 2008 farm bill and its lavish farm subsidies were not at all shielded from the Republican wave in the 2010 election. At least 15 Democratic members of the House Agriculture Committee lost their seats, while Democrats who had voted against the bill were largely unscathed.
2011: The Super Committee
With the national debt on the rise, Congress charged a Super Committee of 12 House and Senate members to propose legislation by late November to make $1.5 trillion in spending cuts. Agriculture programs are on the table. Several farm groups have responded by coming up with their own proposals to keep their piece of the pie. President Obama also unveiled a deficit reduction plan that places direct payments in the crosshairs. Hours after the Obama administration's plan went public, Cook said in a statement, "We are encouraged to see the tide turning in favor of investments in agriculture that are smarter for farmers and the environment and fairer to taxpayers who have been padding the bank accounts of profitable agribusiness operators for years."
2012: The Failed Farm Bill Bait and Switch
When both the Senate and House Agriculture Committees sat down to craft their versions of what they hoped would be a 2012 farm bill, both committees eliminated direct payments in their proposals. By this time most members recognized how hard it was to justify the automatic payments to profitable mega farms in a contentious budget environment.
Sadly, instead of giving relief to taxpayers, or using some of the savings to makeup ground in programs chronically cut like conservation, in a classic bait and switch lawmakers opted to plow much of the $5 billion per year in savings into new entitlements for the largest and most successful farm businesses. Their plan called for growing unlimited crop insurance subsidies and creating new budget-busting farm revenue and price guarantees.
But the House failed to pass its farm bill and thankfully the egregious expansion of the crop insurance program was scuttled for the time being.
2013: The "Fiscal Cliff" Extension
On New Year's Day Congress reached a deal on the "fiscal cliff" tax bill. Included in that bill was a last minute extension of the 2008 farm bill that perpetuated the widely discredited direct payments. A responsible measure would have cut direct payments and insurance subsidies and fully funded important conservation programs. Instead of eliminating the wasteful direct payments program, the bill passed by Congress cuts funding for organic agriculture, clean water, and beginning farmer initiatives.
Congress now prepares to pickup the farm bill again this May. They are expected to once again target direct payments while using the savings to create new insurance subsidy schemes. But the time is ripe for change. Policy makers and the public know it. Farmers need a system they can be proud of, one that rewards them for good stewardship of the land and promotes the protection of our soil and water. Right now, the top 10 percent of recipients still receive 74 percent of all subsidy money, while two-thirds of farmers get absolutely nothing. Reforming the system will not only ease the nation's financial situation, it will protect other farm bill priorities – such as nutrition and conservation programs – from further cuts.


text:
Frugal Tips: Mother's Day Craft
Frugal Tip: Save money and create more meaningful gifts by giving homemade items. Receivers will remember them better than anything store bought. Here are some ideas for Mother's Day
Each week I bring you a craft you can create with your child that is both frugal and educational. This week I want to focus on Mother's Day crafts. You may be thinking, "I don't want to create my own gift!". If this is how you feel, pass the directions onto your husband or another adult. I personally think it makes the gift even more special if you help your child create it because now you not only have a gift, but every time you look at you will remember the experience of helping them make the gift.
There are so many gifts for Mother's Day on the internet and in books; I have tried to pick a couple of the most frugal ones that allow you to use materials around the house.
Recipe Card Holder
Small envelope box
Wrapping paper, brown paper bag, or construction paper
Markers, crayon, glitter, any other decorative items
Glue or tape
Index cards
Recipes from internet or magazines
1. "Wrap" the empty envelope box with your choice of paper.
2. Decorate the outside of the box and labe the top "Mom's Recipes".
3. Cut the recipes out and glue or tape them onto the index cards.
4. Fill the box with recipes!
Photo or Memory Box
Empty shoe box or diaper wipe container
Wrapping Paper of your choice
Tape or glue
Markers, glitter glue, other decorative items
1. Wrap or decorate the outside of your box or container.
2. Label the box "Mom's Favorite Photos" or "Mommy/Name of Child" Memories
3. Fill with loose photos or scraps of paper with favorite mommy/child memories. You can also present it to Mom for her to fill. We filled ours with a flower Will made at Easter and a framed photo of the boys.
Thanks to Mom on Dealz for these ideas!
Cook, Baker, Phototaker, Fitness Mover and Shaker, Cupcake Tester, Deal Maker, Adventurous Undertaker, Do Good "Deeder", Teacher, Mom, Wife, Patriot for Life & Giver of Good Advice – RealAdviceGal


text:
Sept. 20, 2013— -- With war paint smeared on their faces, football pads on their shoulders and garters dangling from their lace-trimmed shorts, the all-female football team known as The Chicago Bliss filed into their locker room at halftime. They were beating their Midwest rivals, the Green Bay Chill, but their coach was not at all pleased with how they were playing.
"Get your s--- together, that girl is kicking your f---ing ass," he yelled at one of the players.
Welcome to the Legends Football League, where ladies dressed in nothing but a bra, booty shorts and a hockey helmet play seven-on-seven football -- ground-stomping, body-bruising football.
In short, these ladies are no powder puffs -- but is the sport super sexy or just plain sexist?
With 12 all-female teams participating in two conferences, Eastern and Western, LFL promoters say this is the fastest growing pro-sports franchise in the country. The ladies fill arenas with all sorts of fans, drawing them in with shameless sex appeal and hoping they will stay to appreciate the athleticism.
"Nightline" spent time with The Chicago Bliss, whose head coach is Keith Hac. After 18 years coaching men in semi-pro football, Hac feels that the biggest compliment he can pay these ladies is to treat them just like the guys.
"You're letting the worst defense in the f---ing league stop you, the worst defense," he told them in the locker room at halftime. "You guys are much better than this. You're much better than this."
The LFL has a chorus of critics who accuse the league of objectifying women to sell tickets. But league commissioner Mitch Mortaza makes no apologies for the LFL's business model – sex sells.
"We just happen to have an entire league of Tom Brady's and David Beckham's and Maria Sharapova's," he said. "That's the business model. We're very upfront and honest about it, and I think to a degree, that's definitely helped in the marketing of the sport."
Most football players don't include tanning and manicures in their training routines, but these female footballers see it as just part of prepping for the next big game. While it may seem like somewhat of a spectacle, the teams take the sport very seriously, spending at least six hours a week practicing on the field, rehearsing and studying complicated plays.
"You know its women playing football with lingerie on, but at the same time we're serious. This is not just a costume," said Yashi Rice, a defensive tackle for the Bliss.
These women play in the League for no money. It's a second job for most. Rice, whose brother, Simeon Rice, played in the NFL for 12 years and even won a Super Bowl in 2002 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, sells life insurance.
Chicago Bliss wide receiver Alli Alberts is a dentist. Ironically, her specialty is doling out brutal hits on the field and periodontics. And the injuries the women suffer on the field can be serious -- Alberts said she has suffered concussions, but she is most concerned about her right hand.
"If I break a finger on this right hand, I can't do any dentistry, and how am I going to make money," she said. "But I don't live my life that way. I don't live my life [as] 'oh I might get hurt so I shouldn't do it.'"
While on the four-hour drive to meet their Midwest rivals, the Green Bay Chill, the Chicago Bliss bus felt like a supercharged sorority house. The ladies joked about breaking up with their boyfriends before every season.
"Our coach says, for the next few months, Football is your boyfriend," said offensive line Dina Fagiano.
After years of playing in lingerie, it's clear these women are comfortable in their own skin -- wardrobe malfunctions on the field and all.
"I definitely had my top ripped open," said Bliss team captain and quarterback Heather Furr. "After I scored, you know… I gave the crowd a good shake."
"I got my under-bottoms ripped off last season," Rice said.
"Her whole tushy showed and they got it on camera," Fagiano said. "The crowd loved--"
"But I didn't love that," Rice quipped.
When they arrived in Green Bay, the locker room quickly turned into a beauty salon. On went the fake eyelashes, make-up and skimpy uniforms.
Minutes before game time, emotions ran high as the ladies started pumping each other up with chants and encouragement.
"Tonight I'm playing for my son," said Bliss running back Chrisdell Harris. "I'm playing from my heart. I'm playing for somebody to look at me love me for who I am."
As the Bliss faced off with the Chill, it appeared to be more of a performance than play, but the rough and tumble of the game is not for the faint of heart. During her first outing, Alberts was knocked out cold. She later said her family doesn't understand why she loves playing football so much and argues that she is putting her dentistry future in danger.
"And my answer is that, I can't not do it, I love it," Alberts said.
And although the League requires its players to have health insurance, the LFL doesn't pay for it. The women wear plastic helmets and shoulder pads in games but it is much less protective equipment than their male counterparts wear, which Mitch Mortaza defended.
"There's a reason why the NHL has far less concussion, sustained concussions in the NHL versus the NFL, because once you put them in a football helmet, often times it's used as a weapon. They tend to spear one another," Mortaza said. "These women are smart. If they felt in any way they weren't protected out there, that they didn't have the medical support off the field, they wouldn't come back."
The Chicago Bliss prevailed over the Green Bay Chill in that game, 27 to 18. While some may judge these women for their skimpy outfits and trash-talking ways, the athletes may just be the unlikely vanguard for the feminist mystique.


text:
Regime Change
Say it isn't so! Chris Sharma is now into … aid climbing?
Say it isn't so! Chris Sharma is now into … aid climbing?
"I've just been addicted to it," says Sharma, who is currently living in Lleida, Spain, about an hour and a half inland of Barcelona. "Climbing and bolting. Putting up routes. Using hooks, removable bolts. Doing whatever it takes to get a new line in."
The result is dozens of new A0's for most of us, but for Sharma, 27, and the booming contingent of strong international sport climbers, these bolts protect some of the hardest and longest free-climbing sequences ever put together.
In 2008, Sharma bolted over 20 new routes, some easier, but most 5.14d and harder. Last year was not only his most productive as a route developer, but with two 5.15b first ascents within a couple of months, it was a milestone for difficulty. First, Sharma redpointed the 250-foot Jumbo Love (5.15b) at Clark Mountain in his home state, California. Then in Siurana, Spain, he redpointed his second 5.15b, Golpe de Estado, which is the Spanish phrase for "coup d'état."
Lesser known are the handful of 5.14d and 5.15a routes he established, such as Papichulo (5.15a) in Oliana, a 150-foot line up blue stone reminiscent of Céüse, and Gancho Perfecto (5.14d) on the conglomerate rock of Margalef.
Golpe de Estado is a direct start into a route called Estado Critico (5.14c/d). The all-around badass Stefan Glowacz rapped down the line 15 years ago, put two bolts in, and stopped. As enticing as the line had looked, it appeared to be too hard—this was during a time when 5.14d was top of the scale, and there were fewer than a dozen routes of that rating in the world. Then Dani Andrada—perhaps the most motivated and accomplished developer of sport climbs in Spain, if not the world—finished bolting the rest of Estado Critico. The pocket-sized 5'2" 105-pound Ramonet Puigblanque nabbed the first ascent in 2007.
Sharma bolted the direct start at the end of 2007, and managed to "one-hang" the route by the next spring. After returning to the States for the summer, and putting down Jumbo Love in September, Sharma returned to Golpe de Estado and redpointed it in December. He rated the climb 9b, which translates to 5.15b, saying it was definitely harder than all the 5.15a's he has done.
What did you do today?
I bolted a new route at Oliana. It's 5.13d or so, and 50 meters long. Pretty epic.
Tell us about life in Lleida.
It's kind of a weird place; you're always wondering what you're doing here. But it's a really strategic place to be. Within an hour's drive we can reach many different crags. Siurana, Terradets, Oliana, Rodellar, Margalef.
You said a hold broke on Golpe de Estado after you sent it. Is it harder now?
I went back and checked it out. It wasn't a hold on a key sequence. I'd like to repeat the route again, but I don't think the broken hold is going to make it any harder, so I'm not super motivated. I've got 10 other projects I'd rather focus on.
Ten projects seems like a lot.
Yeah, but it's good to have them all here in this one region. I feel more centered. After having projects all over the place, it's nice to just be in one place, and allow myself to be more patient. Take the time to bolt routes, work out the moves, take enough rest, and not be in a hurry. It's a longer process than just repeating a route. It's so much work, but when you get it all completed, it's really satisfying.
Describe where you are.
I think this area of Spain has undoubtedly become the epicenter of global sport climbing. There are so many people, of all abilities and from all over the world, traveling through here all the time.
I've been climbing a lot with Dani Andrada, and he's a machine. He's taught me a lot about how to bolt. Dani is super organized. He made a list of projects that can be done—as in, all the moves are there, but just haven't been sent yet. In Catalunya, there are 50 doable projects of 5.14b and above. There are maybe 25 in Santa Linya above 5.14c. There are entire crags in the south of Spain, but not enough people to develop them.
Are all these routes natural? The impression many Americans have of Spanish crags is that they are mostly chipped.
In Catalunya there aren't really any chipped routes. Attitudes have definitely changed, and chipping is not OK. It seems to be a thing of the past, not just with Americans, but with the Spanish climbers, too. Internationally, the chipped routes of the early 1990s seemed to be a necessary phase for climbing. I don't really know why exactly it needed to be like that … maybe for people to realize it's not cool. Nowadays the natural features in the rock inspire people.
What style do you enjoy more: onsighting or redpointing?
I like them both. I enjoy projecting routes that are at my limit and take a lot of effort. I also like trying to onsight something at my limit. Routes that might only take a handful of tries—things I can do quickly, but not on the first go—don't really interest me.
I almost onsighted a 5.14c yesterday—which would've been a first for me. I fell at the top, and that wasn't even the hard move. If I go back to try that route, I'm sure I will fall many, many times before that final point because the motivation isn't there anymore.
You're climbing well right now. Any other ascents?
Hmmm … [thinking]. I did a first ascent in the Verdon [France] with Dani recently. It's a nine-pitch 5.14b called Passage de Guy. Dani bolted the route with Daniel Dulac, and together they redpointed all of the pitches except for the 5.14b crux pitch.
Dani brought me to the route, and we climbed it ground up. Seven of the pitches are 5.13b or harder. I flashed all of them except for the crux, which I did on my second try.
I'm really psyched to do some longer routes there. There are these amazing 500-foot caves in the Verdon with beautiful tufas. It would be cool to put up a long multi-pitch route. That's the motivation right now: bolting new routes. I'm just in heaven here.


text:
If You're Coming From The Moth Podcast, Welcome!
Wow. It has been a long time since I posted here. This blog is basically an abandoned lighthouse on the Internet now: it's the first thing you'd see from the ocean, but a bunch of kids smashed all the light bulbs a long time ago.
You're probably here because you heard my story on The Moth's podcast this week, and I couldn't be more glad that you showed up! If you want to see more performances, contact me, or sign up for my mailing list, you can do that at the preceding links, or at my personal website, here:
You can also reach me on Twitter: @jeffsimmermon
This is a video of my performance from that same Moth Grand SLAM that you heard on the podcast, if you're inclined:
I teach storytelling and do tons of standup in NYC and the surrounding areas. I'm always looking for more work, more shows, and would probably love to come to your town and perform. I'd also love it if you were to share this video of my story on your Twitter, Tumblr, or incredibly well-trafficked blog.
Get in touch!


text:
Gut microbes deserve a lot of credit: They not only help digest our food, produce some nutrients, detoxify harmful substances, and protect us from pathogens—they are also important for the development of the immune system. Disturbances in the gut microbiota have been linked to allergies as well as disorders of the digestive and immune systems. Although intestinal organisms' impact on the digestive system's functioning is generally accepted, how they influence pathologies elsewhere in the body has remained a mystery.
New research has begun to address this enigma. Diane Mathis, professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School, and her colleagues have found that one species of naturally occurring gut bacteria can set off arthritis in mice, in part by manipulating cells of the immune system. Their study appears in the June 25 issue of the journal Immunity.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, incurable disease characterized primarily by painful joint inflammation. Although its precise cause is unknown, RA is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakes the body's own substances and cells for foreign invaders and releases friendly fire on them.
To study how gut microbes affect the development of RA, the researchers made use of a specific strain of mice that naturally develop severe inflammatory arthritis. They raised the mice under germ-free conditions and found that the animals developed RA significantly more slowly than the controls that were naturally colonized with diverse, nonpathogenic microorganisms.
What's more, the colonized mice produced a much greater level of an immunoregulatory protein known as IL-17. This molecule is produced by immune cells and promotes inflammation. Blocking IL-17 function in the mice prevented disease progression, demonstrating the important role of IL-17 in arthritis.
Next, the researchers inoculated germ-free mice with a single bacterium species known as segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB), which is naturally found in the gut and has previously been shown to cause increases in IL-17. After the mice were exposed to SFB the researchers observed that the animals not only produced greater amounts of IL-17, but also developed arthritis much more rapidly suggesting that in genetically susceptible individuals gut bacteria can promote arthritis by stimulating the immune system to produce IL-17.
RA has previously been linked with infection by pathogens such as mycoplasma bacteria, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, parvovirus and rubella (German measles) virus, but conclusive evidence is still lacking.
"This [disease] has always been thought of in terms of pathogenic organisms," Mathis says. "People haven't really studied the effect of commensal bacteria."
Alexander Chervonsky, professor of pathology at the University of Chicago who was not involved with this study, notes that one significant outcome of this research is the finding that particular microbes, in this case SFB, can determine the outcome of an autoimmune disease. He points out, however, that even in germ-free conditions these mice still develop arthritis although they do so much more slowly. He says this suggests that the development of arthritis does not require the presence of SFB, but that exposure to the microbes may accelerate disease progression.
Evidence for microbial influence on the development of autoimmune disorders in humans comes primarily from twin studies. For example, type 1 diabetes affects both individuals in pairs of identical twins only about 50 percent of the time. If microorganisms indeed play a role in establishing this difference, there are at least two possible mechanisms at work: First, the diabetic twin could result from infection with a microbe that causes or promotes development of the disease; alternatively, the diabetes-free twin could result from colonization by germs that prevent onset of the disease. Recent studies by Chervonsky support the latter scenario, with greater diabetes incidence seen in specific strains of mice raised under germ-free conditions.
"We have to be cautious because although the mice are kept in a germ-free environment, it doesn't mean that they are not exposed to microbial products," Chervonsky says. He adds there is always concern that microbes may contaminate the feed, a possibility that could be overcome using a completely synthetic diet.
Mathis emphasized that one should not take away from these mouse studies "that mice or humans can 'catch' an autoimmune disease or arthritis," she says. She added that the better way to think about it is that individuals have varying degrees of genetic susceptibility, and when exposed to certain environmental factors may then go on to develop disease. "It's really an interaction between genetics and environment," Mathis says.


text:
Autor: Backeberg
"Wrapped candle wax with cephalium (head)", because the genus has a cephalium which is literally buried, sunk into the stem.
A genus of erect, semi erect or creeping plants, branching from the base or not (according to species), stems globular or elongated to columnar. Areoles rather small and close to each other, spines variable. Cephalium lateral or apical, more or less embedded in the stem, consisting of wool and robust bristles, wherein the flowers appear.
Flowers nocturnal, self sterile, pollinated by bats and moths (or diurnal in the subgenus Buiningia and so pollinated by hummingbirds), tubular, bell-shaped or funnel-shaped, white, pinkish-white, greenish-white, greenish yellow or purplish red. The fruits are fleshy berries, globular or club-shaped, naked, expelled when ripe and opening through a basal pore. Seeds globose to pyriform, tuberculate, black, mainly dispersed by ants (myrmecochory), also by lizards (saurochory).
The genus Coleocephalocereus grows endemically in Brazil among rocks, on granitic outcrops and often slightly sloped terraces, in cracks where pockets of humus accumulate, also in the caatinga (dry thorn Brazilian forest), together with other cacti and succulents, from 200 m up to 800 m in altitude. Temperatures vary little throughout the year, and the relative humidity is quite high.
Brazil (Bahia, Espirito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo).
Currently 10 species + one doubtful subspecies:
– Coleocephalocereus aureus F.Ritter 1968
– Coleocephalocereus braunii Diers & Esteves 1985
– Coleocephalocereus buxbaumianus Burning 1974
– Coleocephalocereus buxbaumianus subsp. flavisetus (F.Ritter) Taylor & Zappi 1997
– Coleocephalocereus decumbens F.Ritter 1968
– Coleocephalocereus diersianus P.J.Braun & Esteves 1988
– Coleocephalocereus estevesii Diers & Esteves 1978
– Coleocephalocereus fluminensis* (Miq.) Backeb. 1941
– Coleocephalocereus goebelianus* (Vaupel) Burning 1970 (doubtful here)
– Coleocephalocereus pluricostatus Burning & Brederoo 1971
– Coleocephalocereus purpureus F.Ritter 1979
References: "TAXONOMY of the CACTACEAE" - ISBN 978-84-617-3723-9 (Vol. 1)


text:
Marriage Customs in Many Lands, by Hutchinson, Henry Neville
Note: Supplemental materials are not guaranteed with Rental or Used book purchases.
- Cover: Paperback
- Copyright: 1/30/2005
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!


text:
I recently interviewed for a position at the recipe site Cookstr.
And…I made this joke on Facebook at the time, so, friends, bear with me: Like the Buffalo Bills in the 1990s and the Chicago Cubs in the 2003 NLCS, I have a history of choking when it counts…so I spent a fair amount of time reviewing the site beforehand so I'd be as prepared as possible at the moment of truth.
And…I gotta say: I like what I found. I think it's a really good concept — and I'm not just saying that.
Here's why:
In this NY Tech Meetup video from CenterNetworks, Founder and CEO Will Schwalbe shares his love of cookbooks and explains that the major online recipe databases, Epicurious and FoodNetwork.com, are focused on Conde Nast and Food Network content, respectively, but chefs and cookbook authors don't really have a place on the Web where they can share their recipes and drum up interest in their books.
And thus, as Schwalbe tells it in the video, Cookstr was born.
It sort of reminds me of Birchbox, actually. I talked to one of the start-up's founders for a ClickZ story in January. Basically, for $10 a month, Birchbox members receive high-end samples of hair, makeup and/or skincare products from partners like Benefit, Nars, Cargo and Laura Mercier. Birchbox, in turn, talks up all of the samples it includes in each monthly box…and gives members the opportunity to go back to its Web site to order full-size products. So…the partners give away samples, but, in turn, reach a wider audience and gain yet another online space where they can hawk their wares.
That's essentially what's happening with Cookstr, except there's no monthly fee. Cookstr has partnered with a slew of chefs and cookbook authors, who are featured on the site. These recipe-producers allow a sample of their content to appear on the site…and each recipe is displayed alongside an image of the cookbook it originated from…and, if you click on it, you are given multiple options for purchasing the book from retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
It's pretty smart for all parties involved, as I'm sure Cookstr has revenue-sharing agreements with each vendor. And the cookbook authors and publishers don't have much to lose — just a few recipes.
I think Cookstr has really great search options — I especially love the cost feature — and, frankly, I like a lot of the chefs.
But Cookstr is not perfect.
According to Compete.com, Cookstr had slightly more than 57,000 unique visitors in January. That's versus 1.8 million for Epicurious and 11.3 million for FoodNetwork.com
Granted, Cookstr is still quite young and can't be expected to compete on a level playing field with two major media companies. (According to Wikipedia [after a very cursory Google search], Food Network had revenue of $1.5 billion in 2008…which is when Cookstr was just a baby.) But I honestly think Cookstr *could* give Epicurious and FoodNetwork.com a run for their money…if it only implemented a few small changes.
I always spend hours prepping for interviews and thinking up answers to potential questions and most of this stuff never sees the light of day…so here is my response to, "How could Cookstr improve and/or better compete with Epicurious and FoodNetwork.com?" if for no other reason than proving how passionate I am about food/words/online content and what a great fit I'd be for this site:
1. More feedback.
One of the things I love about Epicurious (my go-to recipe site) is that I can search for a basic recipe like, "apple pie," and even though I end up with multiple results, I can quickly scan the ratings — 1 to 4 forks, from worst to best — to see how users grade each recipe, as well as what percentage of users would make the recipe again and what — if any — comments they have. The comments often include valuable information about tinkering with the recipe and/or tips for next time and help me narrow down my options.
If, for example, I was deciding between Rum Raisin Apple Pie and Lattice Apple Pie with Mexican Brown Sugar, I'd see that 95% of users would make the Rum Raisin pie again and that they've given it an average rating of 4 forks and that user mandica from Windham, Conn. decided to soak the raisins longer to make them plumper.
I know that the content on Cookstr is supposed to be trusted already…but I also think it's fair to say that every recipe site — Epicurious included — is bound to have a stinker somewhere. Plus, Rick Bayless may assure me that his Smoky Chipotle Salsa with Pan-Roasted Tomatillos is as simple to make as it is delicious, but what about those of us who haven't spent decades studying Mexican cuisine? How easy is it for us to produce? That's where I think user feedback is so valuable. If I'm going to the trouble of actually cooking or baking something, I'd like a reasonable expectation that it will turn out okay. And seeing multiple users say, "Yummy!" Or, "Perfect! Just cut down the salt…" puts my mind at ease.
But, sadly, there doesn't seem to be much commenting on Cookstr recipes. Of the 25 recipes I added to My Cookstr, only four had comments. And just one apiece. I suppose the number of "favorites" each recipe has helps…but not as much as forks or percentages.
I think Cookstr needs to implement some sort of promotion or go on some sort of social media spree — or both — to encourage users to comment on recipes. Maybe they can reward comments with points and a certain number of points yields a discount on a cookbook…or, since the site already has partnerships with publishers (I think), why not give away some cookbooks to the most prolific commenters? Or, at the very least, tempt those commenters with a feature on the Facebook page?
Simply put: If Cookstr wants to be a trusted recipe site, it needs more user-generated feedback.
2. A dinner newsletter.
The Cookstr 10, a list of ten recipes that is sent out each week, seems pretty focused on holidays or major events. And while that is helpful, to a degree, I feel like eventually you're going to come to a time of year when there aren't any holidays or events nearby and you've already done warm weather or cold weather recipes…so…what then? I guess focusing on one particular cooking technique isn't a bad alternative…and I'm not arguing that the Cookstr 10 should be done away with completely. I just think Cookstr users could be better served by a newsletter that helps solve the problem of what to make for dinner. (This is actually what the Cookstr 10 focused on last week…I don't see why they can't do it every week.)
It's not an original concept. Everyday Food and Good Housekeeping do it. And there's good reason. When I look at magazines or cooking websites, I'm often looking for inspiration. I need to go to the grocery store, but I have no idea what to buy. And I don't think I'm alone.
That dinner void is exactly where Everyday Food and Good Housekeeping step in, and I see no reason why Cookstr can't do the same. All they need is seven dinner recipes once a week — it could even be a compilation of all the Recipes of the Day that week.
If the majority of people do their grocery shopping on weekends, Cookstr could send out this new newsletter, on, say, Friday. It could still focus on the time of year and what's in season and what holidays are coming up…but it would be a much more practical way of saying, "Hey — here are our suggestions for this week. Now you don't have to think about it," which, I think, in turn, conjures up a sense of trust — but only if the recipes are good — and the consumer begins to rely on it more and more (if the recipes are good). Another win-win.
3. Play to the crowd.
There are certain dishes that only come up once a year…but they are reliable bets annually.
Last week, for example, a friend on Facebook posted a request for king cake recipes.
However, if I search for "king cake" on Cookstr — which I did — I get Kathleen's Wheat-Free Fudge Brownies, Flaky Scones and Rosemary Foccacia Sheet. None of these recipes are even remotely close to king cake.
Epicurious, on the other hand, has three viable king cake recipes; FoodNetwork.com has nearly ten.
With Easter coming up, I imagine folks will also be looking for hot cross buns. But, sadly, when I look for "hot cross buns" on Cookstr, I get Jamie Oliver's Bun and Butter Pudding.
I realize these are two heavily Christian examples and that the world is made up of lots of different faiths and that Cookstr can't possibly accommodate every single holiday. But…I think they need to do some research to make sure they have their bases covered for the most popular ones.
Sure, king cake and hot cross buns may not come up super-often…but the absence of recipes in cases like this will alienate those who *are* looking for them and send them right into Epicurious and/or FoodNetwork.com's arms. I, for one, get quickly discouraged if a site offers no options for what I'm looking for…and I move on.
In short, I think that if Cookstr wants to gain and/or retain the trust of consumers who are searching for recipes, it needs to better anticipate what they are searching for — and accommodate them.
4. More tweets.
As of Sunday afternoon, Cookstr's last tweet was on March 4. That's nine days ago. They simply can't go that long without any updates.
For one, the site features a Chef or Author of the Day every single day. At the very least, that's prime tweeting material.
The site also features a Recipe of the Day. Why are these recipes not tweeted daily, too?
What's more, tons of folks are talking about Cookstr recipes on Twitter. Check out these search results. There's no reason for @Cookstr not to reply to — and follow — these users.
Simply put, the site needs better engagement with this audience. @Epicurious and @FoodNetwork don't miss a day — neither should @Cookstr.


text:
Weight is never an easy subject, but it can be especially dicey when parents broach the issue of eating habits and weight with their teens.
Viewpoint: Defining Obesity as a Disease May Do More Harm Than Good
The label is supposed to improve awareness and treatments for the condition, but similar proclamations about alcoholism and other addictions haven't been so successful.
Starbucks Is Adding Calorie Counts, but Will It Curb Consumption?
Starting next Tuesday, your morning coffee to go will come with a full disclosure of its caloric content.
What's in That Big Mac? More Than You Think
Apparently, fast-food frequenters have no idea how many calories they're ordering up at the counter.
Medical Students May Already Be Biased Against Obese Patients
The latest study suggests that the one-third of Americans who are obese they may not be getting the proper health care they need — because their doctors are biased against treating them.
Watch: This Week in Health
How marijuana contributes to weight loss — and a reduced risk of diabetes; researchers zero in on the first genes associated with postpartum depression; and ADHD in childhood may be linked to obesity later in life. These are the stories making health news this week; for more, visit TIME Health & Family.
Marijuana: The Next Diabetes Drug?
Toking up may help marijuana users to stay slim and lower their risk of developing diabetes, according to the latest study, which suggests that cannabis compounds may help in controlling blood sugar.
Not Overweight? You're Not Welcome at this Gym
If you live in Chicago or Dallas and have a few pounds to lose, you might spot Downsize Fitness and think you'll give this new gym a try. Forget it. This is a club that won't take you as a member—unless you have at least …
ADHD May Prime Boys for Obesity
ADHD has been linked to struggles with drugs and alcohol, less schooling and more arrests, but the latest study shows it may also contribute to problems with weight as well.
The Week in Health: A New Test for Prostate Cancer and the Benefits of Licking Pacifiers Clean
Researchers announced the promising results of a new genetic test that can predict the most aggressive prostate cancers; New Jersey governor Chris Christie has gastric lap-band surgery, and moms who lick their babies' pacifiers clean may be doing their kids' immune systems a favor. These are some of the major stories making health news this week.
Gov. Chris Christie's Weight-Loss Surgery Demystified
When New Jersey Governor Chris Christie quietly opted for weight-loss surgery in February, he chose the safest — but often least effective — procedure.
Patients who undergo gastric-band surgery — Lap-Band is the trade …
The Latest Tool for Tracking Obesity? Facebook Likes
Obesity is a big problem that needs big solutions, and Facebook may be coming to the rescue.
How Much Exercise Will It Take to Work Off a Burger? Menus May Soon Tell You
More restaurants display calorie counts on their menus, but what if they also informed you what it would take to burn off those calories?


text:
Fifty years ago, the Walt Disney World Resort, born of impossible dreams, opened its gates. And on October 1, 2021, the magic is calling everyone to The World's Most Magical Celebration – the 50th Anniversary at Walt Disney World Resort.
Throughout the shimmering EARidescent celebration, Cast Members will be sharing magic across Walt Disney World®Resort, ready to create unforgettable memories that last a lifetime. So come celebrate the small stuff. The big stuff. And all the in-between stuff.
Get ready for a celebration 50 years in the making. It's the Walt Disney World Resort 50th Anniversary. Because when you celebrate here, nothing could be more magical.
Learn more about Walt Disney World Resort 50th anniversary
Contact your Travel Professional now to book your next Walt Disney World Resort Vacations!
Experience a vacation where you can live out your dreams in wonderful Disney style! From the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida to the Disneyland Resort in California; to a one-of-a-kind voyage with Disney Cruise Line to guided travel with Adventures by Disney ; or a family paradise with a touch of magic at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa—you'll find that the Disney magic stretches as far as your imagination.
A visit to the Walt Disney World Resort is a trip to the most magical place on Earth. You'll discover four not-to-be-missed Theme Parks – each with a unique version of Disney magic, two amazing Water Parks, over 20 unique Resort Hotels and the one-of-a-kind Disney Springs.
When you and your family visit the Walt Disney World Resort, you'll be surprised to see how everyone finds their part in the vacation of a lifetime. Guests of all ages transform into princesses, heroes and everything in between, all excited to chart their own adventure. Make your next dream vacation one for the storybooks!
More information about the Walt Disney World Resort
Watch the Walt Disney World Resort Video
As to Disney artwork, logos and properties: © Disney


text: We provide best Leather Teak Stool from Indonesia Leather Teak Furniture. If you require any item of leather teak furniture not shown on here or perhaps an alternative size to that indicated as available, don't hesitate to contact us related to our products and services. You can buy base on our products listed or you have your own design, it depend on your desire. We can follow your home and rooms designs.


text:
Earn Your Online Certificate in Executive Law Enforcement Leadership
The online Graduate Certificate in Executive Law Enforcement Leadership is designed to help prepare chiefs of police and other key state law enforcement command personnel for their leadership roles through providing professionally advanced and relevant education. This certificate will enhance the leadership and management skills of the student enrolled in the program through providing advanced information in management and leadership. The student will take six select courses in leadership and management in order to earn a graduate certificate in law enforcement leadership and will serve as a springboard for the student to seek a graduate degree in criminal justice, management or other relevant area of study.
Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Compare and contrast techniques for structuring and resolving managerial problems in public and private organizations
- Evaluate interpersonal relations, motivation, decision making and group behavior in organizations
- Deconstruct the role and function of leadership in terms of how it impacts individuals, organizations and society
- Synthesis state of the art practices and theories, strategies and techniques relative to the strategic management and planning process
- Examine administrative, issues inherent in both large and small police organizations including administration, organization, leadership, the role of the manager and citizen oversight
- Demonstrate the skills necessary to be able to develop a grant proposal


text: Fri Aug 07 2009 12:15 Obedience School: I think Maggie has been spending too much time with Jetta and Jazzy. The other night I went into her room when she was screaming. I thought she was saying "sick" - a good reason to be screaming in the night, and also Colette had just been to the ER. Nope. She was telling me firmly to "Sit!"