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Minnesota's Rice County was the first county in the country to attempt a regional control project for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). While progress was achieved through the years since its launch in 2002, the effort stalled and was abandoned a year ago, according to project coordinator Bob Morrison, DVM, University of Minnesota.
"We had good people, but the veterinarians and the producers were not unified and we had too many PRRS-positive pigs entering the region," he says in a talk at the Leman Swine Conference in late September in St. Paul, MN.
Some herds eliminated the virus while others did not, thus compromising the whole project in the county, located a stone's throw south of the Twin Cities.
In 2004, Morrison spearheaded a new regional control project in Stevens County in western Minnesota. It turned out to be a fortunate choice. Stevens County is the only county in the area that is a high pig-dense county that is surrounded by low pig-dense counties. There are 89 hog sites, 19 sow sites and a number of seedstock farm sites.
That ideal location in west central Minnesota gives Morrison encouragement that as the Stevens project progresses, it will be fairly easy to expand the control zone to all of the surrounding counties.
The Stevens County project proceeded initially without any external funding. In 2007, the U.S. Department of Agriculture provided funding. It was renewed a year ago and expires in December.
Much progress has been made, Morrison states. He stresses because the program is voluntary, it's not possible to know for sure the PRRS status of all farms. But as far as it is known, there are two PRRS-positive sites remaining out of the 89 hog farm sites identified initially.
A finishing site purchased pigs that were thought to be negative, but then broke with PRRS when the pigs arrived at the producer's farm.
The second site involves a farrow-to-finish producer who has been positive for PRRS ever since the regional control project in Stevens County started. "But we continue to work with this producer and are optimistic that we will find a way to eliminate the virus from his farm," he says, noting the county could be nearing PRRS-free status.
Morrison is confident that the surrounding low-pig-dense counties won't take long to clean up, provided local producer and veterinary cooperation is secured.
That raises the question of where to turn to next. There has been discussion among veterinary and producer leaders to create a northern PRRS-free zone. Work is ongoing to identify production sites in that vast region.
"The thinking is that a large portion of these northern sites are negative and we don't know yet, but we haven't identified any positive herds so far," he says.
Morrison's hope is that the level of cooperation and success with PRRS could lead in the long run to more voluntary regional disease control programs for swine influenza virus, Mycoplasmal pneumonia or other infectious agents.
Eventually, the project will need to address PRRS infections in southern hog-dense counties, which will challenge the need for motivated leaders and stringent biosecurity practices.
Exhibition pigs must also be involved as they can also be a source of virus, Morrison says.


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A picture tweeted by the prime minister's office (PMO) of the media scrum accompanying Manmohan Singh, as he answers questions in mid-air on his way back home after a five-day visit to the United States.
Among those identifiable, Raj Chengappa, editor-in-chief of The Tribune, Chandigarh (in suit, ahead of mikes); Jayanta Ghosal of Ananda Bazaar Patrika (behind him); Vijay Kumar Chopra, editor, Punjab Kesari (front row, aisle); and Mihir S. Sharma of Business Standard (third row, window seat).
In all, there were 34 newspaper, magazine and TV journalists on board.

subset: commoncrawl


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(I really should have titled this post "In Which I Fangirl a Ton"…)
So I've been tagged by both Victoria and Tracey for the "Favorite Screen Characters Tag"! So I thought I should do it. 😉 Do check out their awesome blogs! Stori Tori's Blog and Tracey Dyck: Adventure Awaits!
The rules for this tag are to list your ten favorite characters from movies or TV, and to tag ten other bloggers. We'll see how this goes…
Okay. Ten is not nearly enough, so these are going to be fairly random, off-the-top-of-my-head-ish, and not necessarily my FAVORITES, but a good selection, and not in any particular order.
I'm keeping a one-character-per-movie rule so that I don't end up with only Lord-of-the-Rings-and-Hobbit characters and Avengers… >.> Also I am keeping it down to live-action because that's how it ended up. (Even though I love Hiccup and Toothless and Flynn Rider and Jack Frost and Howl and… yes. *cough* I will just stop now. TEN IS FAR TOO FEW. *wails*) And somehow this ended up entirely a list of guys. Whoops.
Um. Yes. Anyways, I had to make some rules, otherwise I would be here all day — or possibly not here at all because I would be trying to wrestle it down to ten and would be at it for the next several hundred years… Ahem.
(Fortunately this isn't a BOOK characters tag… Because then I'd really be doomed. XD)
On with the show!
(…Get it? Show? *cough* Okay I'll stop with the puns. >.>)
Eliot (Leverage)
First of all, we just need to take a moment to talk about how amazing Eliot Spencer is. He's from Leverage, a super awesome crimey-heisty-con-artist-robin-hood-ish show, where each member of the team has their expertise. Eliot's? He's the fighter. You know that whenever Eliot's around, everything will be okay because he always wins. (Or… Almost always.) If I was on a quest and could pick sidekicks, I'd want me an Eliot to keep me safe. You know you can trust him to do the best thing and do it well. I love his interactions with the other characters in the show who I love too. But Eliot can basically do any kind of fighting and is just beyond awesome. (Plus he can cook. Like, really cook. Like, we're talking gormet, and he's really passionate about it. Which of course is splendidly awesome because of how much it doesn't go with the rest of him. Except they both can involve knives. But still. And he can sing too. Really well. I mean, is there ANYTHING this guy can't do? Pretty much: no.) I only "met" him this year, but he's definitely one of my favorite screen characters ever. He's a very distinctive kind of hero.
Thranduil (The Hobbit films)
Do I even need to explain this one? For real, now. He is THRANDUIL and is just entirely awesome. His sort of grand aloof grumpiness, his hair, the way he talks with his flowing speeches, his elegance, fighting skills, general reclusiveness, the way he tilts his head, his MOOSE… Can we just talk about how awesome his moose is? ❤ Plus he's the Elvenking of Mirkwood and Legolas's DAD for goodness' sake. (Thranduil is, not the moose…) Thranduil is just all around… well… FABULOUS. 'Nuff said.
Aragorn (The Lord of the Rings films)
Don't die of shock that Faramir isn't listed here… Faramir is definitely my favorite Lord of the Rings character, book and film, hands down, BUT since they did mess up his character somewhat in the films I'm just going to have to go with Aragorn because of his sheer wonderfulness. I almost don't need to even say anything about Aragorn, since we all know (or should!) how awesome he is. But he's like the ideal hero, a great leader, and so so so noble. I think he like defines "noble heroic leader". Seriously. And a super good fighter and the best Ranger ever. If I ever end up in a fantasy world, I need Aragorn. Plus he's super nice, and understanding, and superbly kingly. And he never gives up even when he's fighting against insurmountable odds and I just… More people need to be like Aragorn. Plus he's just epic.
Hawkeye (The Avengers, etc.)
HAWKEYE IS JUST THE BEST AVENGER OKAY. He was my favorite even in the first movie, where, let's face it, he didn't get a lotta screen time. But even then! I love superheroes the best when they don't have actual superpowers, and instead have talent and gadgets and skill. He's just a really clever/intelligent guy, who is super well trained in everything. Plus he's a super skilled left handed archer with fantastic arrows that do anything. Awesome, much? The extra screen time he got in Avengers 2 just killed me with happiness. All the humor and epic! I feel like he was the heart of that movie. ^_^ …Of course, that could just be me… *cough* But Hawkeye is just the absolute best.
Mal (Firefly/Serenity)
So Captain Malcom Reynolds can have his problems, but overall he's a really great, determined guy, who always looks after the best interests of his crew on his spaceship Serenity. He's technically something like a thief, but he's generally an honorable one… Just one man trying to make his way in the galaxy and keep his freedom. I don't know why, but I just really really like Mal! He's kind of amazing. But watch out if you try to do anything to his ship or his crew. You don't want to be on his bad side… Oh, and I love his interactions with all the crew members. He'll surprise you all the time with his unexpected heroism and awesomeness. And he can be pigheaded, and stubborn, and blunt, and sometimes hilarious. And once he sets his mind on something, he will never ever ever give up until he's carried it out, no matter the odds. In the end, he can be the most surprising hero of all. Mal's just awesome. Just try to come up with anyone more awesome!
Duchy (Sea Patrol)
I don't know what he's doing here… But I somehow ended up watching part of an Australian TV show called Sea Patrol. I haven't seen a super large amount of episodes, and I'll be honest: I mostly watch it for the accents. I am shallow like that. But what can I say?? Australian accents are just awesome! (As are British, Scottish, Irish, etc…) I love a bunch of the characters in the show, which is about the crew of an Australian Navy ship, but Duchy somehow turned out my favorite, even though he replaced my previous favorite so when I first watched him, I wanted to hate him. But then he became my favorite. Yeah. So that didn't quite work out… But he is just super loyal and brave, to the point of rash stupidity at times, and has some problems but he also knows how to have fun and I don't even know. He's just kinda great.
Micky (Hustle)
So let's talk about my other favorite crimey-heisty-con-artist-robin-hood-ish show. Hustle is one of THE best BBC shows ever and it is sad that nobody ever notices it. (And it is also sad that I can't watch it anymore because the whatsit stopped carrying that channel. Allow me to go sob in the corner for awhile here…) I love each and every one of the characters in this show SO MUCH, but I had to pick Micky as my favorite. He's the brains of the group and makes everything work, and you know there's nothing he can't work his way out of. I just love how SMART he is! This whole show is so clever, and Micky's the main reason for that. He comes up with the cleverest cons to take down these horrible snobby nasty rich people, he adapts to problematic situations, and he leads the rest of the team so well, plays his roles to perfection, and can even have fun while doing it. I just… Gaaahh, he's awesome.
Zorro (Zorro [1975])
I pretty much love almost every version of Zorro I've ever seen, but my absolute favorite is the film Zorro from 1975. Mostly because this particular version of Zorro (played by Alain Delon) just defines the character for me. One thing I really love is how well he pulls off the double-identity. His foppish self, the flighty-headed Governor, is so well handled and silly and hilarious. You would never guess that he is also the epic, serious (but with a great grin when he uses it), totally awesome bandit Zorro who is like the best sword-fighter ever. I just LOVE Zorro. He's the best. (Also this may contain my favorite onscreen sword-fight ever, with the possible exception of the one with Darth Maul in Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace.) He is my favoritest Zorro in the history of ever, which is saying a lot. This Zorro is basically the ultimate masked-man for me.
Mr. Thornton (North and South)
Okay, I'll be honest: this is probably just because he's basically like a Mr. Darcy played by Richard Armitage, which I've ALWAYS wanted ever since I knew about the actor… But still. Mr. Thornton is just awesome. And misunderstood. And has some fabulous lines and a great accent. And is actually super caring once you get to know him. He's really NICE beneath that gruff exterior and deep voice. Plus, y'know. Richard Armitage. 'Nuff said. (I still wish he'd played Mr. Darcy. Then Mr. Darcy could have made it to this list. XD) And certain moments like the notorious proposal scene and "look back at me" and when he fell asleep on his desk… and just yes.
Dastan (Prince of Persia)
I just love Dastan. He's entirely relateable and adorable and nice and awesome and funny and epic. He's basically like a scruffy puppy. I don't even know why but he's just one of my favorite screen characters, which is no doubt partially why Prince of Persia is one of my top favorite films… But he's also kind of humble, and kind, and entirely endearing. You just want to be friends with him, you know? And he just goes through so much! And loves his brothers and family and is hilarious with Princess Tamina. And he does so many cool things, especially the parkour scenes — gaaahh, I wish I could do that. So. Much. Coolness.
So there they are! Just scratching the surface, you know, but it's a start… There are so many others I wanted to include! But there are some of my favorites. 🙂
I'm notoriously bad at tagging, but let's see what I can come up with here… You obviously only have to do it if you want, otherwise ignore me! And do feel free to snag it if I didn't tag you as well!
I tag these stupendously awesome people:
Jillzy @ Writing in the Rain
C.B. @ The World of the Writer
Sarah @ Light and Shadows
Cait @ Paper Fury
Abi @ Rambling Writer
Shantelle @ A Writer's Heart
Lisa @ God's Daughter 4 Ever
Kelsey @ Kelsey's Notebook
Jenelle @ Jenelle Schmidt, Author
And YOU if you're reading this and want to. XD
(Okay, yes, I cheated… but that's sort of 10!)
How about you? Agree? Disagree? Love any of these characters, or even heard of half of them? And who are some of your favorites? 🙂


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Avatar's tight-suited motion capture actor, Reuben Langdon, explained his on-set task of pretending to be eaten alive by one of the many beasts of Pandora while crew members made grr noises and waved foam noodles.
We snagged Langdon in his clever new Avatar sweatshirt outside of the Wrath of Con party at Comic-Con, and quickly chatted about all things Avatar (and desperately tried to get him to recreate one of his more violent Avatar scenes in public):
What's it like on set?
It's very tight. We're wearing mo cap. suits wearing tight spandex with these glowing balls on us.
And basically all of the stunts, a lot of them, are done in the motion capture suits.
What you see on screen is pretty much exactly what happened without all of the environments. So, for example, if your running through the woods... Some of that awesome, craziness of Jake [a character] running through the woods being chased by the thanator was actually in a hall, a stage with grey sticks as placements for trees and things. And there's really no jungle at all, it's just an empty room and running from imaginary guys making puppets. Not even guys with puppets, but guys making noises like "Rawr" with a tennis ball at the end of a stick, while he's waving it badly and you're like [makes a face], running away.
So, you have to have an imagination to make that kind of thing. Very different from what is actually on the screen, the looks. But the motion, the physical motion that's all that we're concerned about.
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So do they run you on a treadmill or do you have to run back and forth across the room [when you run out of forest?
Not quite a treadmill, but yeah, we're in a big room just running through sticks, or those pool foam, what do they call them? Those pool foam things.
Foam Noodles.
Foam noodles. They're being bombarded by foam noodles.
So Avatar is really made up of tennis balls, foam noodles, sticks ... And a tight motion capture suit.
And tennis balls.
Basically every part we see a blue character running, is that you?
Uhm, it kind of is. Yeah, maybe I guess you could say that. More than running, more like falling and tripping and getting eaten and thrown and ... yeah. Any of the stuff that's really painful.
How do you mime or act out getting eaten?
It's gonna be tough; I'd probably cause a big scene here. It wouldn't be pretty - watch the movie.
And then, he was kind enough to show us the Avatar sweatshirts with the constellation like collection of the winged Sturmbeasts from Pandora.


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You're reading an outdated article. Please go to the recent issues to find up-to-date content.
Doing more for less is a workplace mantra these days. It applies to the work force and the energy usage of the building that houses it. Smart lighting strategies are playing a central and growing role in this confluence of productivity.
"Green and lean" is how David Pfund describes tomorrow's office space. Pfund is the president of tambient, a division of The Lighting Quotient, an architectural lighting manufacturer in West Haven, Conn. He cites office buildings as one of the largest energy consumers.
"More square footage is lit in these types of buildings, and so much of it [light] is wasted," he said. "Building owners are starting to recognize this loss. It's the start of the evolution of office space, and it will mean more work for everybody. An electrical contractor, lighting designer and/or lighting manufacturer can guide the owner in how to save money, increase worker productivity and substantially lower their energy costs through smart lighting design in the office."
For Pfund, the answer lies not with longer life "bulbs" but a more "evolved" and discriminating lighting approach.
"There is a real next step that is taking hold, and electrical contractors can be one of those advocates," he said.
Change coming into focus
Pfund said lighting integration strategies, such as controls, wireless technology and daylight harvesting, are shaping office lighting, but their success is dependent on their effect.
"There is a lot you can measure in high-performance buildings, but what isn't measured is the human equation," he said. "To me, that's the bigger metric. Are the occupants satisfied with the heating, cooling, lighting and exterior views? Satisfaction drives employee performance.
"From a lighting standpoint, we really have so few watts to work with and must decide how they are used. To raise the brightness of the space, tactics might include taking advantage of daylight through more windows and daylight harvesting systems. Maybe you incorporate open architecture, indirect lighting and lighter paint colors. That said, the elimination of glare and other discomforts need to be taken into account. Lumens output should be set so they don't fatigue the eye. Aim for designing productively lit work spaces, and general luminosity outside that space," he said.
John Bachner is the executive director of the National Lighting Bureau (NLB) based in Silver Spring, Md. A not-for-profit lighting-information organization, NLB promotes what it calls "high benefit lighting," which echoes Pfund's sentiments and suggested strategy.
"It's great if a new lighting system is more efficient and can truly drive down your utility bill by a measurable percentage," Bachner said. "But you should dig deeper and make sure your lighting is designed for the function for which it is intended. The best work environment is one lit for the work being done by the employees."
Like Pfund, Bachner firmly believes better worker performance is a benefit of thoughtful lighting design, at least from the building owner's perspective, which contractors could address.
"You've invested in a wonderful new lighting system that should save money, but it isn't serving your employees' needs," he said. "So you see a drop in worker productivity. Say you have an employee earning a $30,000 salary. Even if the productivity drop is 1 percent, the loss with that employee equates to $300. Now, factor in a lighting design well matched to the employee's task, and you've created 'high benefit lighting' that might increase productivity by 1, 2 or more percent."
For Bachner, a burgeoning market awaits, but simply offering higher efficiency lighting fixtures is akin to leaving "all the money on the table." He recommends a comprehensive review of the office to elevate the lighting design so it benefits employees and their productivity.
"Ask what happens in a said space; what its purpose is," he said. "Is new lighting needed or a new workstation design or both? Would a flexible lighting system accommodate this office?"
To help find the right questions so you are producing a progressive and effective lighting plan, try learning lighting design ideas.
The lure of controls
Advanced technologies and approaches embraced in projects seeking "green" certification may point to tomorrow's everyday strategies. Personal lighting controls are one example.
"There's been a lot of research showing that, when people have control over their work environment, they are happier," Pfund said. "Putting lighting closer to people and giving them dimming control adds to personal satisfaction and productivity. Motion direction is another great strategy to offer the light only when people are present and only at the foot-candles needed."
Pfund said that lighting controls are a significant area where the electrical contractor can be involved through commissioning, trouble shooting and ensuring an overall workable lighting design is implemented.
"We need a good rapport with electrical contractors to release the promise of these systems," he said.
Both men feel clients must be led to new lighting strategies.
"Once you are up to speed, then educate your clients on high-benefit lighting," Bachner said. "Offer a seminar. Invite a group of like-minded speakers, such as a lighting designer, a lighting supplier and/or manufacturer."
"More than anything, the lighting designers, developers and manufacturers are going to need electrical contractors who are conversant in smart lighting strategies," Pfund said. "Keep up on what's out there from daylight harvesting to other integrative solutions. You are showing you 'get it' whether on a project or bidding on one."
High-performance strategy
Glumac is a West Coast mechanical/electrical/plumbing design and commissioning firm specializing in sustainable design. The company wanted its new office in Irvine, Calif., to showcase its work and be a showroom for the latest in office lighting design. While Glumac lighting designers and engineers conceptualized the new office space, Sasco Electric, headquartered in Fullerton, Calif., installed Glumac's vision. For both, it was an education in the art of the possible.
Glumac became the primary ground floor tenant of a commercial high rise in Irvine. It rehabbed the 22-foot ceiling space, making lighting and open landscape the key features.
"We accomplished something pretty remarkable," said Jennifer Berg, P.E., associate electrical project engineer for Glumac and chief engineer for the project. "Our open office space is lit wirelessly and without the use of overhead lighting."
Berg explained that while exploring ideas for the new office, she liked the idea of mounting lighting fixtures to the office millwork. She wasn't quite sure how to proceed. One of the company's lighting designers recommended a solution using The Lighting Quotient's furniture-mounted tambient luminaires that deliver task and ambient illumination from the same T5 florescent lamp.
Mounted and conformed to the top of a worker cubical wall, typically 46 inches high, the system uses controllable, glare-removing louvers directing ambient lighting up to the ceiling and task lighting, which workers can control, down at the occupant's workspace. Glumac's 4,537-square-foot studio features 30 open-plan workstations.
"You do get the feel of an office flooded with light but it isn't," Berg said.
Under each desk is a port hub controller. It wirelessly communicates to hardwired, daylight harvesting sensors placed in windows. Workstation lights then dim as needed in response to available daylight.
"We do have a few closed-door offices," Berg said. "Each has a dedicated, nonwireless WattStopper DLM system featuring an occupancy and photo sensor and an A/B wall switch. When you walk in, the lighting over the desk is activated. The occupant then has the choice to turn on a second lighting fixture if needed. The photo sensor dims the lighting to 30 foot-candles based on the daylight. We use occupancy sensors throughout our office connected to an EnOcean relay control. Each occupancy sensor has a single gang box."
Doug Durand was the Sasco foreman for the Glumac project. It was a new experience for him and his office.
"Wiring is wiring, but I never dealt with a design incorporating so much motion detection and radio frequency delivery. We ran conduit under the floor, which required longer wire runs. Typically, we would pull our wire from the breakers to the switch. Here you had motion sensors in the walls all tied into wireless switching, so we pulled the wire to the switch backs (sensors) and out to the lights. Once we went through that first workstation installation, we were able to approach each subsequent install with confidence."
Having the lighting engineer as client and on-site adviser was an advantage for Durand.
"We did a walkthough to assess surface light levels in the work stations, ceiling light levels, daylighting system programming and the operation of the motion sensors. It was very collaborative," Durand said.
Other features in the office include a Lutron motion detection system for a conference room and open collaboration islands (group work stations) configured with the tambient lighting system. That lighting doubles as emergency illumination for egress areas. An open kitchen is equipped with LED lighting. Some minimal CFL and LED recessed lights grace a reception area. Glumac also added a metered energy monitoring system.
"Meters measure our lighting, general power and server loads," Berg said. "Not only do we want to monitor what we are doing, but we want to see if we meeting our efficiency goals."
According to Berg, her office has exceeded its goals, bettering the California Title 24 lighting standards by 25 percent.
"During the day, our lighting system operates at between 0.25 to 0.30 watts per square foot. I'm not kidding," Berg said.
The Glumac office is recognized as a "First Office of the Future" by the New Buildings Institute and is registered for LEED Platinum certification.
GAVIN is the owner of Gavo Communications, a marketing services firm serving the construction, landscaping and related design industries. He can be reached at [email protected].
About The Author
GAVIN, Gavo Communications, is a LEED Green Associate providing marketing services for the energy, construction and urban planning industries. He can be reached at [email protected]


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Holiday Shows Not to Miss
Thru Dec 23 In this Bag & Baggage–produced play-within-a-play, the well-born, ill-bred women of Farndale Avenue's Dramatic Society (played by men in drag) stage a performance of A Christmas Carol that's as much of a train wreck as its title—to so-bad-it's-good effect. Read our review. Wed–Sat at 7:30; Sun at 2. $15–28. Venetian Theatre, 253 E Main St, Hillsboro. 503-345-9590. bagnbaggage.org
REVIEWED The Santaland Diaries
Thru Dec 30 Though it's been 20 years since Sedaris first read it on NPR's Morning Edition (launching his career), the humor writer's tale of working as Crumpet the Elf at Macy's still holds up as an uproarious, antimaterialist Christmas classic. For this year's production of Joe Mantello's one-man adaptation, actor Darius Pierce steps into David's/Crumpet's elfin booties for the first time (for more about the show but not the actor, see our review of last year's production with Jim Lichtscheidl). Tue–Sun at 7:30; Sat–Sun at 2. $44–59. Ellyn Bye Studio at the Armory, 128 NW 11th Ave. 503-445-3700. pcs.org
REVIEWED Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol
Thru Dec 30 Artists Repertory Theatre reprises its 2011 holiday show (read last year's review), a mash-up of sorts of A Christmas Carol and the Sherlock Holmes stories. The play, written by Seattleite John Longenbaugh and directed by Jon Kretzu, visits ghosts past, present, and future upon a retired Holmes to spook the detective-extraordinaire back into the mystery-solving biz. Wed–Sun at 7:30; Sun at 2. For ticket prices, call 503-241-1278 or visit artistsrep.org. Artists Repertory Theatre, 1515 SW Morrison St
It's a Wonderful Life
Thru Dec 23 Stumptown Stages adds some tinsel to the beloved 1946 film and Christmastime staple by adapting it as a musical for the first time in Bedford Falls history. The world-premiere score was co-composed by prominent Portland pianist and songwriter Michael Allen Harrison. Thu–Sat at 7:30; Sun at 2. $15–30. Brunish Theatre, Portland Center for the Performing Arts, 1111 SW Broadway. 503-248-4335. stumptownstages.com
A Very Joan Crawford Christmas
Thru Dec 23 Triangle Productions presents a funny, fearsome Yuletide evening with Joan Crawford. A pencil-eyebrowed, vodka-soaked Kam Sisco plays Mommie Dearest, while James Sharinghousen portrays her gentleman companion. For showtimes, see calendar entry. $15–35. The Sanctuary at Sandy Plaza, 1785 NE Sandy Blvd. 503-239-5919. tripro.org
Dec 22 at 7:30 Christmas with Johnny Mathis Mathis was perhaps the last of the great pre-rock crooners to gain popularity before Fender electrified pop music forever—but "Chances Are" you already know him. For this special holiday concert, Mathis, with the symphony as his backing band, sings the seasonal standards. $35–200. Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway. 503-228-1353. orsymphony.org
Thru Dec 23 Oregon Ballet Theatre brings the visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads—yours, too!?—to life through its annual performance of Tchaikovsky's beloved ballet. Some 27,000 people turned out last season to see the flowers waltz, the fairy dance, and the Nutcracker/Prince defeat the Mouse King, making this one of Oregon's most popular holiday events. For showtimes, see calendar entry. For ticket prices, call 503-222-5538 or visit opb.org. Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St
NEW The Big Lebowski
Dec 21–27 Take a night off from the holiday spirit for a, well, different sort of tradition: Clinton Street Theater's yearly screening of the Coen brothers' classic. Jeff Bridges plays "the Dude," a slacker par excellence who, after being mistaken for the title character, is spooled into a web of intrigue featuring porno kingpins, feminist artists, and German nihilists. Patrons are encouraged to wear pajamas. 6:50 & 9:20. $6. Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St. 503-238-5588. clintonsttheater.com
Thru Dec 23 The Northwest Film Center screens three cinematic adaptations of Dickensian works, in celebration of both the great Victorian novelist's 200th birthday and the season. (Even putting aside A Christmas Carol, there's a certain Yuletide feel to all of Dickens's wintry, moralistic tales, isn't there?) In addition to Brian Desmond Hurst's essential 1951 version of Christmas Carol, NWFC is showing David Lean's Oscar-winning 1946 Great Expectations and an Alberto Cavalcanti–directed 1947 film noir rendition of Nicholas Nickleby. For showtimes, see calendar entries. $9. Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park Ave
NEW Wanderlust Circus' White Album Christmas
Dec 21–23 The city's top circus-arts troupe teams up with the Nowhere Band—made up of members of MarchFourth Marching Band, Trashcan Joe, and others—in a stomping holiday celebration for those fed up with the same ol' holiday fare. For the fifth year running, they cover the decidedly un-Christmas White Album in its entirety with decidedly un–Sugar Plum Fairy circus spectacles, without surrendering any of the seasonal cheer. Fri–Sat at 9; Sun at 8. $25. Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta St. 503-719-6055. albertarosetheatre.com
The Grotto's Christmas Festival of Lights
Thru Dec 30 The Grotto's Catholic shrine and botanical garden are unusual and beautiful enough the rest of the year, but during the sanctuary's holiday-season light display and choral festival, it is truly a sight to see. More than 500,000 lights deck the 62-acre, cliff-straddling grounds; performances by area choral groups—170 in total—take place nightly; and hot chocolate is as abundant as Christmas spirit. Daily 5–9:30; closed Christmas Day. $9. The Grotto, 8840 NE Skidmore St. 503-254-7371. thegrotto.org
The Peppermint Bear Show: Who Needs Sneeds?
Thru Dec 22 Rise and shine for a continental breakfast and to cheer on Peppermint Bear and Santa's elves as they fight to save Christmas from the Grinchlike Sneed siblings. Lakewood Theatre Company is staging Peppermint Bear for the first time in the 35-odd years since it premiered (as The Cinnamon Bear Show) at the old Lipman's department store. Sat at 9 and 11. $12. Lakewood Center for the Arts, 368 S State St, Lake Oswego. 503-635-3901. lakewood-center.org


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Yes, yes, yes. I, too, took pleasure in standing in line and in exchanging pleasantries and greetings with the amazingly courteous staff at my polling station and the many citizens of my delightfully diverse Washington neighborhood. I, too, am still wearing my lapel sticker, with the jaunty words "I Voted." And I found it pretty easy to cast a vote that told the Republican Party, for which I recommended a vote last time, not to try any of this shit again. No more McCarthy tactics; no more stumblebum quitting of the campaign trail and attempting to pull out of the first presidential debate in order to wind up voting to save Lehman Bros.; no more driveling Christian fundamentalism; no more insinuation that only those silly enough to endorse them are "real Americans." No more sneers at San Francisco as if it weren't a real American city. McCain and his preposterous running mate will just have to believe in an afterlife in which they can live down the shame of what they attempted this year.
But I might possibly have voted for them all the same, clothes pin clamped over my nose in the voting booth, if only because of the crucial struggle for a free Iraq and an autonomous Kurdistan. And, in such a case, I would have been very annoyed at the suggestion that my vote was a racist one. "Historic," yelled the very headline across the top of my morning newspaper. (Just the news, please, if you would be so kind.) Would the letters have been so big for the first female vice president? And isn't it already historic that millions of white Christians voted, win or lose, for a man with one Kenyan parent, that parent having been raised as a Muslim?
So let us not over-egg the pudding. And if you think our own press and media are too uncritically adoring, just spend a second or two exposing yourself to the overseas version. On election night, I spent a little time on British and then on Australian television. For expressing a few mild doubts about the new president-elect, I was forcibly reminded in one case that the first 14 (I think it was) presidents of the United States could have ownedBarack Obama, and was informed in the second case that just 40 years ago, he would not have been allowed to vote in the election, let alone win it.
Well, as it happens, our new president has no slave ancestry, and neither branch of his parentage could have been owned by anybody, or at least not by anybody American. (Muslim-run slavery, though, is an old story in Africa as well as a horribly contemporary one.) And there were not a few elected black American representatives 40 years ago, even if mainly in Northern states. The objection I make is therefore twofold. First, the election of Obama is the effectnot the cause of the changes. (One of my questioners appeared to think that our president-elect had been responsible for the decision in Brown v. Board of Education.) Second, a Republican victory would have had absolutely no effect on the legal or political standing of black Americans, which is a matter of our law and our Constitution and cannot be undone by any ephemeral vote or plebiscite.
The recognition of these obvious points should also alert us to a related danger, which is the cousinhood of euphoria and hysteria. Those who think that they have just voted to legalize Utopia (and I hardly exaggerate when I say this; have you been reading the moist and trusting comments of our commentariat?) are preparing for a disillusionment that I very much doubt they will blame on themselves. The national Treasury is an echoing, empty vault; our Russian and Iranian enemies are acting even more wolfishly even as they sense a repudiation of Bush-Cheney; the lines of jobless and evicted are going to lengthen, and I don't think a diet of hope is going to cover it. Nor even a diet of audacity, though can you picture anything less audacious than the gray, safety-first figures who have so far been chosen by Obama to be on his team?
There is an element of the "wannabe" about all this—something that suggests that, if the clock were to be rolled back, every living white person would now automatically stand with John Brown at Harper's Ferry and with John Lewis at the Edmund Pettus Bridge. All the evidence we have is to the contrary: Abraham Lincoln ringingly denounced John Brown, and John F. Kennedy (he of the last young and pretty family to occupy the Executive Mansion) was embarrassed and annoyed by the March on Washington. In other words, there is something pain-free and self-congratulatory about the Obama surge. This has happened before, of course, with the high-sounding talk about the "New Frontier," the "Great Society," and "Morning in America." It's just that this time it's more than usually not affordable. There are many causes of the subprime and derivative horror show that has destroyed our trust in the idea of credit, but one way of defining it would be to say that everybody was promised everything, and almost everybody fell for the populist bait.
More worrying still, there are vicious enemies and rogue states in increasing positions of influence throughout the world (one of the episodes that most condemned the Republican campaign was its attempt to slander Sen. Joe Biden for his candid attempt to point this out), yet many Obama voters appear to believe that the mere charm and aspect of their new president will act as an emollient influence on these unwelcome facts and these hostile forces. I can't make myself perform this act of faith, and I won't put up with any innuendo about my inability to do so.


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Rock band Primus took over The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel last night. Here, photographer Erik Kabik shares some of the best photos from the night.
Click on the photos below to enlarge.
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Balloons are an exciting way to add a dash of fun and pop of color to any event! Browse our vendors to find helium balloons, themed balloons kiddy balloon twists and more! Search here for Balloons in Greer, Oklahoma.
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People in Ridgeway are smart enough to know that getting best insurance rates takes more than a few minutes. Our Insurance Shopping Experts take the time to evaluate your risk and match you up with companies that have best rates for your situation. We then look to maximize all available discounts so that we can get you the appropriate coverage at a best price. We then take it another step and will give tips to lower your rate further in the future as we always recommend reevaluating your insurance coverage with new price quotes every few years.
In Ridgeway drivers are required to have basic Auto Insurance in order to legally drive a vehicle on the roadways. Auto Insurance protects you from financial ruin in the event of an accident or theft. Auto Insurance provides coverage for property, liability and medical. You pay a Auto Insurance premium to a company that sells you a policy and they in return promise to pay for any repairs, replacements, liability and medical costs as laid out by the policy. You can choose the level of coverage and limits covered by the policy to suit your needs. While all this may seem simple, you get in a wreck and the car insurance gives you money, the details can become a little confusing. Our Auto Insurance agents in Ridgeway will shop for the cheapest price with a highly rated Auto Insurance company that meets your coverage needs. Learn more about Auto Insurance in Ridgeway
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Every driver with Ridgeway SC Auto Insurance must carry the required minimums on all registered vehicles:
*Note: Underinsured motorist coverage can be rejected
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If you move to Ridgeway South Carolina from another state, you have 45 days to transfer your vehicle title and registration. You may apply for the title and registration by mail. The Form 400, Application for Certificate of Title/Registration, which must be completed, contains the proper mailing address for the department. SCDMV
You must have the following to transfer your out-of-state vehicle title and registration:
You may use a valid driver's license from your former state for up to 90 days. However, you must convert to a South Carolina driver's license before the end of the 90-day period. If your driver's license from your home state has expired, you must also pass the knowledge and road tests.
Your home in Ridgeway is likely your biggest investment and you need to protect it against any unforeseen and unavoidable situations. On the outside, it is just a building, a piece of property made up of wood, brick, concrete and tile. But it is the physical center of your life that you have turned from a house into a home. Your family's hope, dreams and aspirations all start in your home and the complete loss of a home is emotionally crippling. While home insurance cannot prevent the emotional damage from losing a home, it can make the rebuilding process possible and give you some hope. Not having your home insured means everything is gone without the possibility of replacing or rebuilding. Our home insurance agents in Ridgeway will shop for the lowest price with a highly rated homeowners insurance company that meets your coverage needs. Learn more about home insurance in Ridgeway
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Renters insurance is an insurance policy that can be purchased to cover your property and belongings inside your apartment or home and while you are away from your residence in Ridgeway. The items you own inside your apartment or rental home are covered such as electronics (televisions, computers, game consoles), furniture, clothes, books, and bicycles. It extends to your garage, driveway, patio or deck. Personal property in your vehicle is also covered. So if you need to make a quick stop at a store or restaurant and your book bag with your laptop is stolen, you can have that replaced. If you ride a bike to work or school and have that stolen, renters insurance will cover the replacement cost of that too.learn more about renters insurance in Ridgeway
First off to get the fastest quote at the lowest rate make sure you have the following:
Have your declaration page handy. This will help you have the information needed to get the most accurate quote. You should have the following:
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Where to find customers we insure:
Insurance Shopping Experts finding the best car insurance, renters insurance, and home insurance prices in Ridgeway South Carolina 29130 34.30765 -80.96036


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Pre- and perinatal psychology
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [6]
Prenatal and perinatal psychology is an interdisciplinary study [1] [2] [3] of the foundations of health in body, mind, emotions and in enduring response patterns to life. It explores the psychological and psychophysiological effects and implications of the earliest experiences of the individual, before birth ("prenatal"), as well as during and immediately after childbirth ("perinatal") on the health and learning ability of the individual and on their relationships. As a broad field it has developed a variety of curative and preventive interventions for the unborn, at childbirth, for the new born, infants and adults who are adversely affected by early prenatal and perinatal dysfunction and trauma. Some of these methods have not been without significant controversy, for example homebirth in the West and in earlier days, LSD psychotherapy for resolving birth trauma.
Examples of the diversity of interests in the subject are: in neurobiology where it is understood that "experience can change the mature brain - but experience during the critical periods of early childhood organizes brain systems"[4]; in psychoneuroendocrinology where there is evidence of an "umbilical affect exchange" which influences the immediate and long- term psychology of behavior [5] [6]; in bioengineering where the importance to development as well as growth of the fetomaternal system is increasingly understood [7]; and in clinical maternal-fetal medicine [8] where the unique symbiotic relationship between a mother and her fetus is explored, and where issues such as maternal stress and the development of later psychopathology in the child are considered [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] through hormonal mechanisms particularly the HPA axis [21].
Although theoretical and psychotherapeutic approaches vary in their treatment of the topic, a common thread is the fundamental importance of pre- and perinatal experiences in the shaping of the personality and in future psychological development. Yet somewhat contrary to the evidence [22] [23] [24], this assertion is not widely supported in psychology. There are widespread doubts regarding the extent to which newborn infants are capable of forming memories, the effects of any such memories on their personality, and the possibility of recovering them from an unconscious mind, which itself is the subject of argument in the field. Only a minority of psychologists have had direct experience of the therapeutic modalities that explore these phenomena and many question the validity and even the existence of repressed memories. However, experience and memory are not synomous, and while a fetal infant may not be able to recall his or her experiences, he or she still lived in those moments and possibly had neurological, psychological or physiological responses to them, which may influence the ongoing development of the mind and/or brain structures.
Historical development
The relevance of birth experiences has been recognized since the early days of modern psychology. Although Sigmund Freud touched on the idea briefly before rejecting it in favor of the Oedipus complex, one of his disciples Otto Rank became convinced of the importance of birth trauma in causing anxiety neuroses. Rank developed a process of psychoanalysis based on birth experiences, and authored his seminal work, 'The Trauma of Birth' [25]. Freud's initial agreement and then later volte-face, caused a rift between them, which relegated the study of birth trauma to the fringes of psychology. The subject was taken up again in 1949 by Nandor Fodor [26] a patient of Rank's and teacher of Francis Mott [27] [28]. In addition to birth trauma, Fodor emphasized the significance of prenatal trauma.
Developments in the 1950s included a shift in emphasis towards non-traumatic by Donald Winnicott and to the transpersonal by Maarten Lietaert Peerbolte [29] [30] aspects of pre- and perinatal experience, and brought attention to the relevance of very early gestation, and even the event of conception by Peerbolte. These topics saw later elaboration by Frank Lake as well as Michael Irving, R D Laing, Graham Farrant, Stanislav Grof and others. The expression at a broad social level of basic perinatal feelings, such as "suffering fetus" or "toxic placenta," is part of the narrative in psychohistory, developed by Lloyd deMause. Pre- and perinatal psychology is at the a core of Primal therapy and Primal integration. Professor Stephen Maret has explored these influences in his book, The Prenatal Person [31].
Material emerging from sessions of psychedelic psychotherapy using LSD and other hallucinogenic drugs was the foundation for research into the enduring effects of pre- and perinatal experiences in adult life conducted by Frank Lake, Athanasios Kafkalides and Stanislav Grof. Grof went on to formulate an extensive theoretical framework for the analysis of pre- and perinatal experiences, based on the four constructs he called Basic Perinatal Matrices. Lake and Grof independently developed breathing techniques, following Wilhelm Reich as an alternative to the use of psychedelic drugs, which was subject to considerable legal difficulty from the mid-1960's onwards. A related technique called Rebirthing Breathwork was developed by Leonard Orr; and Core process psychotherapy trainees relive presumed birth trauma as part of their training.
Public attention was drawn to the importance of prenatal experiences by the 1981 book, The Secret Life of the Unborn Child [32], by Thomas R. Verny, who founded the Association for Pre- & Perinatal Psychology and Health (APPPAH). David Chamberlain, who was president of the APPPAH from 1991 to 1999, published a popular book entitled, Babies Remember Birth (1988), outlining new experimental research that supports the existence of pre-natal memories. Further evidence was presented by Ludwig Janus in The Enduring Effects of Prenatal Experience (1997).
Perhaps the first book to effectively convey the importance of trauma-free childbirth to the wider public was Birth Without Violence (1975), by French obstetrician Dr. Frederick Leboyer [33], which helped popularize the practice of placing newly-born infants in a tub of warm water, known as a "Leboyer bath" to simulate the familiar pre-natal environment of warm amniotic fluid. Following on from Leboyer, another French obstetrician, Michel Odent, pioneered the practice of low intervention labour and took the "Leboyer bath" one step further, developing the use of warm-water pools for a water birth.
In 2004, Dr. Wendy Anne McCarty [34] [35], co-founder of the Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology Program at Santa Barbara Graduate Institute, reviewed the 30 years of clinical research in prenatal and perinatal psychology and current mainstream early development models. In her book Welcoming Consciousness, she introduced the Integrated Model of early development that was reflective of the prenatal and perinatal psychology clinical findings. The transcendental and human aspects of awareness documented from the beginning of life became the core thread in this holonomic holographic model.
- ↑ McCarthy WA Nurturing the Possible: Supporting The Integrated Self from the Beginning of Life retrieved from [1] on May 16, 2007. Quote: "Prenatal and perinatal psychology (PPN) has grown into a multidisciplinary field "dedicated to the in-depth exploration of the psychological dimension of human reproduction and pregnancy and the mental and emotional development of the unborn and newborn child. The heart of the field's unique contribution is the exploration and understanding of prenatal life, birth and bonding, and infancy from the baby's point of view."
- ↑ McCarty, W. A. (2002a). The power of beliefs: What babies are teaching us. Journal of Prenatal & Perinatal Psychology & Health, 16(4). 341-360.
- ↑ McCarty, W. A. (2004). The CALL to reawaken and deepen our communication with babies: what babies are teaching us. International Doula 12(2), Summer 2004
- ↑ Perry, BD, Pollard, R, Blakely, T, Baker, W, Vigilante, D (1995): Childhood trauma, the neurobiology of Adaptation, and "Use-dependent" Development of the Brain: How "States" become "Traits", Infant Mental Health Journal, vol 16, no. 4, Winter
- ↑ Dorner G (G. Dorner, "Die mogliche Bedeutung der pra unloder perinatalen Ernahrung für die Pathogenese der Obesitas." 107-123, quoted by Dorner, "Significance of Hormone-dependent Brain Development and Pre-and Early Postnatal Psychophysiology for Preventive Medicine," 429). "During the pre and/or early post-natal life. systemic hormones and neurotransmitters are capable of acting as organizers of the brain, which is the controller of the neuro-endocrine-immune system. Thus, the quantity of the systemic hormones and neurotransmitters co-determines during a critical period of brain development, the quality, ie. the responsiveness, of their own central nervous system controllers and hence the functional and tolerance ranges of their own feedback systems throughout life . . . Abnormal levels of systemic hormones and neurotransmitters, which can be induced by abnormal conditions in the psychosocial and/or natural envlronment. can act as teratogens and lead to permanent physiological and/or psychological dysfunctions in later life. Thus many malfunctions of reproduction. metabolism, information processing, and immunity called up to now idiopathic, essential, cryptogenic, primary or genuine can be explained by pre and/or early postnatal psycho-and/or physiological processes."
- ↑ Fedor-Freybergh and Vogel, "Encounter with the Unborn: Philosophical Impetus behind Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Medicine," xix-xx. "Psychoneuroendocrinologists have already elicited useful data from the preliminary theoretical research in recording fetal response to and retention of outside environmental stimuli (touch, sound, and light stimuli for the most part). Various highly specific biochemical structures (hormones, neurotransmitters and other polypeptide structures) are needed, in direct connection with input phenomena, for the transformation and storage of both sensorial and sensible types of information. Crucial to the formation of the primary central nervous system on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal level, some of these functions are detectable in the very beginning of development of the human being. Thus the embryo successively develops a high sensibility and competency for the potential ability for perception"
- ↑ Clinical Maternal-Fetal Medicine by Hung N. Winn, John C. Hobbins (Eds) Taylor & Francis; 1st edition (June 15, 2000) English ISBN-10: 1850707987 ISBN-13: 978-1850707981
- ↑ Herrenkohl L R, "The Anxiety-Prone Personality: Effects of Prenatal Stress on the Infant." In Roy J. Mathew, Ed. The Biology of Anxiety. New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1982, pp. 51-86
- ↑ Antonio J. Ferreira "The Pregnant Woman's Emotional Attitude and Its Reflection on the Newborn." American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 30 (1960): 553-6
- ↑ Child At Risk: A Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Health, Welfare and Science. Hull: Canadian Government Publishing Center, 1980
- ↑ Barrett J H W, "Prenatal Influences on Adaptation in the Newborn." In Peter Stratton, Ed. Psychobiology of the Human Newborn. New York: John Wiley S. Sons, 1982, p. 270
- ↑ Abram Blau, et al., "The Psychogenic Etiology of Premature Births." Psychosomatic Medicine 25 (1963): 201-11
- ↑ A. J. Ward, "Prenatal stress and childhood pschopathology." Child Psychiatry and Human Development 22 (1991: 97-110
- ↑ Lars Billing, et al, "The Influence of Environmental Factors on Behavioral Problems in 8 Year-Old Children Exposed to Amphetamine During Fetal Life." Child Abuse & Neglect 18 (1994): 3-9
- ↑ D. H. Stott, "Follow-up Study from Birth of the Effects of Prenatal Stress." Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 15 (1973): 770-87
- ↑ Norman L. Corah, et al, "Effects of Perinatal Anoxia After Seven Years. Psychological Monongraphs 79 (1965): 1-32
- ↑ Sarnoff A. Mednick, "Birth Defects and Schizophrenia, Psychology Today 4 (1971): 48-50
- ↑ Sarnoff A. Mednick et al, Eds., Fetal Neural Development and Adult Schizophrenia. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1991
- ↑ "Delinquents Said To Have Perinatal Injuries," Psychiatric News, September 1, 1978, p. 26
- ↑ DINGFELDER S 'Programmed for pathology', review of maternal stress research in APA Online's Monitor of Psychology, retrieved from [3] May 15, 2007 "While the general or specific vulnerability to mental illness continues to be a hot topic, most scientists agree that maternal stress affects infants through hormonal mechanisms. One such mechanism, discovered through animal studies, involves the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Chronic activation of this system in mothers, says Huizink, may be responsible for HPA dysregulation, their offspring's difficulty controlling stress hormones. HPA dysregulation has been associated with greater emotionality and difficulty calming down after a stressful situation"
- ↑ David B. Chamberlain, "Prenatal Intelligence." In Thomas Blum, Ed. Prenatal Perception, Learning and Bonding. Berlin: Leonardo Publishers, 1993, pp. 14-21
- ↑ A. J. Ward, "Prenatal Stress and Childhood Psychopathology." Child Psychiatry and Human Development 22(1991): 97-110
- ↑ Adrian Raine, The Psychopathology of Crime: Criminal Behavior as a Clinical Disorder. San Diego: Academic Press, 1993
- ↑ Rank O, The Trauma of Birth. New York: Richard Brunner, 1952; Otto Rank, The Myth of the Birth of the Hero and Other Writings. New York: Random House, 1932
- ↑ Nandor Fodor, The Search for the Beloved: A Clinical Investigation of the Trauma of Birth and Prenatal Condition. New Hyde Park, N.Y.: University Books, 1949
- ↑ Leonard J 'The roots of panic' retrieved from [4] May 15, 2007
- ↑ Francis J. Mott, Mythology of the Prenatal Life. London: Integration Publishing Co., 1960
- ↑ Maarten Lietaert Peerbolte, "Some Problems Connected Whh Fodor's Birth-Trauma Therapy" Psychiatric Quarterly 26(1952): 294-306
- ↑ Peerbolte ML Editor, Hermes Trismegistus. Poimandres. Grieks-hermetisch geschrift in het Nederlands vertaald met een transpersonalistische beschouwing. Deventer 1974 Quote: "Lietaert Peerbolte considers the Poimandres in the light of a transpersonal psychology, based on 'peak experiences', a term used to denote various states of expanded consciousness. The translator points out that in the past, these states of heightened consciousness were linked to religious experience. This is clearly demonstrated in Poimandres. The translator hopes that in the coming era there will be a renaissance of the hermetic view of life, stimulated by a transpersonal psychology and a transpersonalist philosophy" retrieved from JR Ritman Library at [5] on May 15, 2007
- ↑ Maret S The Prenatal Person University Press of America (November 6, 1997) English ISBN-10: 0761807683 ISBN-13: 978-0761807681
- ↑ T. Verny, The Secret Life of the Unborn Child, 1981; Dell 1982 reprint: ISBN 0-440-50565-8
- ↑ * F. Leboyer, Birth Without Violence, 1975; 2nd revision 2002: ISBN 0-89281-983-9; also online (see external links)
- ↑ W. McCarty, "Welcoming Consciousness: Supporting Babies Wholeness from the Beginning of Life–An Integrated Model of Early Development 2004. Santa Barbara, CA:[www.wondrousbeginnings.com]
- ↑ W. McCarty, Supporting babies' wholeness in the 21st century: An integrated model of early development. Journal of Prenatal & Perinatal Psychology & Health, 20(3), 187-220, 2006 [www.wondrousbeginnings.com]
- O. Rank, The Trauma of Birth, 1924; Dover 1994 reprint: ISBN 0-486-27974-X
- F. Lake, The First Trimester, 1982
- S. Grof, Beyond the Brain: Birth, Death and Transcendence in Psychotherapy, 1986 ISBN 0-87395-899-3
- D. Chamberlain, Babies Remember Birth, 1988; 3rd edition (The Mind of Your Newborn Baby) 1998: ISBN 1-55643-264-X
- L. Janus, The Enduring Effects of Prenatal Experience: Echoes from the Womb, 1997, ISBN 1-56821-853-2
- M. D. Adzema, Falls From Grace: Spiritual and Philosophical Perspectives of Prenatal and Primal Experience 2004 (online, below)
See also
- Childbirth
- Developmental psychology
- Pregnancy
- Primal integration
- Primal therapy
- Psychedelic therapy
- Psychology


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Battling plasticulture
An Oregon company turns plastic waste into fuel.
In 2001, Kevin DeWhitt packed an office cubicle from floor to ceiling with plastic, melted it, filled a truck's gas tank with the liquid goo, and then drove around the perimeter of Kelso, Wash., twice. What, he wondered, if this could be done on a much larger scale? Three years later, the chemist formed Agilyx in Tigard, Ore.
Turning plastic into fuel isn't novel; energy- and land-restricted areas of Asia have long done it, for example. But making Agilyx commercially viable in the U.S. required millions in investment and the cooperation of waste managers and refineries. DeWhitt kept it simple: Create technology to go where the waste stream is, and let refineries transform the oil into usable road fuels.
"If we can reuse the hydrocarbons in plastic," says DeWhitt, Americans won't have to drill for more oil "to replace what we buried in a landfill." The petroleum can also be used to create other materials that aren't burned. The U.S. recycles less than 10 percent of plastics, mostly bottles; the rest gets tossed into landfills or shipped to Asia.
The Agilyx system used by Waste Management in north Portland, Ore., can take up to 50 tons per day of dirty, oily, hard-to-recycle mixed plastic, such as the plastic film and tubing used in agriculture. Heat from the reactor breaks up the long, heavy polymer chains and converts them to a gas. After cooling in the condenser, light, sweet crude oil oozes out. The byproducts include water, small quantities of inert char and burnable gases, leaving a trivial environmental footprint.
Last year, the U.S. consumed around 18.5 million barrels of oil per day. Agilyx's setup can capture enough fuel to fill more than 200 SUV tanks each day. In addition to Waste Management, companies in Minnesota and Georgia have already adopted Agilyx's technology. At least four other U.S.-based plastics-to-oil companies are trying to get into the game on a commercial scale, and several others with operations overseas hope to expand into the U.S. There's plenty of waste for everyone, says DeWhitt. "Let's just make sure between us we get it all."


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What's that coming over the hill? Australians, actually; two sets of them, fresh from releasing albums and flying and running 'til it hurts, and ready to show you what they have this August/September time.
Bluesy-folk blues folk John Butler Trio (pictured), fresh from releasing their most ambitious work yet – Grand National incorporated horn and string sections plus a list of separate instruments so long that I can't be bothered to write them out, so check out the Wikipedia article – the imaginatively-named trio led by John Butler stop by the following locations:
18 Glasgow ABC
19 Liverpool Academy
20 London Brixton Academy
Their European "fall" tour also calls at Dublin, as well as dates in France and Germany, which you can find on their MySpace.
Silverchair, meanwhile – most definitely back from their 'indefinite hiatus' with a brand-new album – can be tracked down at the following locations this summer:
10 London Brixton Academy
11 Edinburgh Corn Exchange
12 Manchester Ritz
13 Nottingham Rock City
Released in Australia a few weeks back, new album Young Modern saw Silverchair achieving a record-breaking fifth consecutive #1 album down under, eclipsing Midnight Oil and Cold Chisel's four each. Again, you can hear it over on the MySpace.


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Recurrence patterns after local therapy with Gliadel® in patients with malignant gliomas
Search Medline for
|May 20, 2009
Objective: Local chemotherapy with gliadel® has been increasingly used in the last years. A study by Giese et al. with 11 patients receiving the actual BCNU wafers had shown no difference of recurrence patterns in local and systemic chemotherapy. It also made no difference in total or subtotallyresected gliomas. Our goal was to verify the results in a larger patient group and to look at the rationale for the use of Gliadel® in the presence of residual tumor.
Methods: In the cohort of patients operated from 2006 to 2008 with malignant glioma that received Gliadel® wafers, we carried out a retrospective and a prospective analysis of the pattern of recurrence. 60 patients were included in the study. 36 had been totally resected and 20 sub totally.
30 patients had a tumor recurrence documented on MRI so far. The recurrent tumor was divided into 4 groups: local recurrence (≤1.5 cm of the resection cavity), diffuse (>1.5 cm), multifocal and distant tumors. Patients were divided into groups of total resection and subtotal resection. 50% of the patients received concomitant therapy with temozolamide. 30% had been pretreated with temozolamide. The average tumor volume before treatment was 28.4 cm3.
Results: In our study group, on the average 50% of the tumors reoccurred 6 months following Gliadel® placement. 11 (7 of the totally resected tumors) tumors recurred locally, 13 (6) diffuse, 5 (2) multifocal and 1 (1) distant.
Conclusions: There were no differences in the recurrence pattern of malignant glioma patients treated locally with Gliadel® compared to patients receiving systemic chemotherapy. In a similar fashion, we found no difference in the recurrence pattern of completely or incompletely resected tumors. This corresponds to the hypothesis that the local effect of Gliadel® wears off after the BCNU has been released. A concomitant continuing therapy with another chemotherapeutic agent (temozolamide) is necessary to prolong the state of remission. The combined effect is of the same potential in complete and incompletely resected tumors but will not prevent the local reoccurrence of the tumor.
But as recent studies show, the concomitant use of temzolamide and Gliadel® significantly improves survival in comparison to monotherapy.


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According to two new reports that rate the satisfaction of PC buyers, Dell's scores have declined in recent months. While statistically, the results are not catastrophic for a company that prides itself on offering superior service, it's a potentially troubling trend Dell executives acknowledge and have taken steps to address.
What's new:
According to two recent reports, customer service at leading PC seller Dell has slipped in recent months. Although the declines are statistically small, they show a steady trend of sinking satisfaction with Dell's support.
Bottom line:
For a direct seller of PCs in a largely commoditized business, customer service is a chief concern, and the company is actively trying to improve its satisfaction scores.
The March issue of Consumer Reports, which came out last week, included a survey of 4,100 consumers, who gave Dell 62 points out of a possible 100 for its support on desktop PCs. Although it still managed to top competing brands Hewlett-Packard and Compaq, which scored 54 and 51, respectively, Dell's rating represented a decline from the magazine's last desktop support survey, published in June 2003, in which it received a 64.
Apple Computer led the pack, with 74 in the recent survey, while Gateway scored 61. A score of 80 would mean that respondents were very satisfied, while 60 is described as fairly well satisfied. Differences of more than four points in the survey were meaningful, the report said.
While the most recent changes appear incremental, Dell's overall tech support scores for desktop PCs have dropped substantially since 2001, said Jeff Fox, senior project editor at Consumer Reports. Dell scored a rating of 74 in December 2001 and a 65 in September 2002.
Dell's score has "stayed down and hasn't gone back up," Fox said. "We can't say why...but they haven't solved whatever problem that brought it down, whether that's increased volume (or) outsourcing. It's probably a number of different factors."
Consumer Reports' findings are echoed by data from research firm Technology Business Research (TBR). The Hampton, N.H., firm's fourth-quarter report on support satisfaction among corporate buyers, published this week, shows that Dell's satisfaction rating slipped to 80.98, down from 83.4 in the third quarter of 2003.
TBR's survey polls buyers on eight aspects of support, including their overall satisfaction with a company's support service, and assigns each one a weighted score for a total of 100 possible points.
Although Dell still topped rivals HP and IBM in the TBR survey, its score was the lowest seen since the research firm began tracking Dell's satisfaction levels in the first quarter of 2001. Although part of the change could reflect Dell's rapid growth rate during 2003, the company's fourth-quarter score dipped well below its average rating of 82.9, said Julie Perron, manager of primary research at TBR.
Dell doesn't dispute that its satisfaction levels have dropped. Instead, it is working to remedy the situation, said Gary Cotshott, vice president and general manager of service at the Round Rock, Texas, company.
"We recognize that we've had some issues, particularly in the client area, which we're addressing," Cotshott said.
Hold, please
Indeed, Dell ran into a perfect storm of sorts during the period in which the surveys were taken. Telephone tech support hold times were lengthier--at times they were exacerbated by occurrences such as computer worms--coupled with some shortages of replacement parts, Cotshott said. Dell was also in the process of expanding and training its tech support staff.
"We reacted to it, and we have driven improvements in the metrics that we believe will drive through ultimately--because TBR's a lagging indicator--as we move through the course of the next three to six months," Cotshott said.
Shipments for the company, which pioneered direct sales of computers to consumers, surged 25 percent year over year to 25.8 million units in 2003, making it the world's largest PC maker, according to research firm IDC. Thanks to the increase in shipments, Dell's market share grew to 16.9 percent in 2003 from 15.1 percent in 2002. Shipments for HP, its closest competitor, grew 14.5 percent last year to 25 million, giving it a market share of 16.4 percent in 2003.
While all PC companies talk about the importance of customer service, Dell has been particularly vocal for several reasons. By cutting out the middleman, Dell has a closer relationship with customers, thus taking all the praise from happy buyers--and all the blame when things go wrong. In addition, the PC business is becoming increasingly commoditized, marked by similarly equipped machines and price erosion. One way to stand out from the crowd is to pamper buyers by offering better service and support than competitors.
Dell's emphasis on service emanates directly from the top. CEO and founder Michael Dell wrote in his 1999 book, "Direct by Dell," that relatively sketchy support offered by electronics stores inspired him to build his own company. Dell goes so far as to spend time each year manning the phone lines, taking orders.
But Michael Dell didn't answer the phone when Phil Isernio, a business owner in Seattle, called to inquire about a late shipment.
Isernio said it took Dell more than two months to deliver his Dimension 4600 desktop PC, ordered in October 2003, for which some accessories arrived in three days. After growing frustrated with his salesman and Dell's other customer support options, Isernio turned to e-mailing the company CEO.
The tactic worked. A company representative contacted Isernio, resubmitted the order and offered a $150 credit for his trouble, as well as a $150 discount coupon for a future order. Isernio is now considering buying a Dell notebook, despite not yet hearing back from Dell regarding questions about the price quote.
Anecdotally, Isernio isn't alone.
"Dell's service reputation has always been based on its quick response in handling customer issues," said Brooks Gray, an analyst at TBR. But, he noted, "Of the 20 people I've recommended Dell to over the past few years, at least 50 percent of them have experienced issues with support in one form or another."
Despite the evidence that customers have been unsatisfied with Dell's tech support, executives maintain that the vast majority of its customers are happy with their purchases.
"The majority of our feedback from customers is positive--both from surveys and the awards we win (from) third-party publications," said Todd Penner, director of Dell's U.S. consumer tech support operation.
Get it solved the first time
Dell also constantly evaluates its tech support operation. Aside from increasing the size of its staff, it has shifted its priorities to resolving problems on the first call. The company is also examining how its customer care organization can resolve order-related problems more quickly, Penner said.
Among the methods Dell is using is a new jack-of-all-trades approach that enables some customers to speak with one person who has the skills and authority to tackle any number of customer care or tech support problems in the same call. Dell may not implement the system widely, however, as customer care agents and support techs typically do very different jobs.
The company has also rerouted some telephone tech support calls back to the United States from Bangalore, India. In addition, Dell to help anticipate the needs of large server and storage customers in the United States.
While those and other changes may help Dell reverse its recent survey results, at least a few people may consider them too late.
Trevor Anderson, an information technology manager at a law firm in Canada, said he switched brands because of rising frustration.
Anderson said he finished swapping the 220 PCs and servers he manages to HP models last year, after he grew weary of the way he said Dell's telephone tech support employees treated him. He said they asked him simplistic, trouble-shooting questions and put him on hold for long periods. He also said he disliked working with different salespersons and on-site support people Dell contracted.
"HP works locally with resellers. I've had the same (HP) reseller since 1998. I know the salesman. He knows our history here," Anderson said. With Dell's support, "it was like you were being talked down to; like you didn't have any experience with technology."
In some ways, Dell is fighting an uphill battle; its focus on growth naturally means that it will attract more consumers who are naturally less skilled in operating PCs and thus need more assistance.
"As the proportion of the consumers in the mix rises, (Dell) is naturally going to increase in its share of complaints, even if it isn't doing anything differently," said Roger Kay, an analyst at IDC. That's because increasing market share requires a "devil's bargain. You have to support inexperienced buyers in order to get their business."
Indeed, historical data from Consumer Reports shows that few people were satisfied with the service they got from any vendor. Only 52 percent of those surveyed by Consumer Reports said they were highly satisfied with support from any PC manufacturer in 2001. During 2003, those who were highly satisfied shrank to 43 percent, Fox said.
Regardless of the reasons for its slide, Dell said it is committed to improving the PC-buying experience for consumers.
"The actions we've taken have (already) driven substantial improvements across the board," Cotshott said. "Over time, you'll see us emerge again as the industry leader."


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There are a number of myths in circulation about how Ian Fleming came to name his villain 'Goldfinger'. Read this extract from my biography of the architect Ernö Goldfinger for the true story of the origin of the name. There is an article from The Guardian on the same topic here. I've lived in two buildings Goldfinger designed, and spent a lot of time in his own house 2 Willow Road in Hampstead (a museum owned by the National Trust), so have a particular angle on his architecture: I was delighted to discover in researching the book that Goldfinger had published theoretical papers in which he argued that architecture as an art needs to be expeienced from within, that it is an art of enclosing space in ways that consciously and often unconsciously affect the person within the enclosed space. More about Erno Goldfinger including pictures of some of his buildings on the Design Museum website.
Some reviews of the book:
Gillian Darley in London Review of Books
Louis Barfe in The Literary Review
Hugh Pearman in The Sunday Times
Joe Moran in The New Statesman
John Avery in The Hungarian Quarterly
Dan Carrier Camden New Journal


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Defining the Decades
Harvey Scott
A statue atop Mount Tabor pays tribute to Scott's five-decade reign as editor of the Oregonian. A conservative Republican, he promoted the Oregon Historical Society and the Lewis and Clark Exposition of 1905 while opposing "radical" causes like women's suffrage and public high schools.
George Baker
A glad-handing theater impresario, Baker led an administration marked by police crackdowns on unions and socialists and flirtation with the Ku Klux Klan, smothering progressive politics for a half-century. Business-minded voters on the new east side gave him a 16-year run as mayor.
Ernest B. MacNaughton
As Reed president from 1948 to 1952, he rescued the college from financial instability. But '20s-era Portlanders knew him as a real estate manager, banker, and civic leader who championed modern office blocks and affordable housing.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Not exactly a Portlander. But the New Deal stamped the city and region like nothing before or since. Cheap electricity from Bonneville and Grand Coulee dams dragged the Pacific Northwest into the 20th century. No New Deal dams. No Silicon Forest, or Google and Facebook data centers.
Edgar Kaiser
Industrialist Henry J. Kaiser sent son Edgar to run huge shipyards in Portland and Vancouver, which rolled out hundreds of ships during World War II. Edgar bypassed local officials to build the Vanport housing project. The racially diverse crews the shipyards attracted changed Portland's social mix forever. He also imported "master builder" Robert Moses to give the city its first freeway plan.
Robert F. Kennedy
In '50s Portland, gambling racketeers and corrupt Teamsters ran the city with payoffs to police and officials. As chief counsel for the US Senate's muckracking McClellan committee, Kennedy turned the national spotlight on Portland, upending a conservative, corrupt city, and ushering in a new, progressive era.
Howard Vollum
Cofounder of Tektronix, Vollum built a tiny radio lab into a huge electronic instruments company, the first sapling of the Silicon Forest.
Henry Richmond
As the first director of 1,000 Friends of Oregon, Richmond hammered Oregon cities and counties to create a tight urban growth boundary, an energized city center, and suburbs that can't zone away the poor.
Gus Van Sant
The city was already home to fine writers like William Stafford and Ursula K. Le Guin. But with Drugstore Cowboy (1989) and My Own Private Idaho (1991), writer-director Van Sant made Portland a star of edgy mass culture—status the city probably wouldn't have achieved without him.
Peter Kohler
In 18 years as president, Kohler transformed Oregon Health & Science University from a midsize med school to a biomedical powerhouse. He doubled OHSU's employment and septupled research dollars. Upon retirement in 2006, he left the university financially overextended but among the top 20 med schools ranked by the National Institutes of Health.
Vera Katz
This daughter of Menshevik refugees shaped Portland's progressive politics, first in 20 years in the legislature (including six years as Speaker of the House), then in 12 years as mayor. In her push for signature urbanist policies, Katz earned a bronze effigy overlooking the Eastbank Esplanade.
Carrie Brownstein
Brownstein certified Portland's coolness when her band Sleater-Kinney chose the city as its base. A decade later, her TV satire simultaneously mocks and mines our creativity, while pinning Portland quirkiness in the nation's mind like a specimen butterfly.
Portland State University professor Carl Abbott's new book is Portland in Three Centuries.


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Carrot Cake
4 eggs
1/2 cup(s) vegetable oil
1/2 cup(s) applesauce
2 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
1 cup(s) granulated sugar
1 cup(s) firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon(s) baking powder
1 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) ground nutmeg
4 cup(s) grated carrots
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)
1 cup(s) toasted sweetened coconut, optional
Whipped Cream Frosting
More From Town & Country
1 package(s) (8-ounce) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup(s) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 cup(s) heavy cream
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Using a hand or stand mixer, mix the eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla extract on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat in both sugars on medium speed until well combined, 2 minutes. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Mix the batter until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Stir in the carrots on low speed until they are evenly distributed within the batter. Pour the batter into the baking dish and spread it evenly with a spatula.
3. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the center of the cake springs back when touched. Allow the cake to cool completely in its pan before topping it with the Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting. If you like, sprinkle the frosted cake with toasted coconut. Cut into squares to serve.
4. To make the frosting: Using a hand or stand mixer, whip all the ingredients together on low speed until the sugar is fully absorbed. Increase the speed to medium-high and blend until the mixture resembles frosting. Don't worry if the mixture initially looks curdled. Keep whipping it and watch it transform into a thick frosting.


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Pearl Gemstone Gold Jewellery: the latest trend of jewellery market!
Gone are the days when jewellery was associated with just adornments and symbolized social status. Jewellery which exists since the time of civilization has unquestionably undergone many changes and transformation in terms of its usage, symbolic and actual use and designs. Brides of 60's and 70's were always spotted clad in heaviest jewellery according to…Read More


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Day of the Dead 2014
If you participated in the event and see an image of yourself that you like send me a message for a special discount code on prints good through Feb 1st. Feel free to share using the share tool at the top of the page. If you download and repost an image on your own social media pages or use an image for a profile photo I just ask that you credit me by including in your post a clickable link back to my personal FB page or my photo page Jim Hall Photography. If you post on instagram please credit @primitivejim, on twitter @jhall. For any other use please send me an email first. Thanks for looking!Read More


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"Icy Mess" Coming to Fl. Panhandle, Deep South
Across the South, residents stocked up on fuel and groceries, schools and offices closed, and road crews were at the ready as a storm moved in Tuesday from the central U.S., threatening to bring snow, ice and subzero temperatures to a region more accustomed to air conditioners and sunscreen than parkas and shovels.
Even with the timing and severity of the blast of freezing precipitation uncertain, officials from parts of Texas to southeastern Virginia warned motorists to stay off the roads. Popular warm-weather tourist destinations - Charleston, S.C.; Savannah, Ga.; Pensacola, Fla.; Virginia Beach, Va.; and New Orleans - expected ice and snow over the next two days, rare occurrences in places that seldom even see prolonged sub-freezing temperatures.
At an Ace Hardware store in the north Georgia town of Cumming, snow shovels were in short supply, but manager Tom Maron said feed scoops - often used in barns - could be substituted. Workers expected brisk business, with patrons buying insulation, faucet covers, portable heaters and other cold-weather gear.
"We're fixing to put the ice melt out, and we've got plenty of sand here to mix in," Maron said shortly before dawn.
Much of Georgia was placed under a winter storm watch for Tuesday and Wednesday, with some areas forecast to see as much as 3 inches of snow. But Jason Deese with the National Weather Service said the snow totals would "matter very little in this situation because of the ice potential."
"Some parts of the state may end up seeing the greatest impact just because they get more ice than snow," he said.
In Mississippi, amid warnings about snow and ice, four people died when an early morning fire destroyed a mobile home in Itawamba County, near the Alabama border. Investigators believe a space heater was to blame. Sheriff Chris Dickinson said nine people were in the mobile home at the time, using the heater for warmth. Officials didn't identify the victims but said they ranged in age from 3 months to 30 years.
Snow began falling before dawn Tuesday in the extreme northwest portion of Alabama. In Montgomery, Bradley Thrift sat in a hotel parking lot letting his truck warm up before heading out with a crew to work on sewers.
"We've got a job to do. We'll just be out in it," said Thrift, wrapped up in a thick coat. "We'll be safe. When the boss man says that's it, it's too slippery, we'll just come back here and wait."
At a nearby Publix grocery story, shoppers had cleaned out three shelves of bottled water, and all the boxed fire logs were gone. The milk cabinet had big gaps where rows of gallon jugs were missing.
"We kept having to replenish the milk yesterday - people were buying it so quickly," worker Jeneen Gabson said.
In the Hampton Roads area of Virginia - which forecasters said could see a foot of snow - store shelves started emptying of staples such as bread by Monday night. Schools and businesses planned to close early, with the storm expected to further clog an already-busy afternoon commute.
In coastal Charleston, it was a balmy 62 degrees Monday. But the approaching weather led the College of Charleston to cancel classes Tuesday. There was a forecast of rain, and sleet in the late afternoon, with the first snow expected Wednesday morning.
Delta Air Lines officials said 1,850 flights have been canceled ahead of the storm. The airline is offering travelers the opportunity to make one-time changes to tickets without a fee if they're traveling through Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, the Carolinas and Texas.
Meanwhile, in the Midwest, plummeting temperatures and increasing winds took root for another day even as the storm moved south. Several states in the central U.S. saw schools and other facilities close for a second consecutive day as dangerous wind chills were predicted. In Minnesota, forecasters said wind chills could reach 35 to 50 degrees below zero.
In the Carolinas, many school districts were running on half-day schedules Tuesday so students could head home before the worst of the storm system hit. In North Carolina's Outer Banks, barrier islands that are popular with tourists during the warm seasons, residents were bracing for as much as 8 inches of snow.
Several inches also were expected in South Carolina, where the state department of transportation planned to send crews out Tuesday to treat roads with sand and brine to ease any troubles caused by ice.
In Louisiana, state Public Service Commission Chairman Eric Skrmetta told residents to be prepared by stocking up with food, fueling cars and making sure to have cash on hand, calling the icy forecast for the next couple of days "decidedly grim." State police said freezing rain was falling in the central part of the state early Tuesday, but most highways remained open. The heaviest snowfall was likely to be 1 to 3 inches just north of the Baton Rouge metro area
Donna Vidrine, a cashier at Simcoe Food World in Lafayette, said her store was already busy Monday.
"They're buying things like canned goods - nonperishable items - and bottles of water and diapers for their baby," she said.


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Santaguida Sanitation
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