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Caregiving Chat With Amy Goyer
Get advice on how to take care of yourself while caring for others
If you missed the live online event hosted by Amy Goyer, AARP Caregiving blogger and primary caregiver for her parents, you can find answers in this chat transcript to questions about caring for a loved one, managing the emotions of caregiving, how to find respite care and more.
Comment from Joan: Sometimes I just feel like I can't do it anymore. I get so discouraged about how my Dad is doing — it's two steps forward and one step back. How can I keep my spirits up?
Amy Goyer: I can empathize! Seems like just when I take care of one health issue for my parents, another one creeps up. It's so hard to see their health and cognitive abilities decline. The one thing you have control over is your attitude. Here's my post on keeping a positive can-do attitude. Focusing on what your Dad CAN do, and not going down the spiral of what he can no longer do, can help you feel better and will also affect how you interact with him. Every time you notice a change, think about what he can still do and put energy into being grateful for that. You can do it!
Comment from Bob: How much can I expect to pay a person to "fill in for me" for a few hours? I care for my wife 24/7 (Alzheimer's).
Amy Goyer: Bob, getting back-up care while you take a break is essential for caregiver survival. Glad you are planning for that! The cost can vary greatly — from as low as $10 per hour to as high as $75 per hour depending on the needs of your loved one and the training, credentials and skills of the professional caregiver.
Some states have respite programs that provide lower cost support — some even provide vouchers to pay family and friends to provide respite. Sometimes volunteers are available to provide short respite breaks as well. Here is an article about finding respite care.
Since your wife has Alzheimer's, I'd suggest you contact your local Alzheimer's Association chapter or your local Area Agency on Aging. Ask about respite programs, fees and volunteer-based options.
Good luck and DO give yourself a break. You can't care for a loved one if you are depleted mentally and physically. Even short breaks can restore your energy. Once you do get a respite break — here are my tips for making the positive effects last longer!
Comment from SusanB: I think simple things like a walk outdoors can help with one's spirits. It obviously doesn't change the situation but it can provide some distance and air to breathe a little easier.
Amy Goyer: Absolutely, SusanB! It's about changing your focus and taking a minute to recharge.
Comment from Pat: Do you have any practical suggestions for supporting a caregiver from far away? My best friend is caring for her two parents but I can't go there because of my family schedule. We talk on the phone but I wish I could do more!
Amy Goyer: Pat, know that you are already doing a great thing for your friend by talking on the phone! Caregivers need someone to listen — and sometimes it's only a 5-minute conversation but the fact that she has you there when she needs to call is worth millions! Other things you might do are:
Send cards and letters regularly — getting good mail is a surprise these days and can really lift the mood!
Send her a gift certificate for getting her nails done, or a massage.
Send flowers, and in general just keep reinforcing what she is doing and that you think she is amazing — we all need some validation!
Comment from Rosemary: Amy, so glad you're doing this live chat! Can you give me the pros and cons of taking care of your parents at home? My mother is in an excellent assisted living home but she has deteriorated physically and mentally over the past summer. I'm spending so much time going over and overseeing her care that I figure I might as well take care of her at home. And the facility has just upped their monthly fees. Nearly $100,000 per year! At this rate, Mom will run out of money and I'm not sure that they will keep her, although she's been on the continuing care campus for 15 years.
Amy Goyer: Rosemary, every situation is unique, so assisted living might be the perfect option for some people and not so much for others. On one hand, when our loved ones are living in a protected environment it can be a stress reducer for us as caregivers. We may not feel like we have to be with them all the time and can rely on others for some of their care. They may get socialization and activities there and not be so isolated — and they may maintain a level of independence that is positive for them.
On the other hand, managing their care, making sure what's promised is actually being done and constantly going back and forth to see and care for them can be very stressful and exhausting. Add the costs in, and some caregivers do decide caring for loved ones in the same home is more effective, less costly and less stressful.
I can share with you my personal situation. I can honestly say that since I moved my parents in with me five months ago, I actually think my stress levels are down some. The financial worries were huge when they were in the senior living community. And coordinating their paid care, not being there to oversee the professional caregivers and driving back and forth was mentally and physically exhausting for me. For months I was even spending every night at their place. I also didn't get as much quality time with them as I'd like. Now that we live together we can afford a wonderful professional live-in caregiver, Danielle, to help me. I can spend downtime with my parents in between doing my own housework and finances, etc. I know how they eat, sleep and take their medicines because I either do it or Danielle does. I know their living environment is clean because I do it or oversee it! I am not constantly in the car. We are all happier and more rested. It feels like natural family living and I like that.
Yes there are downsides too — loss of privacy, some sleepless nights, less control over my home atmosphere — but for me it's worth it. Again — every situation is unique though — it's not for everyone. Find great information on choosing housing options in our AARP Caregiving Resource Center. Keep me posted on what you decide, Rosemary!
Comment from Rebekah: How do you handle the guilty feeling of wanting a minute to yourself?
Amy Goyer: Guilt is one of the most common emotions for caregivers ... I certainly have felt it too. There are times when you long for a change — but realize that change would mean not so great things for those you are caring for ... I get it. Here's the key when it comes to guilt: You have to keep on reminding yourself that you are doing the BEST that you can do. You have to accept the fact that you cannot give to others if you, yourself, are empty.
Remember on the airplane when they tell you to put the oxygen mask on yourself before you help a child or someone sitting next to you? It's just like that. You have to fill yourself up before you have anything to give. I learned this best when I took a tai chi class and the teacher talked about the movements into the body are gathering energy and the movements away from the body are moving energy out. It's the perfect analogy! If I don't gather energy, I become empty and don't have energy to utilize to do the tasks of caregiving. So when you feel guilty because you want a minute to yourself, STOP. Look at it this way: you aren't being selfish, you are actually just doing one step of the entire caregiving job. A very, very necessary step.
Comment from Michael N: Hi, Amy, love your blog! I would like to know if there are any activities I could with my aunt who has Alzheimer's while I am taking care of her? Something we could do together?
Amy Goyer: Thank you, Michael! So glad you are enjoying my blog! I wrote a two-part blog post about activities to do with loved ones who have Alzheimer's disease.
One of your best tools will be music — find out what music she liked in her teens and 20s and get some CDs or load up your iPod. Listen to music with her and sing along. Another good thing to remember is many folks with Alzheimer's need to stay active — they can't always hold long conversations, but they can DO things with you. Go for a walk, look at old photos, play a game, plant flowers, make cookies … create shared experiences. Hope this helps! Your aunt is lucky to have you!
Comment from Sheila: I am 55 years old, and I am the caregiver for my mom who is 85. I have no siblings, so there is no one to help me out. I cry a lot, and work 10 hours a day at my job, then attend to my mom in the evening. I need a support group. I am neglecting my own health. I am so tired. Please help me.
Amy Goyer: Sheila, I'm so sorry to hear you are having such a rough time! I can totally understand. Honestly, I have gone through times when I cry a lot too! Here is my blog post about one time I had a meltdown in a parking lot! You are overwhelmed with good reason. Caregiving doesn't happen in a vacuum — the rest of our lives go on and we are constantly pulled in many directions.
Here is what I want you to do:
1. Find a support group. Here is the link to the AARP online caregiver support group that you can access any time. Here's another article on finding a caregiver support group you can attend in person. You can also use the Eldercare Locator online to find your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for a list of caregiver support groups nearby.
2. Get help. It's time. Look into respite care — someone else who can stay with your Mom at least one evening a week so you can have time to yourself, go to a support group meeting, or just sleep! Here is some info about setting up a respite plan. (Also read my related response to Bob earlier in the chat.)
Remember that even a short walk, a cup of coffee or a quick phone call with a friend can offer a change of focus — even taking a deep breath and stretching is a useful break. Incorporate these throughout your day, at work and at home.
3. Go back to basics. Eat well, exercise and prioritize sleep. I'm convinced that sleep deprivation is the biggest enemy of all caregivers. When I'm exhausted I can't cope as well emotionally or physically with the strains of caring for both of my parents. Of course you're crying a lot! Everything is magnified when you're tired.
4. Know that you will never get everything done. Never. You sound like a very busy, hard-working person who I'm sure is trying to get everything right.
Accept that everything will not get checked off the list, so don't make that your goal. It really is OK. Instead, an important goal is to live in the moment. Find ways to enjoy your mother's company. Laugh together once every day. Incorporate fun. Be spontaneous. It's good for you AND your mother.
5. Keep a list of what you have accomplished and the things that go well and that you feel good about. Sometimes it just helps to remind ourselves that we are doing the best we can do.
Good luck and stay in touch!
Comment from Kristy: I feel so alone in caregiving for my mom. I can't seem to get my family to help me. How can I build a team? I can't do all this by myself!
Amy Goyer: You are like so many caregivers — out here on our own it seems. I've often felt that way too. But in reality, we all have teams — we just don't think of it that way.
Make a list of all the people who interact with your mom, who provide services and support. And make a list of all the people who support you — who listen to you and help you. Include neighbors, friends, doctors, therapists, anyone who cleans the house, hairstylist, massage therapist, manicurist, mail deliverer … Who do you and your mom interact with on a regular basis that add quality to your lives, or who can help out in a pinch? Once I did this I realized I DO have a team. I just manage it differently when it's family members rather than service providers or health care workers. They are all there to support me and my parents though.
So CREATE your caregiving team and you will not be so alone after all.
Comment from Guest: What if sometimes you hate the person you are caregiving for? My mother is 92 and in a nursing home but I am her power of attorney (POA). She is demanding, mean, just not a nice person at all. No matter how much I give, I receive nothing back. Maybe a thank you now and then.
Amy Goyer: Believe it or not, that is a really common question I get. Not all parents and children have fabulous relationships — it's a really tough issue. When those we are caring for are cranky, or downright nasty, the first thing to do is make sure it is not being caused by a health issue. For example, those with Alzheimer's can't often explain that they are in pain and simply exhibit behavior problems. Also, anyone in chronic pain becomes irritable, short-tempered and unhappy over time. But I also always say, as we age, we only get more so ... in other words, who we are becomes magnified. If your Mom was always difficult, she may get more difficult as she ages — this isn't always true but it happens often. So the bottom line is — if that's your Mom's personality, you can't change her. You don't have control of her, and you will just deplete yourself trying to do so. It's a never-ending battle to try to elicit something from someone who can't give it. So the best thing to do is address what you CAN control. If you try to get the reinforcement from your mom, you will constantly feel stressed out, sad, resentful and discouraged. Instead, the reinforcement for what you are doing needs to come internally — from yourself.
Try to feel good that you are caregiving for your mom because you believe it's the right thing to do. Make that your goal — not so much getting a lot back from your mom. Then if you DO get a thank you, it will be the icing on the cake.
Comment from Grace: I want to take care of myself, but I just don't feel like I have time. I'm so busy between work and family ... there just aren't enough hours in the day. Any tips?
Amy Goyer: Grace, I know how you feel! It's constantly juggling and keeping all the balls in the air and there just isn't enough time, right? I've found that if I look at it that way, there really won't be enough time. If I put the "taking care of myself" items at the bottom of my list — after I've taken care of everyone else — they simply won't get done. Ever.
So the first step is prioritizing taking care of yourself. It sounds simple, but it really is an important mental step. You have to believe and embrace that you can't do your job as a caregiver if you don't take care of yourself. In your work, would you not do your report to your boss because you're just too busy? Of course not. You prioritize it because if your boss doesn't know what you're doing you'll be in trouble in the long run. It's the same with caregiving — only you ARE the boss and you MUST prioritize taking care of yourself. Plan ways to do so — and remember they don't all have to be big time drains. Short breaks, a walk, deep breaths, one hour of yoga a week — all these things can help.
Also, schedule ahead — making a doctor appointment for a month from now seems more doable than thinking "I've got to get in there this week!" And go to the AARP Caregiving Resource Center for more ideas about Caring for the Caregiver!
Comment from Stephanie: My son can't find a job so he's moved back in with me. My mom needs more help so I'm thinking of moving her in with me too. I'm really worried about how I'm going to handle this.
Amy Goyer: Stephanie, you are like so many Americans these days — in fact I just published a blog post today about a new report from the Pew Research Center about the sandwich generation. (I call them panini-parents because they are so pressed financially by their grown children!) If your son needs financial help and mom does too, you need to be very careful about your own financial planning — AND taking care of yourself. The Pew study also found almost 40 percent of these sandwich caregivers say their grown kids and their aging parents BOTH rely on them emotionally as well as financially — that's a lot of pressure.
I suggest that you consider your decision carefully and see how your multigenerational household can enhance your situation — take advantage of the benefits but don't let the negatives drain you or your finances. Here are more of my tips for multigenerational living.
Comment from Sharon: I'm wrestling with bringing my mom home from the continuing care facility where she is now living. She has dementia associated with Parkinson's. She's running out of money and before she hits zero, I'm thinking I should take her out of there. With the little she has left, I could pay for help. Once she's gone through her money, it'll all be on me. Thoughts?
Amy Goyer: Sharon, you and Rosemary have a lot in common! Check out my response to her earlier in the chat. I was in a similar situation. I suggest you really weigh the pros and cons, and also do some research — find out what home care options are available in your community.
Go to the Eldercare Locator to find your local Area Agency on Aging and ask if your state has a sliding fee scale for home care services. Some states have Medicaid waivers to provide in-home care if your mom would qualify for Medicaid once her resources are depleted. Look at the short-term AND the long-term effects on you — emotionally, mentally and physically — before you make a decision.
Comment From Joyce: I am a caregiver for my 54-year-old brother who needs 24/7 care due to traumatic brain injury, dementia and alcoholism. It is hard for me to know what to do to help him due to his complex issues. Any suggestions?
Amy Goyer: Joyce, you really have a full plate! I'm sure you feel overwhelmed at times. You are right — it's a complicated situation and requires a complex course of action. You have several options — first, in terms of dementia, contact your local Alzheimer's Association chapter and see about a support group.
Next, since alcoholism is part of the picture, you might consider going to Al-Anon, which is for families of people who are alcoholics. Its website has a locator tool to find an Al-Anon meeting in your community. Remember that alcoholism is a family disease — it affects everyone in the family system, so it will help to address those issues.
Finding support groups with other people dealing with similar issues will help you carve out a plan and help you to continue to adjust it as you go along. Take it one step at a time! And take care of yourself!
AARP: OK, that's it for today, everyone. Thank you, Amy, for all your great advice.
Amy Goyer: I had a great time today — thanks for joining me! Thank you for sharing your personal journeys and allowing me to share mine. Follow me on Twitter @amygoyer, Facebook and my caregiver blog on the AARP website!
Take care!!!


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By David Arenstam, Contributing Writer
By nature, 17-year-old boys are impatient and, in June 1940, after finishing his junior year at Biddeford High School, Ben Woodbury wanted to do more than stay in school.
His older brother, David, had already left home and enlisted in the Naval Reserve, and at the time, that seemed like a good idea to Woodbury.
"My friends were all going, so I wanted to go too," he said.
Without his mother's permission, Woodbury traveled to Portland and enlisted.
According to Woodbury, his brother was mad when he found out that he had enlisted. Woodbury thought that by signing up for the reserves, he would go to basic training and then report for duty only one weekend a month.
It didn't work out that way. It would be more than five years before Woodbury was able to return home for good.
"I went to Newport for basic and from there I was assigned to school," he said. Woodbury was assigned to the Navy's class-A school for machinist's mates in Dearborn, Mich., and from there, he went to the Brooklyn Navy Yard and the USS Rhind.
The Rhind was a small destroyer whose primary mission was to escort merchant ships across the treacherous north Atlantic from the US to Iceland or Europe.
"I spent most of my time in the engine room," he said. "Days would go by and the only time I would be on deck was at night."
"The U-Boats were there and they knew we were supplying the British," Woodbury said. "War had not been declared, but it wasn't good."
After two years on the Rhind and several trips across the Atlantic, Woodbury was promoted and transferred from the ship. By then it was 1942, the country was at war and according to Woodbury, the Navy wanted experienced sailors on the new ships that were being built.
"They just told me one day that I was going to the Philip," he said. "I didn't have a choice."
The USS Philip was a fletcher class destroyer that was being built in Kearny, N.J.
Woodbury was transferred from one ship to the other and, as soon as the sea trials were completed, both he and the ship were headed for the war in the South Pacific.
The ship saw action in 1943 in the Solomons as both an escort vessel and as part of the anti-submarine campaign against the empire of Japan.
"I can remember looking outside and seeing these things going into the water,"
he said with a laugh. "The chief was yelling at me, 'Those are bombs!'"
Woodbury served on the ship through 1944 and was part of the campaign to retake the Philippines. That action is noted for the sheer number of kamikaze attacks against the ships.
"I knew we were in the middle of it when I heard the guns," he said.
Through it all, Woodbury remembered his roots and his family back home.
"During my enlistment, I only had leave once for 15 days," he said. "It just never worked out. I went right from school to the ship and with the war; there was no leave."
At the end of his enlistment, his commanders tried to talk him into re-enlisting. He was young and had done well in the service, but he said no. In 1945, Machinist's Mate First Class Woodbury came home for good.
On Oct. 27 of that year, Navy Day no less, he married the girl he came home for, Stella Trougakos. This year, Stella and Ben celebrated their 66th anniversary.
"I never forgot the education and discipline I got in the Navy," Woodbury said.
He worked at the Saco Lowell mill for 19 years and when the company started to wind down and moved its operations to South Carolina, Woodbury was offered a raise if he would join them.
"I wasn't going anywhere," he said with a laugh.
A friend of his from the Navy told him about a job opening at Raytheon Corp. in Lowell, Mass.
Woodbury applied and became a manufacturing engineer for the defense industry contractor.
During his 27 years with the company, Woodbury never forgot his Biddeford-Saco roots.
"We built a house in Lowell," he said. "But they called me a carpetbagger."
When Woodbury and his wife first moved to Lowell, he met with the chief of police and asked him if he needed to change the license plates on his car.
"It was supposed to be just a three-to-five year contract," he said.
The chief said that if Woodbury and his wife went home to Maine each weekend, and he kept the car in a garage there, he could keep the plates.
"That was good enough for me," Woodbury said.
After 27 years with the company and at the age of 62, Woodbury knew it was time to go home.
"We just wanted to come back," he said.
Woodbury and his wife retired and they have spent the last 26 years living in Saco surrounded by family, friends and neighbors.
Keeping active was never a problem for Woodbury and, from the time he and Stella moved back to Saco, he has been a fixture on the roads, slopes, and ballfields of his home state.
"I skied at Sunday River when it was $5 and they had two rope tows," he said. "We went almost every weekend."
He finally stopped skiing at the age of 83. The deciding factor was not his age, but his concern for his wife.
He seems to have carried the lessons he learned serving his country his whole life.
"What if she needed me," he said. "'Oh, he's skiing,' she would tell them. That wouldn't be right."

subset: commoncrawl


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A gay candidate for Congress walks into a bar. No joke: Nothing happens.
A record number of openly gay candidates are running for Congress this cycle, and the reaction, among a huge swath of voters, has been a collective yawn.
"It's really becoming a nonissue," Democratic consultant Steve Elmendorf explained. "If you look at a lot of these districts where people are running, the fact that they are gay is not really that important to the campaign."
All across the country, serious contenders for Congress who are openly gay — Democratic and Republican — said their sexual identity plays almost no role in their election efforts.
"No one cares," said Kyrsten Sinema, who is openly bisexual and a top candidate in the Democratic primary in Arizona's 9th district. "It's about my history of work in the district. … They don't care three straws about the other stuff."
Other openly gay challenger candidates with a real shot of coming to Congress include: Sean Patrick Maloney, taking on freshman Rep. Nan Hayworth (R) in New York's 18th district; Mark Pocan (D), running in Wisconsin's open 2nd district; Mark Takano (D), running for California's new 41st district; and Richard Tisei (R), taking on Rep. John Tierney (D) in Massachusetts' 6th district. There are at least four other openly gay Congressional candidates this year, according to a count from the pro-LGBT-equality Human Rights Campaign, but all are long shots in states such as Idaho.
Tisei, who could very well become the only openly gay Republican Member of the 113th Congress, said that while his sexual orientation gets a lot of national media attention, voters are focused on other things, such as the economy.
"It hasn't come up at all in any way, really, in any conversations I've had with voters," Tisei said, noting that Massachusetts has had legal gay marriage for eight years.
Pocan agreed that the fact that he is openly gay is something that he rarely, if ever, hears about on the trail.
"Given I'm running to succeed Tammy Baldwin, as you can imagine, it's pretty much a nonissue," he said.
Baldwin, a lesbian, is running for Senate, while Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank (D), who recently married his longtime partner, is retiring.
Still, members of the LBGT community are hopeful about increasing their ranks in Congress and across all levels of government.
"We're losing Barney to retirement, and we're losing Tammy, hopefully, to the United States Senate," said Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), who is openly gay and faces a tough re-election battle of his own. "But I think it's very important to continue to have members of our community in government at all levels. I'm fond of saying if we're not at the table, we're on the menu."
Even with a record number of openly gay candidates running for office this cycle, the caucus of openly gay Members in the 113th Congress could fall to just one: Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.), who doesn't face a competitive race in November. But given the crop of candidates on the ballot, Polis is likely to have openly gay colleagues next year.
And political observers expect the field of non-heterosexual candidates to continue to grow each cycle.
"Thirty years ago, people thought they didn't know anybody gay. They had kinds of stereotypes. Now they're finding out that their brother, son, their cousin, their friend, whoever" is gay, explained Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a strong supporter of LGBT rights.
"The idea of being gay is losing the fear factor, the strangeness factor and people are realizing, they are just ordinary people, good bad or indifferent, like anybody else," the New York Democrat said between votes Friday.
"That being the case, of course you're going to see more gay candidates," he added.
The presence of so many openly gay candidates on the trail this year, including a Republican, is emblematic of the watershed cultural shift that has occurred in Americans' views of gay people and gay marriage during the past few years.
In 2004, Republicans used ballot initiatives against gay marriage as a wedge issue. Then, 54 percent of Americans believed gay and lesbian relationships were "morally wrong," according to Gallup polling data. Today, the majority of Americans not only believe that gay and lesbian relationships are "morally acceptable" but that gay marriage should be legal.
Pollsters have been amazed by the speed with which acceptance of gay relationships and gay marriage has grown across most demographic groups.
"Attitudes toward gays in general, toward gay rights, toward gay marriage are all evolving at a much faster rate than really any other issue that we've seen in the history in polling " influential Democratic pollster Mark Mellman said.
Mellman explained that the shift was likely the result of a combination of factors, rooted in the larger number of people who come out as gay. "More people know people who are gay, and as people know more people who are gay, they become much more acceptant," he said.
Gay rights groups hope to see that acceptance permeate Congress more and more as the number of openly gay Members grow.
"The more openly LGBT Members we have in Congress, the more their colleagues will see that our lives are similar to everyone else," said Paul Guequierre, a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign. "When they are voting on matters of equality, they will see firsthand how those matters affect people."
Frank has been surprised by how fast attitudes have shifted.
"Things have moved much more quickly than I thought" they would, he said.
The 16-term Member said he believed that within a decade, the U.S. would have federal anti-discrimination laws that included gay people and that same sex-marriage would be legal in states that have about three-quarters of the country's population.
"I think that within 10 years, we'll have won the fight," Frank said.
But for openly gay candidates on the trail this cycle, they have a smaller fight to win first: their elections.
Justin Worland contributed to this report.


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The History of Wood-Mode Fine Custom Cabinetry
Wartime Beginnings: The 1940s
It all began in 1942, when four salesmen from Whitehead Monel Kitchen Company found themselves facing a challenge that would change the course of their careers. With steel and other resources diverted to the war effort, the metal cabinets they sold for a living were no longer in production. Rather than abandon their vocation, the four friends turned the challenge into opportunity and decided to start their own business. Together, they formed a new company and named it Wood-Metal Industries, for the two materials commonly used in kitchen cabinets.
Wartime scarcities prevented them from producing residential cabinetry, so they accepted contracts to manufacture products needed by the military. Wood-Metal began operations in a small lumber mill in the central Pennsylvania town of Kreamer, turning out cooks' tables, pigeon coops, shell cases, ladders and Signal Corps radio cases. They worked hard to develop processes that met the government's exacting specifications for these products – especially the wood finishes.
Radio cases for use in the south Pacific had to be sealed against fungus and waterproofed with as many as 11 coats of varnish to withstand extreme climatic conditions; thus was born the company's well-earned reputation for its durable, fine furniture-like wood finishes.
When the war ended and the company was finally able to undertake production of kitchen cabinetry, the company's superb new finishes soon set the standard for the industry.
A Brand is Born: The 1950s
Military personnel returning from the war triggered a housing market boom which continued into the 1950s, and Wood-Metal met the burgeoning cabinetry demand with an expanding product line, including a natural wood finish and 14 colorful enameled finishes. American families, looking to their roots for comfort and stability, made Wood-Metal's knotty pine Early American Colonial-themed kitchen an instant best-seller.
During this decade, Wood-Metal introduced to the market the concept of customized cabinet doors and began experimenting with mixing and matching different materials for appealing design effects.
National recognition came quickly to the young company which eliminated "Metal" from its name in 1956, and became the more family-friendly Wood-Mode Kitchens.
Transforming the Industry: The 1960s
In the sixties, Wood-Mode Kitchens rose to the top of the industry, revolutionizing the way cabinetry was built with its state-of-the-art production technology and setting quality standards other manufacturers could only dream of reaching.
Because Wood-Mode offered so wide a variety of style choices and finishes, Wood-Mode could offer its customers a new concept – a "custom designed" kitchen. Homeowners quickly appreciated owning a kitchen that was unique and "one-of-a-kind."
Other manufacturers picked up on the trend, but Wood-Mode continued to lead the way with fresh design ideas and inspiring photography.
Beyond the Kitchen: The 1970s
In the seventies, Wood-Mode expanded the use of its cabinetry to other rooms in the home. The company introduced the concept of "RoomScaping" with a dramatically illustrated catalog showing how its cabinetry could create new and unique whole-house storage opportunities with beauty and functionality.
In 1972, Wood-Mode opened its first showroom, adjacent to its Kreamer factory. In addition to displays, the building housed an auditorium that became home to the longest continuous training school in the industry. Here, independent designers from across the country have been trained in the use of Wood-Mode's versatile and extensive line of custom cabinetry options to fulfill the dreams of their clients.
Expressing a Lifestyle: The 1980s
In 1982, as Wood-Mode celebrated its 40th anniversary, the kitchen market exploded. Americans were feeling confident, real estate was booming, and owning a custom kitchen became an expression of one's status and lifestyle. With the focus on premium quality and craftsmanship, Wood-Mode was perfectly positioned to serve the growing demand.
In 1984, Wood-Mode introduced Design Group 84 – an innovative frameless line of custom cabinetry. This new line, long a staple of European cabinetry construction, quickly found popularity and further established Wood-Mode as the design leader of the industry. In the late 1980s, as the custom kitchen market continued to expand and broaden its appeal to an increasingly larger number of homeowners, Wood-Mode responded by introducing Brookhaven, a limited-custom line of cabinetry, which made Wood-Mode quality and craftsmanship available to an even wider range of customers.
Wood-Mode made numerous improvements to its Kreamer factory during the 1980s, not only to accommodate its increasingly diverse product line but also to assure that its manufacturing process remained consistent with its care and concern for its employees and the environment.
The Nineties and The New Millennium
Throughout the last twenty years, Wood-Mode has built on the foundation created during its first half-century in business. An important element of this foundation was its expressed commitment to market its products, not through the large mass-merchandising home centers, but through its long established national network of independent kitchen and bath dealers.
In these establishments, customers can best receive personalized, professional design and installation service from well-trained and skilled personnel.
As decorating tastes evolve and diversify, Wood-Mode continues to expand its product choices, developing new design concepts so that each customer is able to fully express their own unique lifestyle. Regardless of prevailing design trends, quality craftsmanship is always in demand and remains the hallmark of Wood-Mode Cabinetry. Wood-Mode reaffirms that commitment to quality by offering a Lifetime Limited Warranty on all its products.
As Wood-Mode marks its 75th anniversary, its single-family ownership, along with its family of dedicated employees and long-standing network of independent dealers, remains the heart of its enduring strength. Wood-Mode Fine Custom Cabinetry continues to stand proudly behind its solid commitment to excellence in product quality, customer service and American craftsmanship


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SOCHI, RUSSIA - India has been reinstated to the Olympic movement in time for the national flag to fly at the Sochi Winter Games.
The International Olympic Committee announced the decision Tuesday, saying it was the first time in history that a suspension of a National Olympic Committee had been lifted during the games.
Indian athletes marched into the opening ceremony last Friday under the Olympic flag and were allowed to compete as independent athletes.
But after a special flag raising ceremony in the Olympic Village on Tuesday, Day 5 of the Sochi Games, they can compete for India.
The Indian Olympic Association ended the stand-off with the IOC by holding elections on Sunday and installing world squash chief Narayna Ramachandran as president.
India had been suspended by the IOC in December 2012 for not holding elections according to its own constitution and for electing tainted officials, notably president Abhay Chautala and secretary-general Lalit Bhanot.
Both of them were ineligible to stand this time, according to the new IOA constitution.
Bhanot is charged with corruption during the organization of the 2010 Commonwealth Games while Chautala is charged in a recruitment scam not related to sport. Both men deny any wrongdoing.
IOC member Randhir Singh, a former secretary-general of the Indian Olympic body, said the IOC made a very important decision for Indian sport.
"This is great news for Indian sport," Singh told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "It's time everyone understands that the Olympic charter is supreme. It is important that sport is run well and tainted officials are kept out in a country of 1.2 billion in which 40 per cent is youth."
Ramachandran heads the new Indian committee, with Rajeev Mehta becoming secretary general and Anil Khanna elected as treasurer.
Ramachandran, who served as treasurer of the IOA from 2008-12, is the younger brother of Narainswamy Srinivasan, who is the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and is set to become chairman of the International Cricket Council.


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You'll find at Environs our plants have well developed roots, straight stems and properly structured heads. Why does our plant material stand apart?
At Environs, we have a reputation for providing only the highest quality of shade trees, conifers and large shrubs.
Our wire basket evergreens are grown using a process known as "Fertigation."
Looking for shrubs that stand apart for both their quality and overall health? The wire basket shrubs at Environs will meet every expectation.
As a grower of large ornamental shade trees, shrubs, and evergreens, Environs Wholesale Nursery Ltd. has been providing exceptional plant material for more than 35 years.
Located on more than 500 acres along the gorgeous shores of Lake Erie in St. Williams, Ontario, we proudly serve customers throughout Canada – including Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes – as well as in the United States and around the world.
A rare combination of unparalleled selection and outstanding service has been the hallmark of our success at Environs.
6B climate zone promotes better growth than other areas of Ontario
A variety of soil types across our five farms allows us to choose the location that best suits the particular plant material
Species include: Oaks, Gingkos, Hemlock, Spruce, Maples, Magnolias, Serviceberry, Burning Bush, Ornamental Pear and Tulip Trees to name a few
Large selection of Native species
Systematically drained and irrigated lands result in excellent root development
Plants have well developed roots, straight stems and properly structured heads
Our nursery meets all criteria to permit import into the United States
Shipments can be sent "direct" and "just in time"


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Rollins, Howard get Phillies' bats cranking
DENVER – Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard led the way out of the Philadelphia Phillies' offensive slump.
Rollins homered early, then hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning that sent the Phillies past the Colorado Rockies 10-9 Sunday.
Rollins finished with three hits as the Phillies averted a series sweep. Ryan Howard added four hits, including a homer and triple while driving in three runs.
"It was good, it was something that was needed," Rollins said. "All those runs were needed. Every time we come here, they find a way to put up some runs. We've played some interesting series. Today, it was needed to get back in the left column."
Philadelphia had gone four games without an extra-base hit before breaking loose. They had scored a total of only two runs in dropping the first two games to Colorado.
"It was well overdue," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "Just some good at-bats. Howard really broke out in a good way. It was good to see that good contact. Hitting balls to left centerfield is a good thing for him. He broke out in a big way."
Howard finished a double shy of hitting for the cycle. He actually ended up on second on a seventh inning drive to right field that got past a charging Brandon Barnes but the official scorer ruled the RBI hit a single and an error.
Sandberg questioned the ruling and Howard said he hopes it will be overturned.
"He went for a shoestring catch there, and to me, the ball got by him for a double," Sandberg said. "He went for the catch. That's not a guarantee that he knocks that down and makes it a single. He went for the catch on a tough ball, for me."
Howard kept the ball just in case the hit is eventually ruled a double. The last Phillies player to hit for the cycle was David Bell on June 28, 2004, against Montreal. Rockies star outfielder Carlos Gonzalez exited early because of a sore left knee. He appeared to tweak it running out a high chopper to end the sixth inning. He is listed as day to day with left knee tendinitis by the Rockies but Gonzalez said he's been dealing with the issue for more than a year off and on and hopes to be back in the lineup today.
"At the moment, it feels bad, but after a while it gets better," Gonzalez said. "I'm planning to play (today). It's something I have deal with. I just have to be smart about it, and I want to keep playing, so that's what I'm planning to do."
Justin Morneau homered and drove in five runs for the Rockies. The teams combined for 30 hits, 15 for extra bases.
Jake Diekman (2-1) got the win despite allowing two runs in 1 1-3 innings. Jonathan Papelbon earned his fifth save in six chances.
Matt Belisle (0-2) gave up Rollins' single that broke an 8-all tie.
After Rollins put the Phillies ahead in the eighth, Chase Utley added an RBI grounder. Charlie Blackmon homered in the bottom half for Colorado.
Philadelphia missed adding an insurance run in the ninth when Rockies manager Walt Weiss challenged the ruling that Freddy Galvis had beaten out a grounder. The replay showed that second baseman Josh Rutledge's throw to first arrived an instant before Galvis stepped on the bag.
The Phillies used a three-run seventh inning to go in front 8-6 on sacrifice flies by Utley and Domonic Brown and an RBI single by Howard.
Colorado evened the score in its half of the seventh when Troy Tulowitzki doubled ahead of Morneau's homer, his second in as many games.
The Rockies went up 4-3 with a three-run third that included Tulowitzki's run-scoring double, Morneau's RBI groundout and a tiebreaking RBI single by Nolan Arenado, who extended his hitting streak to a career high 11 games.
Howard hit his fourth homer, a two-run shot off Juan Nicasio in the third.


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Awww… Crate Love. I'm feelin' it!
I have been working on this for about a week and a half.
It's a little rickety and rusty but very heavy and somewhat sturdy.
I saw potential for a table… something I'm sure that has been done before… somewhere.
And it would also be used for storage… two functions in one piece… gotta love it.
OK… here's where I began.
I painted all the crate side panels with an antique white acrylic paint.
Next, I distressed the panels with brown acrylic paint, glaze and sandpaper.
Then, I printed out four words on the computer to look at and freehanded them on the panels. I couldn't find any stencils for the size I wanted so I just went for it on my own!
I was likin' it though… uneven and all.
I chose Love, Hope, Faith, and Grace.
I have an old checkers game board that gave me inspiration for the lid/top of the crate.
Again, I used black and brown acrylic paint, glaze, and sandpaper to distress it.
Oh and I have to mention my ruler… I couldn't have done this or the lettering without it! Thank you ruler!
Onto the part that I had the most frustration… evuh!!
My mistakes.
You see, I am not a woodworker and I try to get by the best way I can, yet still create sturdiness and durability. Unfortunately, this process of mine made me take several trips to the hardware store.
You see this hinge…
After installing what I thought to be really cute hinges… I had to uninstall because they were way too flimsy for this piece and bent right away after opening the lid.
See these angles…
This is my second installation of angles because the first 8 that I fully installed were also too flimsy for this piece.
Nothing like having to put in a ga-billion screws, unscrewing them and then screwing another ga-billion screws in!
NOTE: I used Rust-oleum's Hammered All Surface Paint on the angles and ga-billion screws.
But I finally finished with this…
Sooo... I'm still learning and growing in the process of building things.
I am also glad I went back and corrected everything because now I have this...
My new table with storage!
Thanks for stoppin' by!


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After a thorough pummeling by the music industry , peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing software vendor LimeWire Inc. will launch a subscription-based music service for consumers.
The service is scheduled to go live later this year and will allow users to download and stream music to laptops, smart phones and other mobile devices for a monthly fee.
Spokeswoman Tiffany Guamaccia said that what the company is launching is not just a legal version of LimeWire, as some have speculated, but a completely new service that it has been working hard on for some time now.
"Essentially, the new music service will be an ecosystem comprised of a desktop media player, mobile applications and a Web-based music experience for downloading and streaming," Guamaccia said.
The new service will have several cloud integration features including one that allow iTunes content to be synched to the cloud. The subscription service will allow users to have "complete and instant" access to music on their desktops, mobile devices and stored in the cloud.
The desktop media player will have "robust" music discovery features and will be capable of dynamically generating playlists based on user preferences, and recommendations, Guamaccia said. The media player will also include other discovery features, such as finding community editorial ratings and reviews.
News of LimeWire's planned service comes even as the company is coming under tremendous pressure from the music industry over copyright infringement issues.
Just last week, eight music publishers sued the company for enabling what they claimed was massive copyright infringement. The lawsuit was filed as a related case to another, previous lawsuit filed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) over the same issues.
Both parties have claimed that LimeWire's P2P file-sharing software has contributed to massive music piracy over the last few years. Both the RIAA and the publishers have argued that LimeWire has done little to stop problem, and has in fact, actually encouraged illegal downloads with the features in its software.
A federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, where the lawsuits have been filed, found LimeWire liable last month for enabling massive music piracy. That ruling in turn has prompted the RIAA to file separate motions asking for the company to be shuttered and for all of its assets to be frozen.
Jaikumar Vijayan covers data security and privacy issues, financial services security and e-voting for Computerworld. Follow Jaikumar on Twitter at @jaivijayan or subscribe to Jaikumar's RSS feed . His e-mail address is email@example.com .
Read more about drm and legal issues in Computerworld's DRM and Legal Issues Topic Center.


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Boduall Surname Ancestry Results
Our indexes 1000-1999 include entries for the spelling 'boduall'. In the period you have requested, we have the following 1 record (displaying 1 to 1):
Try these...
bodrigan bodrigann' bodrigi bodrigo bodrigy bodringham bodrugan bodrygam bodrygan bodsano bodshan bodson bodstein bodswell bodsworth bodsworthy bodt bodtker bodtlander bodtligh boduham boduill bodulgan bodulgat bodulgate bodulget bodulgete bodulugan bodurda boduwel bodvan-griffith bodvan-griffiths bodvel-robberts bodvel-roberts bodvell bodvile bodvill bodville bodvin bodway
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Yeshiva U. Hires Lecturer With Criminal Record of Sexual Misconduct With Boys
UPDATED: October 10
Yeshiva University, still reeling from allegations that for decades its leaders dealt improperly with the specter of sexual abuse, has hired a new faculty member convicted of inappropriate sexual behavior with boys, the Forward has learned.
Akiva Roth, who started this new school year as a Hebrew teacher at Yeshiva College, pleaded guilty in 1997 to four counts of lewdness against several boys in his work as a private bar mitzvah tutor.
Roth, 42, has not been accused of misconduct at Y.U. But his employment by Yeshiva College calls into question Y.U.'s hiring practices at a time when the university is battling to repair its public image over the sex abuse allegations.
The Forward asked Y.U. a series of questions October 4 about its hiring practices, including whether Y.U. was aware of Roth's convictions when it hired him and whether it would continue to employ Roth.
By press time, on October 9, Y.U. had not responded to those questions. Instead, a spokesman, Matt Yaniv, issued the following statement: "Yeshiva University maintains an unwavering commitment to preventing sexual misconduct or harassment of any kind and has instituted numerous policies, procedures and practices to ensure a safe environment for our students, faculty, staff and community.
"We will continue to review all of the university's policies and procedures related to such matters to ensure they reflect the best in class standard. Although we cannot comment on the details of this particular case, as it involves a personnel issue, we will continue to review this matter."
Prospective Y.U, employees are submitted to a criminal background check by a "third-party vendor," according to the human resources section of Y.U.'s website.
Daniel Swinton, senior executive vice president of The NCHERM Group, a law and consulting firm that advises schools and colleges on risk management, said that if Roth lied on his application and the background check missed his convictions, it would most likely be cause for Roth's immediate dismissal.
But if Y.U. hired Roth knowing about his convictions, Swinton said, that also poses a problem for Y.U.
Swinton, who specializes in sexual violence training, prevention and investigation, said: "Unless there's some sort of extenuating circumstances, it's surprising to me an institution would hire someone like this to be around its younger students — any of its students really — with a background like this."
Swinton added: "Given what [Y.U.] is currently experiencing with these abuse allegations, you would think they would be more attuned to the issues."
Ever since the Forward first reported allegations of sexual abuse made by dozens of former students of Yeshiva University's High School for Boys, Y.U. has sought to distance current management practices from those of Rabbi Norman Lamm, who was president of Y.U. from 1976 until 2003.
A report commissioned by Y.U. in the wake of the scandal found that "sexual and physical abuse took place" at a number of Y.U. institutions during the 1970s, '80s and '90s.
But Y.U. officials suppressed the release of further details contained in the report, including the number of suspected perpetrators or the Y.U. institutions involved, citing a pending $380 million lawsuit brought by former high school students against Y.U. Instead, the version of the report Y.U. released focused on policies and procedures that Y.U. had implemented to prevent abuse or to deal appropriately with abuse allegations at its boys high school, in Manhattan, and at its girls high school, in Queens, as well as at other schools and colleges.
The "university is committed to creating an environment at its high schools and other affiliated schools in which sexual misconduct and other types of harassment are not tolerated," the report stated, adding that "the university has over time, and especially in the last decade, instituted many policies, procedures, and practices that address these issues."
Yeshiva College, which specializes in the liberal arts and sciences, is one of three undergraduate schools run by Y.U. The college is located on the university's Wilf campus, in Washington Heights, one block away from Y.U.'s boys high school and its dormitory.
Roth began work at Yeshiva College this semester. He teaches four Hebrew classes each week.
At the end of one such class, on Thursday, October 3, a Forward reporter asked Roth whether Y.U. had asked about his convictions or whether he had offered the information during the hiring process.
Roth said that the question would be better addressed to Y.U.'s media relations department. He did, however, confirm that he is a full-time member of the Yeshiva College staff.
Roth was arrested in September 1996 on suspicion of abusing several boys ages 11 and 12. During private bar mitzvah classes, Roth exposed and touched himself and encouraged the boys to do the same, according to court records.
Roth was charged with sexual contact and with endangering the welfare of a child. At the time, he was a teacher at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex and Union, now known as the Golda Och Academy, in West Orange, N.J.
In 1997, at the age of 26, Roth pleaded guilty to four counts of lewdness. Barnett E. Hoffman, a superior court judge in New Jersey, sentenced Roth to 10 years of probation.
In imposing the sentence, Hoffman noted that a sex offender therapist determined that Roth was "in the lowest category for risk of re-offense." But Hoffman added, Roth showed a "lack of appreciation for the wrongfulness of his conduct."
"Defendant is very arrogant and continues to blame the victims for the trouble he is in," Hoffman wrote in a statement outlining his sentencing decision. "Furthermore, he does not even see his conduct as sexual in nature, which it clearly is."
After noting that Roth blamed the boys for "enticing him into this behavior," Hoffman said that Roth "has very little empathy for his victims and an unawareness of the harm done to them by his actions."
"In short," Hoffman concluded, "at this time, 'he doesn't get it.'"
In August 1999, Roth was hired by Drew University as a lecturer in modern and biblical Hebrew. According to his LinkedIn page, he was also a chaplain at Drew and a director of Hillel.
He left Drew partway through the academic year, in December 2006.
After leaving Drew, Roth worked at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee as its northeast region synagogue initiative director, and for the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York as an Israel engagement coordinator.
Roth's job at Yeshiva College is his first foray into education in eight years.
The Y.U.-commissioned report into allegations of abuse focused mainly on hiring practices at the university's high schools and noted that a review of policies at the rest of the university's undergraduate and graduate schools was continuing.
Sullivan & Cromwell, an international law firm, led the report — said to have cost $2.5 million — aided by Lisa Friel, a sex crimes investigator and consultant who reviewed Y.U.'s policies and procedures for preventing and combating abuse.
The report stated that Y.U. has an "extensive and professional" human resources department, "as well as many procedures in place to ensure that inappropriate people are not hired to work with its students."
These "procedures are applicable to all of the university's affiliated schools," the report said.
After the report was released, Richard Joel, who replaced Lamm as Y.U.'s president, said in a statement: "Today, the university is a safe place infused with a culture of warmth. For years we have enacted and enforced policies and procedures to protect our students and community members."
Contact Paul Berger at [email protected] Follow him on [email protected]


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For Now & Forever
Pearl jewelry shines an opulent and lustrous creamy white hue. As the official birthstone of June, alongside alexandrite, June's pearl signifies faithfulness, friendship and loyalty. Pearls are formed inside mollusks such as oysters & mussels and the process of building a solid pearl can take up to eight years! Pearls symbolize purity and innocence, which is why it's traditions for a bride to wear pearls on her wedding day. Sourced from Japan, China, French Polynesia and Australia. Imitation pearls are smooth when rubbed against your teeth, while natural or cultured pearls have a slightly rough texture. Shop pearl & alexandrite rings, earrings, necklaces, and more below.
Items 1-20 of 154


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Message Board
Beth Kendrick Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Kendrick has written!
Author Kendrick's Book Reviews
My Favorite Mistake
Downtown, Aug 2004, 13.00, 304 pp. ISBN: 0743470346 A decade ago, Faith Geary fled her small Minnesota hometown with no plans to ever return and has kept to her vow until now. Her sister Skye hysterically calls saying her world has collapsed as she is about to file for bankruptcy as the �The Roof Rat� bar that Faith invested in and managed by Skye's philandering spouse Bob is failing, and divorce from her cheating husband is imminent. Neither m...


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No Act of Kindness is Ever Wasted
Kindness is a way of life that is empowering. It is a way to make our own and others' lives meaningful. When we are kind, we communicate better with others, share sufferings, and provide positive energy in others' lives. While some people are born with a kind heart, others can cultivate kindness by choice. There is no extent to kindness and you can't just be kind enough. So, here are some tips to be kinder to people, even when we don't feel like it. Image Courtesy: Getty
Smile at Everyone
William Arthur Ward had said, "A warm smile is the universal language of kindness." Imagine you are having a bad day and you go out to have lunch with a frown on your face and the lunch vendor gives out your food smiling at you. Don't you immediately start feeling light and happy? That's the power of a smile and smiling at everyone makes you a kind person because you are giving them a reason to smile back. Image Courtesy: Getty
Be Kind to Yourself
"You have to love yourself first before you can ever love someone else." The first step is to love your own body and mind. Remember we all have weaknesses. Take time to become more self-aware and use this learning to be kinder to both yourself and to others. Image Courtesy: Getty
Be There
The greatest gift of kindness to another person is to be present with them in the moment, to be listening with care and attention. When talking to someone, learn to listen sincerely until they're done telling their thoughts and story- that's the best way to be kind. Image Courtesy: Getty
Be Positive
Being optimistic ensures that your acts of kindness are committed with genuine joy and cheerfulness rather than with reluctance or out of a sense of duty or service. Image Courtesy: Getty
Reflect on Others' Kindness
Don't you carry the warm glow of kinder people around in your heart? Likewise, other people will carry your act of kindness in their hearts. Reflect on the people who have been kind to you so, in turn you can be kind to others. Image Courtesy: Getty
Beware of Unkind Behaviour
If it's too late and you've already said something mean, apologize to the person you've been unkind to—"I know I was angry about what you've done, but I shouldn't have said what I said. I'm sorry." Image Courtesy: Getty
When you are feeling an urge to be unkind, ask yourself- is it because you've had a bad morning, or because you're feeling hurt or insecure or because the other person has said something that has made you angry or upset? Image Courtesy: Getty
Check Your Insecurities
If you have been hurt by someone and you want to be unkind, acknowledge the part that hurts you and talk it out with somebody else. This is the best way to deal with your insecurities. Image Courtesy: Getty
Write Down an Act of Kindness
If you are meaning to send a cheque to an NGO working for underprivileged children, and have been postponing it because the post office is half a mile away, mark it down in your calendar and you are more likely to do it. Image Courtesy: Getty


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Money and Life
(Financial Planning Association of Australia)
As your parents get older, your whole family will be facing lots of changes. Supporting them during this time can be challenging, with lots of choices to be made. Get some tips to help you prepare for this role-reversal without it becoming a burden or a cause of family conflict.
In the later stages of life, many seniors want to stay independent for as long as possible, but there usually comes a time when theyneed more support. So how can you do more for your parents to keep them safe and comfortable, without taking away their sense of independence and dignity? Here are some practical tips to guide you through the process and minimise stress for everyone involved:
Talk together as a family
Instead of waiting until one, or both, of your parents are facing a crisis with their health and/or finances, have a family meeting to talk about what they would like to happen. While it may be a tricky subject to tackle and one the whole family can feel quite emotional about, being prepared to care for your parents as they age can make it a lot less stressful when there's a change in circumstances. Even if your parents are in the best of health now, that situation can change overnight, quite literally, if they were to have a stroke or a fall.
Facing ageing and mortality are pretty tough so there may be resistance – from your parents or siblings – to confronting things head on in a formal meeting. So it's well worth reminding your family that it's in everyone's best interests to get ready, emotionally and practically, to do what's best for Mum and Dad. Have a box of tissues and lots of patience at the ready in case people get very sad or angry and above all, be ready to listen to what family members have to say.
The question of care
How your parents want to live out their days and what they can afford are really the two important questions to address. Answering the following questions can help you determine the best way forward for your parents as they become less capable of looking after themselves:
- Do you plan to stay at home as you age?
The answer to this question isn't always yes, but many people feel safe and comfortable in a home that's familiar. The idea of moving somewhere new later in life can be pretty intimidating so wanting to stay put is a natural and very popular choice for seniors. In the 2018/19 budget, $1.6 billion was allocated to providing 14,000 additional high‑level home care packages by 2021/22[1]. So if your parents are set on staying in their home, talk to them about the possibility of seeking the extra help they might need, from a government subsidised service, family members, or both.
- How well are you coping at home?
Some parents may say theydon't need any helpwith day-to-day living at home. If this is the case, you may need to do some sleuthing and check if they're showing any signs of actually needing assistance. Seeing things that are out of character – like a messy house or garden, not cooking or shopping as often, wearing dirty clothes – could be warnings that they're struggling to do things they normally would.
- Do you feel connected to your family, friends and community?
If it puts your parents at risk of becoming more isolated, staying at home may not be the perfect solution. You may already be well aware of how active or quiet they are socially, but it's still worth asking how connected and safe they feel in their community. Are they still comfortable walking, driving or taking public transport to enjoy life outside their home? Are there people nearby they can call on if they have an emergency or just need someone to talk to?
- What can family do to make things easierat home?
Giving Mum and Dad the support they need to continue getting out and about is just one of the ways you can care for them as they age. It can be the case that a little extra help from family, or a few modifications like handrails in the bathroom, are all that's needed to keep parents safe and happy in their home.
By taking more time to care for your parents you may find yourself stretched in terms of time and finances, particularly if you still have responsibility for looking after younger generations too. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the weekly median salary for primary carers aged 15-64 is 42% lower than for non-carers[2]. So it's important to bear in mind what capacity you have before playing a bigger part in supporting ageing parents.
- Have you looked at other options – retirement village or residential aged care?
If your parents are looking to downsize, spend less time looking after their home and more time with like-minded people, moving to a retirement village could work well for them. But when parents need a higher level of medical care, support or supervision, they may need to plan for transition into residential aged care. The earlier you can start this process, the better the outcomes are likely to be for your parent or parents, particularly if they're anxious or fearful about making the move. Start research and planning sooner and you're likely to have a wider range of options to choose from.
Wealth and wellbeing
No matter how strong your relationship is with family, things can get a bit fraught when it comes to finances. An honest conversation about your parent's financial position is just as important as establishing what their wishes are. It's wise to discuss who will take legal responsibility for managing their financial affairs through an enduring Power of Attorney (PoA) arrangement. If you have siblings, it could make sense for you to share this role, depending on each of your circumstances.
No matter who is going to be holding the purse strings on behalf of your parents, their task will be made easier if they have a few essential details:
- Where do your parents keep financial documents, including any PoA and their Will?
- Who do they bank with and what are their account details?
- How much income are they living on? Does it come from the age pension, investments or another source?
- How much are their bills and living expenses and how are they paid?
- Do they have private health insurance and what is their level of cover?
- Do they have an accountant, financial planner or solicitor?
If this all seems very money-minded and nosey, just remember your parents' wealth and wellbeing can be at risk if paying bills and managing their investments and income isn't properly taken care of.
If you and your siblings are going to be taking control of your parents'financial affairs in the future, it's important for you to have legal responsibility to act on their behalf. Find out more about what's involved in making an enduring Power of Attorney arrangement.
[1] Budget 2018-19, "More Australians are choosing to access aged care in their homes. To support Australians who wish to stay at home, the Government is providing $1.6 billion to support 14,000 additional high‑level home care packages by 2021‑22."https://www.budget.gov.au/2018-19/content/essentials.html
[2] Carers Australia, Statistics, "The weekly median income of primary carers aged 15 – 64 was 42% lower than that of non-carers" http://www.carersaustralia.com.au/about-carers/statistics/


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Galgotians are conquering world
the 'Students-First' philosophy is a big reason why
Galgotias University is consistently ranked among India's top universities.
Address: Plot No. 2, Sector-17A, Yamuna Expressway, Greater Noida, Gautam buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India Contact no. 0120-4370000 ,
Phone: +91 9582847072 , 9810162221
Email: email@example.com
Copyrights � 2022 Galgotias. All rights reserved.


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DB:10.2.0.3 6 NODE RAC with ASM
Hi all,
I trying to drop older logs that have been applied on our drs server and and am getting for this particular file:
I am not sure why its getting stuck on this log seeing that is nearly a month old and has been applied on the standby. I have tried a manual wipe but still the same error. Next step is to stop the instance (no 2) and try it that way but i am wondering if there is an explanation for this or if there another way of deleting the log.Code:ORA-15028: ASM file '+LOG/dbh/archivelog/2008_10_30/thread_2_seq_11064.1567.669463343' not dropped; currently being accessed
Thanks in advance,


text: The Guatemalan government has declared a state of emergency in 16 of the country's 22 provinces because of a drought that has caused major agricultural losses in Central America. Agriculture Minister Elmer Lopez says more than 236,000 families have been affected, mainly in western and central Guatemala. The state of emergency declaration has to be approved by lawmakers so the government can provide funds to those who have lost their crops, and to stabilize food prices. Central America is suffering one of its worst droughts in decades, and experts say major farm losses and the deaths of hundreds of cattle in the region could leave hundreds of thousands of families without food. The losses are largely in the region's staples of corn and beans.


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Photos: Visit Finland Media Bank
Each year, an independent market research company Taloustutkimus carries out a study revealing the best travel destinations in Finland. In 2017, almost 4,000 Finnish people took part in the research expressing their opinion of which cities, towns and municipalities they think to have the most impressive brand regarding travel and tourism.
You might think the Finnish capital city Helsinki would overpower the list year after year. Surprisingly, this is not the case. Helsinki is included in the top 4, but what would you think; Which 3 Finnish towns rank better than the capital?
Let's find out which destinations are included in the top 10 and what they have to offer for travellers! Perhaps you'll find your next travel destination in this list. Almost 4,000 Finns can't be wrong, can they?


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Among the proofs of the realistic approach of shari`ah is gradation in legislation. In the previous two articles of this series, I studied the gradual approach of shari`ah in prohibiting intoxicants and the abolishment of slavery that prevailed the whole world even before the advent of Islam. It was evidenced that it was not Islam who brought slavery into this world as unfairly alleged by some biased Orientalists as well as Westerners.
Here, I would study the case of the prohibition of riba(usury or interest) as a third example of gradation in legislation.
Meaning of Riba
Lexically, the word riba means excess, increase, augmentation, expansion or growth.
Mawdudi defines riba as "a predetermined excess or surplus over and above the loan received by the creditor conditionally in relation to a specified period."[1]
On the exact meaning as well as relation between riba and interest, Kahf states,
Riba is defined with regard to financial transactions as any contractual increment in a loan or debt due to the time element. This is exactly what we know today as interest. Both legally and financially, interest is defined as an increment paid by the debtor to the creditor for granting a loan or for extending the maturity of an existing debt.[2]
Types of Riba
There are two distinguishable types of riba: [3]
1. Riba al-nasi'ah: It occurs when the specified increase is in return for the delay of, or waiting for, the payment.
2. Riba al-fadl: It occurs when the increase is mentioned irrespective of the postponement and is not offset by something in return.
Islamic Ruling on Riba
As far as Islamic shari`ah is concerned, riba is condemned and prohibited in the strongest possible terms. This prohibition cannot be questioned or undermined in any way.
Allah Almighty says in the Ever-Glorious Qur'an,
{… whereas Allah permits trading and forbids usury (riba)}. (Al-Baqarah 2:275) ,
{Allah has blighted usury …}. (Al-Baqarah 2: 276) and,
{O you who believe! Observe your duty to Allah, and give up what remains (due to you) from usury, if you are (in truth) believers. And if you do not, then be warned of war (against you) from Allah and His messenger.}. (Al-Baqarah 2: 278-9)
Kahf comments on the last verse as saying, "No other sin is prohibited in the Qur'an with a notice of war from Allah and His Messenger!"[4] Surely, this shows how grave the sin of getting involved in usurious transactions is in the sight of Allah and His Messenger.
Ibn `Abbas said that, "{Then be warned of war (against you)} means, 'Be sure of a war from Allah and His Messenger.' He also said, "On the Day of Resurrection, those who eat riba will be told, 'take up arms for war.' He then recited, {And if you do not, then be warned of war (against you) from Allah and His messenger.}. (Al-Baqarah 2: 279)"[5]
In the same vein, the Prophet's Sunnah is abundant in hadiths that declare riba as unlawful as well as abhorred. To cite a few:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "The wrath of Allah is on the taker of riba, its giver, its writer, and its two witnesses."[6]
On the day of Fat-h Makkah (i.e., the opening of Makkah) the Prophet said, "All forms of riba during the time of jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic period of ignorance) is annulled and under my feet, and the first riba I annul is the riba of al-`Abbas (the Prophet's uncle)."[7]
Ibn Majah reported that abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "Riba is seventy types, the least of which is equal to one having sexual intercourse with his mother."[8]
Ibn Mas`ud narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "May Allah curse whoever consumes riba, whoever pays riba, the two who are witnesses to it, and the scribe who records it."[9]
It is also worthy of note that the wisdom behind the prohibition of riba is the elimination of injustice and the call for human brotherhood and cooperation. This will be clearly shown throughout the following lines.
Catastrophic Effects of Riba
No one can deny the atrocities and catastrophes riba has brought to humanity both in the past and at present. The latest global financial crisis is a good example on this as attested to by financial specialists and economists from different backgrounds. Some Western as well as other countries still feel the pressure of that crisis from which their economies have not yet fully recovered.
To use Daryabadi's eloquent words, "The devastating propensities of usury are visible to every eye. The evils attendant on it are neither few nor far between – the callousness it engenders, the profligacy it lets loose, the greed it encourages, the jealousy it breeds, the misery it entails, the abjectness it inculcates, and so on."[10]Part of the wisdom behind the prohibition of riba – as hinted to earlier – is to fight all these injustices and more.
Moreover, "In the language of modern socialism, interest is an unjustifiable tax on the laboring classes, the unpaid wage of the laborer." Accordingly, those who have abundance lend money and that money returns to them to increase that abundance, the increase being the unpaid dues of labor, which are the only source of legitimate wealth – "the rich are thus made richer and the poor poorer, by every fresh act of taking interest, and the stability of the social organism is thus disturbed."[11]
Therefore, Islam clearly and decisively declares riba as unlawful, absolutely and unconditionally.
Let us take a look at the ancient civilizations to see their stand on riba. Greece and Rome both groaned heavily under riba's yoke, but none of their legislators, like the economists of modern Europe, thought of banning it altogether. In Greece, 'the bulk of the population became gradually indebted to the rich to such an extent that they were practically slaves', and 'usury had given all the power of the state to a small plutocracy.' The Romans were nothing but worse than the Greek. 'The attempt to regulate the rate of interest utterly failed. In the course of two or three centuries the small free farmers were utterly destroyed. By the pressure of war and taxes they were all driven into debt, and debt ended practically, if not technically, in slavery.'[12]
Daryabadi further continues,
With all these horrors experienced and patiently borne, nobody ventured to eradicate the evil root and branch. The utmost that a Solon[13] among the ancients or a Bacon[14] among the moderns could advise to 'grind the tooth of usury, that it bite not too much, that is to say, to regulate its rate, without attaching the slightest moral taint to the usurer'.
The Bible went no doubt many steps further inasmuch as it forbade the advance of usurious loans to the Israelites (Ex. 22: 25: DT. 23: 19). But even the Biblical prohibition did not include usurious loans to non-Israelites. It is the Ever-Glorious Qur'an which, to its everlasting glory, has categorically forbidden usury in all its forms.[15]
Even the people of jahiliyyah understood the fact that Allah is Good and does not accept but what is good and thus upon rebuilding the Ka`bah before Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent as Prophet, one of them, namely Abu Wahb ibn `Amr said,
"O Quraysh! Do not let into this building anything but lawful gains; so no harlotry,riba, nor unjust practices [should be included]."[16]
[1] Mawdudi, Abul A`la. Interest, Vol. 1, p. 33.
[2] Kahf, Monzer. Objectives of Shari`ah in the Prohibition of Riba: Implications for Modern Islamic Finance. Published by www.onislam.net
[3] Ali, Engku. Riba and Its Prohibition in Islam, ISUM; They can be translated into English as, "Delay usury" and "Excess usury," respectively as mentioned in Rawwas, Muhammad & Sidiq, Hamid (n.d.). Mu`jam Lughat al-Fuqahaa'' (Lexicon of the Language of Jurists). First Edition. Dar An-Nafa'is, Beirut, Lebanon.
[4] Kahf, Objectives of Shari`ah in the Prohibition of Riba.
[5] At-Tabari, M. Ibn Jarir. Tafsir At-Tabari. Dar Al-Ma`arif, Egypt.
[6] Al Albani. Al-Jami` Al-Sahih, Hadith No. 5089.
[7] Sahih Muslim.
[8] Sunan Ibn Majah.
[9] Sahih Al-Bukhari.
[10] Daryabadi, Abdul Majid. The Glorious Qur'an: Text, Translation & Commentary. The Islamic Foundation, 2002, UK.
[11] Ibid.
[12] The Encyclopedia Britannica. XXVII. p. 812, 11th Ed.; as quoted in Daryabadi.
[13] Solon (638?-559? B.C.), Athenian lawgiver and poet. His reforms preserved a class system based on wealth but ended privilege by birth.
[14] Bacon, Francis (1561-1626), English philosopher, essayist, courtier, jurist, and statesman.
[15] Adapted from Daryabadi.
[16] Sirat Ibn Hisham (Biography of the Prophet). Abridged by Abdus-Salam Harun. Al-Falah Foundation for Translation, Publication & Distribution. Egypt, 2000. P. 29.
(By Dr. Ali Al-Halawani On Islam / 28 Jan 2014)---
Alfalah Consulting - Kuala Lumpur: www.alfalahconsulting.com
Consultant-Speaker-Motivator: www.ahmad-sanusi-husain.com
Islamic Investment Malaysia: www.islamic-invest-malaysia.com


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Scott Reeder: Powers that be don't care what you think
Shortly before World War II, Norman Rockwell painted an image depicting a workingman standing to speak at a government meeting. Surrounded by men in suits, he stood there in a flannel shirt and a laborer's jacket with an agenda stuck in its pocket.
The message was clear. We are a nation where the freedom to petition one's government isn't limited to a privileged class.
Not so much in Springfield.
Springfield insiders eat ordinary folks for lunch.
I've seen it time and time again while covering the General Assembly; an ordinary person comes to Springfield to speak and gets brushed aside.
The message is pretty clear: If you want to be heard in this town, hire a lobbyist.
It's not that way everywhere.
Back when I covered the Nevada Legislature in 1999, it wasn't uncommon to see a Boy Scout working on his citizenship merit badge come and speak to a legislative committee about an issue important to him. Ordinary folks just wanting to be heard could just show up and speak.
More importantly, legislators listened.
Sure, the Nevada Statehouse has plenty of lobbyists trolling the hallways, too. But it was never to the exclusion of the general public.
Like Illinois, the Nevada capital, Carson City, is quite a ways from the state's population center. So a facility was set up in Las Vegas that enabled ordinary people to drop by and testify before a committee through video conferencing.
In this age of Skype and other video communications it would be easy for Illinois to accommodate this type of testimony.
But it hasn't happened.
Why? Because the powers that be don't care what you think.
Even when ordinary people make trips to Springfield, they often find themselves brushed aside or patronized.
For example, state Rep. Charles Meier, R-Okawville, was angered Friday when a group of small-business people weren't allowed to testify before the House Small Business Empowerment & Workforce Development Committee.
"This is the first time the committee met this year, and we had about 18 small-business people from across the state wanting to talk about a variety of issues and the chairman tells them he doesn't have time to hear their testimony. He allowed six to talk for about 30 seconds each. That's just not right."
The chairman of this committee is state Rep. LaShawn Ford, D-Chicago.
Are things hectic during the final weeks of session? Yep. Are freshman lawmakers, such as Meier, idealistic? Yep.
So what?
Honest, hardworking business owners wanted to appear before a committee and share their concerns, and they were instead told to stay quiet.
"We had an hour or an hour and a half to debate whether eating lion meat should be legal, but we don't have time to hear what these small business people have to say? That not right," Meier said.
But what about the big union rallies at the Capitol? Are they an example of "ordinary people" being heard?
Well, occasionally, groups such as the Illinois Education Association or the Service Employees International Union will have "lobby days" where thousands of their members are brought to Springfield.
And when the members visit their lawmakers' offices, they usually get a pat on the back and a "good to hear from you."
Who is getting lobbied that day? It sure isn't lawmakers. Often when the groups' members arrive in Springfield, they are unsure who their state representative is or what particular bills they support.
And sometimes members don't agree with their union's positions.
Union leaders use these events to bolster their support within the union. The folks being lobbied are the union members themselves.
The real lobbying of lawmakers is done by the lobbyists on the unions' payrolls who dole out campaign cash and work behind the scenes.
It's just another way Springfield insiders keep the voice of ordinary people from being heard.
Scott Reeder (email@example.com) is a senior contributing editor to Watchdog.org, a veteran statehouse reporter and journalist in residence at the Illinois Policy Institute. Subscribe to his free reports from Springfield at ilnews.org.


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Posted 12 years ago
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My Dad picked this vintage moped in northern Michigan. I am having a hard time finding information on it. It is a Solex brand, s3800. That is about all we know. There is a lot of information on the 2 wheel Solex's but not much on the 3 wheel'd bikes like this. Any information on these mopeds would be helpful. Thanks!


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Oscar Loves 'Argo,' Day-Lewis & Lawrence
Argo, Daniel Day-Lewis and Jennifer Lawrence were among the big winners during the star-studded telecast of the 85th Oscars, host by Seth MacFarlane live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Read on for the recap...
CLICK HERE for the complete list of winners.
The Best Picture
Fulfilling its promise of incredible momentum this awards season, Argo was named Best Picture over Amour, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Misérables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook and Zero Dark Thirty. Producers George Clooney, Grant Heslov and producer/director Ben Affleck took the stage for an emotional acceptance, with Ben talking a mile a minute. In addition to acknowledging Steven Spielberg, "our friends in Iran" and the "eight great films that have as much a right to be up here as we do," he reflected on his first Oscar win for Good Will Hunting back in 1998: "I was really just a kid, and I went out and I never thought I would be back here," he said, adding of his rise, fall and career rebirth in Hollywood, "It doesn't matter that you get knocked down in life -- all that matters is that you get up."
The Best Actors
Daniel Day-Lewis became the first-ever actor to win three Best Actor Oscars, the latest for his stirring portrayal of our 16th president in Spielberg's Lincoln. Calling the win a "huge honor," he delivered a stream of rapid-fire jokes and poked fun at his persona, quipping that he had originally been committed to play Margaret Thatcher and Meryl Streep was Spielberg's first choice for Lincoln. "I'd like to see that version," he smiled, adding that he had to persuade Spielberg that "Lincoln shouldn't be a musical." He also thanked his wife Rebecca Miller, "who has lived with some very strange men" over the years (due to his very dedicated acting method) and has been "the perfect companion to all of them." Also acknowledging the "mind, body and spirit of Abraham Lincoln,"
the Brit star bested Bradley Cooper, Hugh Jackman, Joaquin Phoenix and Denzel Washington.
A stunned Jennifer Lawrence stumbled up the stairs to pick up her Best Actress statuette for her incredible performance in Silver Linings Playbook. Declaring, "This is nuts!" she upset tough competition in Jessica Chastain, Emmanuelle Riva, Quvenzhané Wallis and Naomi Watts, and told the standing audience, "You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell, and it's really embarrassing."
Pics: This Year's Oscar Fashion Trends
The Supporting Players
"It came true," said Anne Hathaway after she was named Best Supporting Actress, her second nom and first win, for her emotional portrayal of Fantine in Les Miserables. Telling fellow noms Amy Adams, Sally Field, Helen Hunt and Jacki Weaver, "I look up to you all so much and it's been such an honor," she singled out co-star Hugh Jackman and her hubby, then declared, "Here's hoping that someday in the not too far future, the misfortunes of Fantine will only be found in stories and not in real life."
Christoph Waltz was named Best Supporting Actor for his role as Dr. King Schultz in Django Unchained, his second Oscar win under the sure writing and direction of Quentin Tarantino. He thanked that creator of Django's "awe-inspiring world," saying with the words of his own character, "You scale the mountain because you're not afraid of it. You slay the dragon because you're not afraid of it. And you cross through fire because it's worth it." Bowing with declared "respect" to his fellow nominees, Waltz out-gunned Alan Arkin, Robert De Niro, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Tommy Lee Jones.
Other Awards Highlights
Disney-Pixar's Brave won Best Animated Feature; Austria's Amour was named Best Foreign Film; Searching for Sugar Man won Best Documentary; Adele's Skyfall landed Best Original Song; Quentin Tarantino picked up Best Original Screenplay for Django Unchained, while Argo was also honored with Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing; Life of Pi earned Best Director for Ange Lee (who thanked "the movie god"), Best Cinematography, Best Original Score and Best Visual Effects; Lincoln was voted Best Production Design; Anna Karenina got Best Costume Design; Les Miserables won Best Sound Mixing and Best Makeup & Hairstyling; and Best Sound Editing was a tie, going to both Zero Dark Thirty and Skyfall.
Pics: Date Night at the Oscars
The Show High Points
Despite the show's epic length, freshman host Seth MacFarlane burst out of the gate cool and confident as he brought some good humor (the story of Argo is so top-secret "that the director is unknown to the Academy") as well as some edgy jokes (Django Unchained is Rihanna & Chris Brown's "date movie," the We Saw Your Boobs song) to his opening monologue. A song-and-dance man, the host also made sure to include plenty of sugar-sweet dance moments, from Channing Tatum and Charlize Theron dancing to The Way You Look Tonight to Daniel Radcliffe and Joseph Gordon-Levitt doing a little soft shoe to High Hopes.
Other fun moments of the telecast included the usual "band plays 'em off stage" music replaced by the Jaws theme; the 50th Anniversary tribute to James Bond featuring Dame Shirley Bassey singing Goldfinger, and later "the unstoppable" Adele singing Skyfall; William Shatner's cameo as Star Trek's James T. Kirk, returning from the 23rd century in a sketch to stop MacFarlane from bombing too bad; the potty-mouthed, animated Ted and Mark Wahlberg quipped that the annual "post-Oscar orgy" will take place at Jack Nicholson's house; the cast of The Avengers (Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson) reassembled – and mocked each other -- to present two awards; and select cast members of the Oscar-winning Chicago, Dreamgirls and Les Miserables also reunited to perform their big hits.
In Memoriam
Dearly departed stars and industry artists who left us over the last year were remembered, including Ernest Borgnine, Jack Klugman, Celeste Holm, Adam Yauch, Michael Clarke Duncan, Charles Durning, Herbert Lom, Tony Scott, Nora Ephron, Ray Bradbury and Richard D. Zanuck. And prolific composer and EGOT Marvin Hamlisch was saluted by Barbra Streisand, who beautifully sang The Way We Were.
Tune into ET for complete coverage of the 2013 Oscars, before, during and after!


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With smartphone penetration now at 50 percent in the U.S., the world of apps is seeing a knock-on effect in their popularity: according to a new report from Nielsen, mobile consumers are downloading more apps than ever before, with the average number of apps owned by a smartphone user now at 41 — a rise of 28 percent on the 32 apps owned on average last year.
But at the same time, there are hints of people possibly approaching a limit to how much they might use them: despite the rise in app numbers, the amount of time that people are spending in apps has remained essentially flat: collectively, they are being used for 39 minutes per day today, compared to 37 minutes in 2011.
Nielsen also notes that apps seem to be taking a bit of time away from mobile web usage (perhaps this is where the extra two minutes comes from…): it says that users are using apps 10 percent more than the mobile web, compared to last year.
As for why users are spending no more time on apps than they were before: Nielsen doesn't really explore that issue, but it does note that privacy has slightly increased as an issue for U.S. consumers: some 73 percent note personal data collection as a concern (compared to 70 percent a year ago), with 55 percent saying they are wary of sharing information. It could be that this privacy concern is actually keeping at least some people away from engaging in apps more.
Going back to the increase in app downloads noted by Nielsen, this is something that has been pointed out by the app store owners in a different way: Google says it has now passed 15 billion downloads announced this month, and Apple noted 25 billion downloads in March 2012.
This morning, Gartner released some figures that pointed to even more consolidation among the top handset makers and the top platforms — with Samsung and Apple accounting for 49.3 percent of all smartphones sold in Q1 2012 (compared to just under 30 percent a year ago).
Nielsen's app figures seem to point to a similar trend: Android and iOS owners accounted for 88 percent of all apps that were downloaded in the past 30 days, it says (up from 74 percent last year). That may partly be to do with their own market share size in the U.S., where Android and Apple's iOS dominate the smartphone landscape with respectively 38 million and 84 million users — but it also seems to imply that those users are also actively engaging with their respective app stores.
The other significant consolidation trend that Nielsen has picked up on is around what apps are actually getting the most traffic: even as app stores have grown, and our own collections of them have grown, we continue to fixate most on the exact same five apps this year as we did last year: they are Facebook, YouTube, Android Market, Google Search, and Gmail.
Yes, that's right: you can slam Google, Android and Android fragmentation all you want, but four of the five most popular apps today, as they were last year, are owned by the company, and that's partly thanks to the popularity of three of them on iOS.
Ironically, that concentration at the top is also being met with growth in long-tail consumption: Nielsen notes that the time spent on the top 50 apps is actually down compared to last year: the top 50 apps today get 58 percent of our app time, compared to 74 percent in 2011. As with our own personal app catalogues growing in size, this points to consumers getting more diverse in terms of what apps they are using overall, not a surprise really when you consider that there are around 1.1 billion apps currently between just Google Play and the Apple App Store.


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If you thought that God had never really given much thought to teacher's salaries, you'd be wrong. At least according to Shadrack McGill, a Republican state senator from Alabama. He spoke at a prayer breakfast recently where he passed along some very interesting wisdom from God regarding what teachers should be paid. He began this ridiculous conversation by speaking about politician's salaries, which, you might be surprised to learn, he thinks should be quite high. The reason—besides the fact that he is one? To prevent them from taking bribes. Well, it's nice to see that McGill has such a high opinion of his colleagues. He then leapt to talk about why he doesn't support a bill to increase teachers' wages:
Teachers need to make the money that they need to make. There needs to be a balance there. If you double what you're paying education, you know what's going to happen? I've heard the comment many times, 'Well, the quality of education's going to go up.' That's never proven to happen, guys. It's a Biblical principle. If you double a teacher's pay scale, you'll attract people who aren't called to teach. To go and raise someone's child for eight hours a day, or many people's children for eight hours a day, requires a calling. It better be a calling in your life. I know I wouldn't want to do it, OK?
OK! I don't think any of us want you teaching our children, especially since you appear to just make shit up and say it's from the Bible. But, wait, it gets better:
And these teachers that are called to teach, regardless of the pay scale, they would teach. It's just in them to do. It's the ability that God give 'em. And there are also some teachers, it wouldn't matter how much you would pay them, they would still perform to the same capacity. If you don't keep that in balance, you're going to attract people who are not called, who don't need to be teaching our children. So, everything has a balance.
Yes, it's definitely all about the balance. You pay one group nothing and another way too much, and that balances everything out! At least the teachers struggling to cover their basic expenses in this life can take comfort in another, actual Biblical principle: when Judgment Day comes and this douchebag is sucked down into Hell, they shall inherit the Earth.
Alabama Republican Senator: Low teacher pay mandated by God [The Raw Story]