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Is It Time For Apple or Google Buy NFL Rights?
All Things D's Peter Kafka joins Digits and makes the argument that it's time for a web streaming service to partner with the NFL. Photo: AP
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... that was digits and Spencer on pay and we hear sweltering fraud in York City and when to talk about the NFL in with TV with our guest Peter Kafka ... I defer to play games did Peter told that the business model ... and use adjusted in the story today AllThingsD that ... the big tech companies like Micra soft frugal Apple ... could potentially jumpstart there would be the first drop in the great ... body snag in the Sunday ticket package away from DirecTV so what what is Web TV and how could this help that ... so what are you ready to get it and getting some A resembles TV weather over the web ... um ... in a way to do right now it is not correct cities in the existing TV programmer so it'll afterward so in reruns ... the Wesley there last week or last year you can show that your Apple or Microsoft or Amazon ... and ... um and one of the models are talking right now it's becoming ... a cable TV like provider were hit by this incident shows that one of the ... Steinberg city there is no one wants replacing existing cable TV system with some of the will to that same people who will ... but if you didn't offer an alternative package for reading so interesting ... um I think there were filled with people when you have to give a good time and money that's available with one exception which is ... FLV and it's it's the country's most popular TV ... programming ... and does a lot of the year which is being beefed up for a bit over Sunday taken the lead me but fully concealed in the country every week ... aam and readouts available through DirecTV satellite provider ... he opens up ... to the end of the twenty fourteen season in your happen now ... I'm guessing that the package that I ... know ... so a billion dollars is actually a lot of money but for many of these tech companies it's it's that it's not that much infrastructure for Apple or Google what he think the chances are that something like this might happen or have you heard of is an even like whoa level discussions about something like this ... they don't work proceeded to think about this issue gets this um when I asked around to various people and none of their says that this ... in the crucial dictate the NFL ... from what I can tell would be receptive to the idea the minimum maybe didn't get a ... multiple bids for the fact that even if they don't intend to sell a definitive guide ... I think it can be as good as the entire so DirecTV wants it to the building that much pressure ... on the price ... I really do think they would consider selling its little grated delivery system like the light in a market suffering people ... you know this idea I think right now makes more sense than it did like the year or two ago as I think it's really an statement this week ... that Netflix Adobe's Emmy nominations for investing ... in original content programming ... and use the tool making big investments ... in a regional content online so there is some sort of ... of ... some of you know momentum here for in the company's investment content but ... no mega deals to know to think that ... the future is going to bring some sort of magnetite on the deal for Internet companies ... well I mean you ... didn't know around the edges like Netflix is soaring due in YouTube and even nipple in or around the end right there that is very small amounts of money they are and to know who think the real TV ... and saying look this is good an offer to get better time ... for you go out and spend a bunch of money credit jumps terror ... network where Rupert Murdoch who ... will journal ... in this I did this years ago when you want to watch the Fox ... broadcast ... without a ton of money on the NFL rights ... um in in there are really just about anything else you consider Realty in real time programming ... isn't available the distant from Eric are getting hit in the ... first ... on this one the chances we could actually go get something that is ... below the top of that that the UK to the veil ... of lies and actually started billion dollars on a deal that fell so there is some precedent there but what they like Apple Apple has been behind the curve I think ... with Anaren TV compared to say I think of gold or maybe even Amazon hmm how much could this help save Apple jump start its its operations and to ... I was never ... intended to cause the Eurogroup database Ella are happy to be a middleman ... I'm ... certainly not in their DNA to do that ... then again you this is that enough to last until recently you started ... investing in content ... Amazon have to invest in ... it so ... um I think it's doable just a matter of whether ... you what you do she say we have a plan to roll out of all kinds of strategy and we're going to use this to kick it off and I don't know that the Apple ... it is the area they're looking to try to do to your lenses for a new distribution ... of existing people bought into the existing front of you and I think one ... of them in one form of ... why I think this ever provocative idea I think this time it's got some legs and thanks for ... coming on in non talk about with us ... it's just a cool ... time and you too ... thanks for watching digits and if you wanna see more of law at technology news and analysis check out our website to have us stay dot com ...


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Mark Cavendish hopes to bounce back from his Harrogate horror to return to winning ways at the Tour de France.
The 30-year-old from the Isle of Man begins his ninth Tour on Saturday in Utrecht and has 25 stage wins to his name.
He is still to claim his 26th win and the race leader's fabled yellow jersey after his pursuit on last year's stage from Leeds to Harrogate, his mother's home town, ended on the Tarmac and with a separated shoulder which required surgery.

subset: commoncrawl


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Of course, David Beckham would go out on top. It couldn't end any other way for the English soccer legend.
On Thursday, he announced that he would be ending his illustrious 20-year professional career at the end of the Ligue 1 season next weekend after winning the French Cup and Ligue 1 titles with Paris St. Germain. Beckham's announcement ends a career that included champions in four different countries including his two MLS Cup triumphs with the LA Galaxy.
While one can go and on about Beckham's impact throughout the world and his stops at prestigous clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid, A.C. Milan, the Galaxy, and PSG, I'll focus briefly on his six-year tenure with the Galaxy. Throughout my own four years covering the LA Galaxy, there were dozens of fine Beckham moments that stick out in my mind, whether it was his performance in LA's three MLS Cup appearances or his numerous classy goals, but I think what I'll remember the most is the presence that he had across the country and the world.
There were the trips in CONCACAF Champions League where thousands flocked to see the Galaxy play and families of heads of state jostled for a chance just to catch a glimpse or take a picture with Beckham. But in the United States as well, Beckham drew packed crowds across MLS, many of whom were eager to ask about my opinion of the English superstar
However, despite all the hoopla and flashbulbs, Beckham remained an ordinary person as all of his teammates can attest. As the likes of Robbie Keane, Landon Donovan, Mike Magee, and Omar Gonzalez reflected on Beckham's career with the Galaxy each were quick to mention their memories of Beckham as a friend, father as well as a teammate.
And I'd have to agree that, that aspect of Beckham is what sticks out the most in my mind. More often than not, Beckham remained generous to fans on the road as well as media requests despite the constant attention that he received.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Beckham's on the field abilities as his grit and passing vision was second to none in MLS. As for my favorite goal of his Galaxy tenure, I'd have to select his 35-yeard bomb from LA's 5-3 win over the Portland Timbers last July. The match, as some of you might remember, served as the first-ever game for the LA Galaxy Insider Blog and proved to be a delight from start to finish.
What Beckham will do now that his playing days are over remains a mystery. Will he jump into ownership of an MLS side –possibly even the Galaxy? — or will he go a different route and focus on his many business interests around the world? That remains to be seen.
But there is no doubt in my mind that Beckham made a great impact on the Galaxy, MLS and soccer in America as whole.


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Marsha Rosner, Ph.D.
To Learn more about our research, please visit rosnerlab.com
Research Summary
Signaling Cascades Regulating Cell Growth, Metastasis, or Cell Death
Cancer is characterized by loss of normal cellular growth control. Intracellular signal transduction pathways are critical to the proper interpretation and integration of growth regulatory stimuli, and intricate mechanisms have evolved for ensuring the fidelity of cell replication. Small changes that alter the magnitude of these signals can significantly impact cellular outcomes. Thus, elucidating the nature of these signaling pathways and how they are modulated is central to understanding cell cycle control and the maintenance of genomic integrity. The focus of our laboratory is to determine the critical mechanisms that regulate cell growth and differentiation in response to growth factor or oncogenic stimulation and identify key targets for therapeutic intervention.
One of the main players in the regulation of cell growth is the MAP kinase cascade, an evolutionarily conserved signaling pathway that responds to a number of extracellular stimuli. The extracellular signal regulated kinases (ERKs) are a subfamily of MAP kinases that are activated via a cascade involving Ras, Raf kinase, and MEK/ERK kinase (MEK). Activation of the MAP kinase pathway is tightly controlled, and Raf-1 activation is a key regulatory step in this process. Raf-1 is also regulated by a number of proteins that modulate its activity, leading to different physiological outcomes. One of the regulators of Raf-1 signaling is Raf Kinase Inhibitory Protein (RKIP), also known as Phosphatidylethanolamine Binding Protein 1 (PEBP1). RKIP inhibits MAP kinase signaling in part by binding to Raf-1, preventing Raf-1 phosphorylation at activating sites. RKIP depletion increases the amplitude and dose response of MAP kinase activation and DNA synthesis in EGF-treated cells. RKIP is a ubiquitously expressed and highly conserved protein, and many of its homologs regulate growth and differentiation signaling pathways.
1.RKIP Integrates many different signaling pathways
Work from our laboratory and others suggests that RKIP maintains homeostasis in cells, and its function is highly responsive to its phosphorylation state. We showed that RKIP is phosphorylated on S153 by Protein Kinase C (PKC), causing dissociation of RKIP from Raf-1 (Corbit et al., 2003) and Raf-1 activation (Trakul et al., 2005). Phosphorylated RKIP inhibits G protein coupled Receptor Kinase 2 enhancing G protein-coupled receptor signaling cascades such as those mediated by Protein Kinase A (PKA). These studies indicate that RKIP acts as an endogenous modulator of the MAPK and PKA signaling cascades, limiting the response of the cell to growth factor stimuli. We have also shown that RKIP regulates Aurora B kinase and the spindle checkpoint via the Raf/MEK/ERK cascade, and demonstrated that small changes in the MAP kinase pathway can profoundly impact the fidelity of the cell cycle. The precise mechanism by which RKIP integrates phosphorylation by different kinases into a single functional output is under study.
A member of an evolutionarily conserved family of over 400 members, RKIP is regulated differently than other proteins with ligand-binding pockets. Using approaches ranging from NMR to animal knockout models, we have shown that the ligand-binding pocket region of RKIP regulates its inhibition of Raf-1 by altering the ability of other kinases to bind and phosphorylate RKIP. Future structural studies of RKIP are focused on the molecular interactions that govern the regulatory functions of RKIP and other members of the evolutionarily conserved PEBP family.
2. RKIP and cancer.
As a regulator of key kinase signaling cascades including MAP kinase, NFkB, and GPCRs, RKIP can play a critical role in progression to diseases such as cancer. Clearly cancer is a complex problem that involves early events such as tumor initiation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration, invasion, and intravasation into blood vessels as well as later events such as extravasation from blood vessels, mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET), and colonization at other sites within the body including bone and lung.Identifying key genes and signaling pathways that regulate these processes would enable not only more accurate prognoses but also identify important mediators that could serve as therapeutic targets.
One approach is to characterize the targets of tumor metastasis suppressors. As inhibitors of metastatic progression and colonization, metastasis suppressors represent important markers for prognosis and potential effectors of therapeutic treatment. Raf Kinase Inhibitory Protein (RKIP) was initially implicated as a suppressor of metastasis in a murine model using androgen-independent prostate tumor cells. We recently demonstrated that expression of RKIP inhibits intravasation and bone metastasis in mice using human breast cancer cells. Our results identified a pathway whereby RKIP negatively regulates Raf-1/MAPK activity, leading to inhibition of Myc and LIN28 as well as induction of let-7, an evolutionarily conserved microRNA whose processing is regulated by LIN28 (9)(see Fig. 1).
Despite the role of let-7 as a suppressor of TICs and breast cancer metastasis, the downstream signaling targets are largely unknown. To identify putative downstream targets of RKIP and let-7 that mediate bone metastasis, we recently used a novel approach based on analysis of gene expression arrays derived from patient tumors. We negatively correlated expression of putative let-7 targets with RKIP expression in >1200 human breast tumors using gene set analysis (GSA). We used a similar approach to test the hypothesis that bone metastasis signature (BMS) genes are regulated by RKIP. Gene signatures for breast cancer metastases to bone and lung have been previously described based upon specific enrichment in cells that preferentially metastasize to these sites in xenograft models. Our results identified a novel RKIP/let-7-regulated signaling cascade that we validated experimentally and clinically (Figure 1). This approach was very successful and enabled us to predict individuals at risk for breast metastasis due to dysregulation of this RKIP signaling cascade. We plan to continue to use this GSA-based strategy to identify genes that regulate tumor-initiating and metastatic cells.
Both oxidative stress and epigenetic reprogramming have recently gained much attention as key regulators of progression to cancer. Two genes that we identified as key targets of RKIP/let-7 that promote breast cancer metastasis are BACH1, a transcription factor that has been implicated in the control of the redox state, and HMGA2, a chromatin remodeling factor. We are currently investigating the mechanisms by which BACH1 and HMGA2 promote tumorigenesis and metastasis.
Tumor interactions with the surrounding stromal cells in the microenvironment are major determinants of the tumor cell's ability to survive and undergo invasion and metastasis. Transcriptional analyses have revealed that stromal cells undergo alterations in gene expression following exposure to tumor cells..In collaboration with the laboratory of Yoav Gilad, we are developing a novel approach based on next generation RNA sequencing to identify, with high precision, genes involved in the interplay between the tumor cell and its microenvironment. These studies will enable us to elucidate differences in tumor-stromal signaling between invasive and metastatic breast tumors versus noninvasive, RKIP-expressing breast tumors in order to identify and understand the nature of the reprogramming between the tumor and its microenvironment.
3. Other regulators of tumorigenesis.
Maintenance of tumors requires progression through the cell cycle, and access to nutrients through angiogenesis. We have shown that Protein kinase C induces cyclin E through a feed forward loop involving suppression of microRNA15. In order to understand the importance of this feed forward network, we are currently modeling the induction of cyclin E during the cell cycle. We have also shown, in collaboration with the Tao Pan laboratory, that tRNAs are elevated in tumors; ribosome profiling should reveal the specific transcripts that are translated in response to elevated tRNA expression. Furthermore, tRNAs can be engineered as "killer tRNAs" to eliminate tumor cells. Finally, we have identified a Rap-regulated signaling cascade that controls angiogenesis through a novel interplay between tumor and endothelial cells. Each of these signaling cascades represents a different hallmark of cancer.


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Deploy your database straight from version control
Avoid errors and stop those 4am deployments
Deploying database changes is nerve-wracking. You have to make certain that nothing breaks and you have to minimize downtime. When something does go wrong, you're responsible and it can be hard to fix.
So for a lot of us, deployment means queuing up changes, coming in early (or staying late), and crossing our fingers that nothing goes wrong.
SQL Source Control gives you an alternative: deploy from a canonical version of your database in version control. You're working with a stable version, which cuts the risk of deploying incomplete or incorrect changes.
Deploy straight from your repository
You can make deployments from your repository with SQL Compare Pro, or automate the process with SQL Change Automation.
SQL Compare writes deployment scripts in minutes, making your release safe and efficient. You can deploy from SQL Compare or copy the script to review and run later. You can use SQL Compare to generate rollback scripts too.
With SQL Change Automation, you can set up an automated deployment process for your database, using your existing release tool, such as Octopus Deploy.
"I'm anxious to get SQL Source Control up and running as I know the only way to deliver high quality SQL code is by having it under a SCM tool, vigorously testing, (thank you for SQL Test) and being able to confidently and consistently build/deploy the code.
There is so much that Redgate is doing to make Agile Database Development a reality. I'll finally be able to tell my AppDev friends to stow it when they say that database development can't be agile."


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We were playing a special tribute concert to the memory of Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, and as a tribute to the music of The Band, in general. Each of us had pretty direct connections to Levon and the other Band members, and had either played with them or produced them or simply known them in one capacity or another. It was put together by an old friend of mine, "Professor Louie", who has a band called the Crowmatix, and he is someone who actually worked as one of the main engineers on my first Toolin' Around album project back in late '89 and 1990, and who I had never actually heard none played with purely on a musical basis! I also was re-united with a friend of mine and fellow player, the violinist Larry Packer, who I think had last performed with me with Happy and Artie Traum back in the early '70s! It took all this time for us to be back together playing, and we "gelled" as if not a single day had passed!
I got to sing several of my favorite Band tunes, as well as doing an instrumental version of "The Weight", which of course, is one of the most famous Band songs of all time. The wonderful feeling was also knowing that I had just done an album with Levon Helm, called Toolin' Around Woodstock, which was such a monumental experience for me, and to then be playing a tribute to him was almost too emotional to handle! I even got to sing "Sweet little 16" as an encore, because that was one of the "surprise" tunes Levon ending singing on my album, along with "Crying Time."
Certainly the most rewarding part of it all was how the true die-hard fans really came out in big numbers, and it's so great to see how there is such a wonderful and supportive group of people who still love to come out and hear this brand of incredible music. We had NO rehearsal, just a short "sound check", and we all simply had the most incredible and spontaneous time together! This kind of onstage enjoyment really becomes something that the audience feels, and it sure was like that last night! I sold a ton of cds (especially the one with Levon, of course!) after the show, and met with the fans. There were also some old students of mine who surprised me by showing up, and they had a real lessons in watching me and others, and how we can just use our ears and our hearts to make a show really work. When it's "do or die" up there on that stage, that's how you really learn, and THAT'S the "school" of music and life I really went to! What a night!!


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7 Day Seattle, Victoria & Vancouver
Land Only
Air & Land
Featured Hotels
|7 Day Seattle, Victoria & Vancouver
|Hyatt Place Seattle Downtown
|Seattle, WA
|Best Western Plus Carlton Plaza Hotel
|Victoria, BC
|Huntingdon Manor
|Victoria, BC
|Royal Scot Hotel & Suites
|Victoria, BC
|Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Vancouver Downtown
|Vancouver, BC
Click a Date to Book OnlineHow to calculate single or triple prices
Click a Date to Book Online How to calculate single or triple prices
|2019 Dates & Prices
*Not Included:
Transfers, optional tours and gratuities.
Additional Information:
Passengers arriving to Seattle should select flights that arrive no later than 5:00 pm.
For arrival and departure on North America packages with US gateways, transfers are not included with Air & Land packages nor available on an optional basis. See Trip Preparation -> Arrival & Departure for more information regarding options to transfer to your hotel.
Accommodation Details:
Triple rooms consist of two double/queen beds for three persons; where available, a fee may be charged by the hotel for the addition of a cot/rollaway
Passengers traveling abroad require a passport valid for six months beyond their travel dates. All travelers are responsible to check if a visa is required for all countries on their itinerary. For visa information, check our Visas page.
Is This Trip Right for You?
Escorted Package Includes
- Flights Los Angeles-Seattle, Vancouver-Los Angeles
Other departure cities available. Click on date of departure for selection and prices
- Airline taxes & fuel surcharges
- 6 nights accommodations
- 2 nights Seattle
- 2 nights Victoria
- 2 nights Vancouver
- Hotel taxes, fees & service charges
- Hotel porterage
- 8 meals: 6 breakfasts, 2 dinners
- Sightseeing per itinerary in modern air-conditioned motor coach
- Services of English-speaking tour manager throughout
- Entrance fees per itinerary
- Comfortable wireless earphones for enhanced touring
Special Features
- Visit Seattle's iconic Space Needle and Chihuly Garden
- Tour of Victoria on Vancouver Island
- Explore Vancouver's Stanley Park, Canada Place and Prospect Point
Is This Trip Right for You?
This moderately active trip covers a fair amount of ground each day. Expect from three to four hours walking every touring day. The pace is moderate, however you will encounter some uneven surfaces, stairs, steps and significant slopes. Airport transfers are not included. Consider a taxi or shared ride service as the least expensive options. This is a Classic program. For more information, click here.
"More of the World for Less!"
7 Day Seattle, Victoria & Vancouver
Sign up for Gate 1 Travel's The Deal today! The Deal offers you unique, subscriber only savings that are available for a limited time only delivered to your inbox every week. Don't waste precious hours scouring the web trying to create a low-cost vacation package on your own; The Deal is a simple click away! Subscribe here.
455 Maryland Drive
Ft. Washington, PA 19034 USA
Gate 1 Travel itineraries may contain suggestions for activities for your leisure time; these suggestions do not constitute a recommendation nor an endorsement of any specific service provider and the decision to participate in any such activities should be made independently.
This tourist class hotel is set in the heart of downtown Seattle.Hotel Details
This tourist class hotel is located in the heart of downtown Victoria.Hotel Details
This tourist class hotel is situated in Victoria's historic James Bay neighborhood.Hotel Details
This tourist class hotel is located in the heart of Victoria.Hotel Details
This tourist class hotel is situated in downtown Vancouver.Hotel Details
- Tours purchased while travelling may cost an extra 10% or more
- Tours often sell out. Avoid disappointment
- Save your cash. Credit card processing may not be possible locally
- Travel insurance only covers services purchased prior to departure
- Book Online or call to book these tours up to 1 week before your departure
- The day the optionals operate varies by the day of the week
The tour takes off from Victoria's Inner Harbour and includes spectacular views of the downtown buildings such as the Empress Hotel and BC Parliament. As you soar above the city, see the grand houses perched above the water along the rugged coastline, the islands that dot the Strait of Juan De Fuca and the Olympic Mountains off in the distance. The exhilarating spray of the water is always a highlight during take-off and landing. This thrilling half-hour trip is an experience not to be missed and an ideal introduction to seaplane aviation. Small passenger planes are used from 5 to 18 seats. This optional tour is not recommended for passengers with a fear of heights.
Approximate tour duration is 1 hour.
Small passenger planes are used with no more than 18 seats.
|Day #4
|01 May 2019 - 31 Oct 2019
Head out of the city on a scenic drive to Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island's thriving wine & cider region. Begin with a visit to a local cidery & distillery. The tour will start in the orchard, then will continue to the cellar where you learn about the fermentation process before ending in the distillery. Chance to taste three types of cider, one spirit and one fortified. Afterward, enjoy a farm to table lunch overlooking the orchard meadow. Continue to a winery and lavender farm. Stroll through the lavender fields and conclude the visit with a tasting of the delightful wines featuring unique blends of fruits and lavender.
Pick-up details to be advised locally. Approximate tour duration is 5 hours.
|Day #4
|01 Apr 2019 - 31 Oct 2019
Today, head north of the city to the famous Capilano bridge & Grouse Mountain for a day of adventure! Take an exhilarating walk across the 450 foot suspension bridge which is 230 feet above the Capilano River and admire the breathtaking scenery. For an adrenaline rush, try the Cliffwalk, a cantilevered walkway that is suspended from a granite cliff above the Capilano Canyon. Afterwards, embark on the treetops adventure and navigate a course of seven suspension bridges through 250-year-old, 100 foot evergreens offering a unique view into the forest. Learn about the history of the park and the ecology of the West Coast rainforests from your guide on your walk into the 27 acre park. Later, continue to Grouse Mountain to take a cable car up the mountainside with stunning views of British Columbia. From here, chose to take the chair lift up to the summit, watch a lumberjack show, take a guided nature walk or, learn more about the spectacular birds of prey of the region. Lunch is on your own..
Comfortable walking shoes are recommended. The Suspension Bridge, Treetops Adventure and Cliffwalk are not wheelchair accessible.
Approximate duration is 6 hours.
|Day #6
|01 May 2019 - 30 Apr 2020
It was pretty darn perfect. Great guide, bus driver and itinerary. We had a sunny day in Denali for viewing the mountain and wildlife. My third trip to Alaska...have visited friends in Juneau and Sitka...and I finally feel I have seen the real Alaska. Eagles, humpback and Orca whales, sea otters, puffins, caribou, mountain goats, sea lions, bears, Dall sheep and moose with beautiful mountains everywhere I looked. Couldn't ask for anything more.Corinne Z. Oakdale, CT
My trip was wonderful. The itinerary was great. I really enjoyed St. Augustine, Beaufort, Savannah and Charleston. The accommodations were good and the sites we saw were very interesting. Gate 1 Travel does a nice job! Gigi and Henry were the best.Mary D. El Cajon, CA
The trip was outstanding! The real unexpected gem was the Frogmore Plantation visit. A great combination of past and present cotton commerce, history of the south and slavery, and musical interpretation. We will be on another Gate 1 tour again, for sure!Edward L. Media, PA
The trip was great and Dani as a guide was great also. Always wanted to start seeing more states plus other countries and after 5 trips we are going to stick with Gate 1 and book more trips soon. We learned a lot about New Mexico, Indian pueblos, nuclear creations and art. Great hotels always also.Brian M. Lehigh Acres, FL
In one word, I will say, "AWESOME " Words cannot describe the places we've been to, e.g., Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, etc. Even a professional photographer can't capture the beauty of the sites. You just have to enjoy them while you're there. Camaraderie between the group was great— seemed like we've known each other for a while. Accommodations were very nice. Kudos for both Muriel (Tour Guide) and the driver — for a "Job Well Done." Hope to have the same experience again, the next time around with Gate 1.Antonio and Divina D. Sugar Land, TX
It was so much fun! We learned a lot about music and enjoyed the cities we visited. Our tour guide and bus driver were excellent. Nice people on the tour. Will definitely book another tour with Gate 1!Madeline C. Passaic, NJ
Wonderful! My husband and I enjoyed it very much. Our tour guide Dani and driver Doug are two wonderful people!Maria M. Lakeland, TN
Our trip was wonderful and our tour guide, Ashley, was the absolute best!! We've been on many tours, not only with Gate 1, and Ashley was the best tour director we've ever encountered. Competent, personable, friendly, courteous, organized, helpful, and knowledgeable. She was always willing to go the extra mile for each of us. I will actually miss her very much!! She made each one of us feel extremely important. Thank you, Ashley, and thank you, Gate 1!! We'll be back! :)Barbara V. Amelia Courthouse, VA
Our trip was wonderful! I loved every minute. The tour guide was thoughtful and friendly. And New Orleans was everything I thought it would be! I really enjoyed this trip.Renee G. Phoenix, AZ
It was wonderful. Leah, our tour guide, was well prepared, informative and very personable. She made us all feel so comfortable. The scenery was beautiful and the weather couldn't have been better. The bus driver was excellent and again very accommodating. It's a trip I would definitely recommend.Annette M. Berkeley, CA
It was an excellent trip!! Absolutely beautiful scenery, and incredible wildlife sightings! The trip of a lifetime! Our guide, KariLynn, and our driver, Crystal, were both fantastic! Very knowedgeable. 5 stars!Allison B. Carlisle, IN
Our trip was wonderful! Every part of it was positive and memorable ... Keri-Lyn F., our guide handled every detail of our trip in the most professional manor, kept the group in beautiful harmony with a personality that all the group were extremely pleased. Her knowledge of Alaska and her presentation was not only informative, but was laced with delightful stories of her own experiences as a native Alaskan ... But honestly, she is almost impossible to describe...she's that amazing! We appreciated her and respected the job she did beyond words. We hope that our attempt to let you know what a special tour guide you have in Keri-Lyn will be passed on to the upper management at Gate1.Claudia M. Fallbrook, CA
Our trip was FABULOUS! Dani is an excellent tour guide. The long days of Travel were filled with beautiful sights and Dani has so much knowledge to share with her travelers ... The hotel accommodations were nice ... Liked the park ranger spending the day with us in Yellowstone. Looking forward to our next trip and getting ready to book a couple more!Christine F. Santa Cruz, CA
Pam is one of the best guides I have traveled with. The bus driver was also excellent and always on time, kind, and courteous. He drove smoothly and safely . The coach was always clean. The Parks' were awesome and traveling in the bus was nice, everyone got along very well.Gordon A. Houston, TX
Thanks to our guide, Rick, it was superlative in every way. He went above and beyond in advising and assisting the travelers, a super knowledgeable and interesting man! Our tour to Yellowstone and Wyoming was fascinating in all respects and a great value for the money!Linda S. Saint Louis, MO
Our Alaska trip was flawless! ... Our Tour Director, Keri-Lyn F., was an Alaskan native who was well versed on the many attractions we saw and was able to give us a personal account of growing up in our 49th State. We all also agreed that the accommodations and the itinerary were superb. The Denali train ride, the Tundra Wilderness Tour and the Seward boat trip were the favorite part of our visit.Bruse S. Orlando, FL
The National Parks tour was one of the best we have ever taken, with any company. The tour director, Tim Miller was outstanding as was the coach driver, Shannon Romero. I could not have improved anything on this trip. Excellent, all around!John W. Canton, CT
Thoroughly enjoyed it! Very beautiful sights & great guide, Sabrina, good hotels, very comfortable bus, friendly group, nice weather & constantly on the go!Patrica C. Louisville, KY
Our trip was totally amazing! Saw some incredible sights, just stunning beauty. This was our second trip with Gate 1. Again, Gate 1 did an amazing job. Everything was so well organized & coordinated. We had an incredible tour guide in MaryAnne. She kept things interesting at all times, took great care of us, very upbeat and personable, and we absolutely loved her! Looking into an Alaska trip next year with Gate 1. Keep up the great work!!Bob B. Ansonia, CT
I was extremely happy with our trip to Texas. It was my first trip with Gate 1. Most of the rest of the group were seasoned Gate 1 travelers who assured me that I was experiencing a typical Gate 1 tour. I am looking forward to my Gate 1 travel to Spain and Morocco in October.Kathy O. Pleasant Hill, CA
My Mom and I had the best trip. We had so much fun exploring the parks and enjoying the beauty, Bryce was our favorite but we made great memories every day. Marianne, our tour manager, was incredible. She gave us plenty of knowledge and every day made sure we had what we needed for our hikes. Marianne was friendly, accommodating and beyond helpful. She and Lee, our driver, made our vacation.Skye M. Rochester, NY
Our trip was outstanding! We loved every minute of it. Our guide, Tim, did an exceptional job with his talks, DVD's and handouts. We will certainly be using Gate 1 for future vacation plans.Joe M. Narragansett, RI
The trip was very well organized. We were treated fantastic. The tour guide and the tour bus driver were more than we could have asked for.Rick W. Sandy, UT
It was fantastic! My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the Louisiana trip. Our tour guide Karen Armagost was OUTSTANDING! Can't say enough about her and our great bus driver, Jimmie. We will definitely be touring again with Gate! Travel.Peter K. Cedar Hills, UT
We were fortunate to have Manuel as our tour guide and coordinator. His knowledge of history, anthropology, ornithology, botany and many, many other fields is truly amazing. It was our pleasure to be in the company of a true professional and gentleman. We particularly enjoyed his sharp wit and his caring and passionate love for his country and work. We were a large group with...yet Manual handled every situation with tact and diplomacy. We were also equally impressed with the skills of our driver, Javier. We felt completely safe in his capable hands. And last, but not least, our assistant tour manager, Douglas, another wonderful travel mate, gave a wonderful presentation on pearl farming. We would gladly take this tour again, if assured the company of these three gentlemen. They truly made the trip remarkable.Millard R. St Petersburg, FL
It was a wonderful trip. Bacho, our leader, made the trip a real success. The bus and driver were top notch. All the hotels and meals were very good. Thank you for a great trip.Edwin G. Edmontone, AB
It was a great trip. The selection of stopping points, Hotels and pit stops, was very good if with great variety. The driver was excellent. He knew his route and handled the vehicle extremely well under all conditions. The guide Juan was exceptional. Although he was from Mexico his diction was flawless. Many times accents make comprehension difficult. This was NEVER an issue with Juan. He knew every location and could provide details of every area that we traveled through. He was able to present the itinerary in a clear concise and entertaining manor. We enjoyed the trip immensely and would recommend it.Frederick M. Dix Hills, NY
This was our first guided tour, and we were somewhat nervous, however it was a perfect vacation. Our guide David, affectingly became known as "Uncle Dave", was amazing and went over and beyond. He was extremely informative and was always available for any questions. Uncle Dave used his own personal time on our days and evenings of leisure to ensure that we had a great time. He took a group of 40 people that were strangers and of varied cultures and somehow made everyone feel that they were family and connected. Lee, the bus driver, was amazing. I am terrified of curvy mountain roads, however I felt safe with Lee. Lee was very friendly and polite, as well as informative. The hotels and meals were all very good for the price that was paid. My husband and I will be using Gate 1 again, and are recommending Gate 1 to all our friends. Every aspect of this vacation was wonderful, reservations are very easy to make, the trip itself was fantastic and the price was very reasonable. Thank you Gate 1 for providing such a great experience. Looking forward to our future adventures with Gate 1.Phyllis J. Almo, KY
We enjoyed our trip to Mount Rushmore, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Jackson, and Salt Lake City. Kelly was a great Tour Director. He passed out plenty of handouts and gave a lot of information of each site. It was very educational. He was very organized and kept the group together and on time. It was nice that we beat some of the crowds. John was also a great driver. Everyone felt safe with him driving. Very personable and friendly.Marcia K. San Francisco, CA
Our guide, Ashley was fantastic. She knew Alaska, she knew our route and she was able to prepare us and point out things of interest. She was very personable, looked after each of us, listened, answered all questions, never got flustered. She had a great sense of humor and told us some great personal stories. Seeing the top of Denali was very exciting and emotional and she understood that. You have a great tour guide in her.James R. Gainesville, FL
We had a great time. The hotels were excellent. The sights were spectacular. The group on the tour were a lot of fun to be with and our tour guide, Keri, was amazing. She was tireless, always upbeat, attentive and had an incredible amount of knowledge about Alaska. We have had many tremendous tour quides on previous Gate 1 tours, but Keri was the absolute best ever!Kent L. Parrish, FL
The trip was Spectacular!!! Everything went perfect! I have told everyone who asks me about it how great it was and how wonderful Gate 1 was. Dani, our tour Manager was Awesome!! She made our trip so great. She was a wealth of information. She thought of everything. Your company is lucky to have her!! I would go on a trip with her anytime and anywhere! First time with Gate 1 and I will use you again!Kenneth W. Atkinson, NH
From start to finish this was a wonderful and thoroughly enjoyable vacation. Our tour guide Danielle (Dani) was a delightful, super efficient, tour guide who always had a smile on her face, could fix any issues or problems quickly while making it all look effortless. She was extremely well versed on information on all aspects of the sights we were seeing or going to. We learned a lot of facts and history while journeying along from stop to stop. We had a fresh supply of cold water available each and every day, as well as snacks for longer times on the bus, before meal destinations were reached. She was a true gem. Our bus driver John, was a super bus driver, and drove the mountain roads with skill and care always with his passengers safety first and foremost. Our day in Yellowstone with our Park Ranger, Kimberly, was yet another information packed day. We never would have learned so much and seen so much without her. It was a great addition to our tour. This was our first "bus tour", and would take another with Gate 1 again. The ease of entering and exiting all the parks and venues was again, one of the highlights. Parking, entrance fees, etc. was all handled as we watched single cars search for parking spots and wait in line to pay fees. All and all, it was truly one of our best vacations and we look forward to joining another Gate 1 tour in the future.David S. Strongsville, OH
The trip was great and we had a lot of fun. Dani Moore, our tour guide, is a class act! She was wonderful, knowledgeable and fun. We definitely had a memorable experience. Our driver, John, was great as well and just as agreeable and friendly. Terrific driving and parking skills!Linda M. Syosset, NY
We had a great trip! Our tour manager Keri was excellent. The bus driver Mark was Excellent. We would recommend this trip to anyone. Gate 1 Travel does a great job.Susan G. Charles City, IA
Leslie made this one of the most memorable trips that we have ever taken. She was absolutely fabulous and amazing! She was so full of information that we would have never known about our sights. All the hotels, meals, bus, bus driver, and sights were awesome!! NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT ANYTHING!! We are already thinking about another trip with Gate 1 for next year! I would not hesitate to recommend your company at all!! Thank you for a great trip!!Carla R. Adams, MA
It was our first group trip and we really enjoyed it. Our tour director and driver (Liz and Jim) did a great job of looking after us and showing us the sights. We would definitely recommend the Gate 1 Alaska tour we did to anyone.Nicholas A. Redmond, WA
The trip was great and our guide, Kelly, was exceptional. I was very impressed with his wealth of knowledge as well as his efforts to accommodate and please everyone no matter what the situation. We couldn't have been more satisfied with the trip and our guide. Plus the weather was perfect and the animals throughout Yellowstone were extremely cooperative by appearing frequently. Will definitely travel with Gate 1 in the future.Kathleen W. Saint Johns, FL
My travel partner and I had a great trip. This was our fourth with Gate 1 and was again a fantastic and enjoyable trip with our great views of Yellowstone, Old Faithful, and an abundance of wild animals. The tour guide was well informed and had good control of a large group of diverse people. I'm sure we will take another journey with Gate 1.James M. Portland, OR
The trip was great. I really appreciated our tour manager Timothy. He went over and above to make our trip the best. His personality is perfect for a tour manager. Chris our driver was good also. Always there with a bottle of water. This was our fifth Gate 1 trip and we will be using you guys again. The dinners that were either included or booked as an extra were also great. Good job Gate 1.William C. Granbury, TX
Trip was fantastic, made so by our tour director, Kerry. He was very organized, enthusiastic,knowledgeable and always went above and beyond to show us everything he thought we might be interested in, and made everything we did fun. He is passionate about the outdoors and the parks and that made the trip. In our opinion we could not have had a better leader. He organized speakers that were extremely interesting, especially Peter the Navajo Code Talker, as well as a dutch oven lunch and picnic lunches so we could spent more time seeing everything. Our bus driver was amazing as well. She handled that bus with amazing expertise, and was always happy.Phillip B. Woodland, CA
Trip was great and we had a fantastic time. From the red rocks of Sedona to Old Faithful and Mt. Rushmore, to the bison and bears we saw, we were constantly in awe of things we had previously only seen in pictures. We even got to watch the Mormon Tabernacle Choir practice for their broadcast. Our guide, Leslie, was terrific, so personable, organized and informative on the areas we visited. Would definitely recommend this trip to anyone considering seeing the national parks. So many natural wonders out there!Marion W. Delran, NJ
It was wonderful. The tour guide (Kelly) and the bus driver (Jimmy) were great and went far above duty for all of us.James H. McKinney, TX
We had a wonderful time on our trip. Our tour manager Pam was very helpful, organized and informative. Our bus driver Terry was very friendly and he always greeted everyone with a friendly smile. We would highly recommend Gate 1 Travel to our family and friends! Thank you for making our trip so enjoyable!Bernadette Y. Bedford, TX
It was wonderful. No complaints whatsoever. Loved our guide, Karen, and our motor coach operator, Jimmy. Both were very professional and fun to be with.Carol B. Pevely, MO
It's a great trip, we loved it, and a good experience. 1st time with Gate 1. The manager and coach driver were very nice and friendly. Thanks for providing us a wonderful trip.Xinqun Z. Yorba Linda, CA
The trip was wonderful. The weather was great, and the tour guide was efficient, informative, interested, and caring. We look forward to thinking about our next trip in the future.Michael D. Woodhaven, NY
It was a great trip; one of our best. Kelly was a superb leader and very knowledgeable about the areas we visited. Great group and wonderful that it was only 19 people.Charles M. Parker, CO
Our trip was wonderful and very informative. Kelly made it very enjoyable and interesting knowing the history of all the places. This was our 3rd trip with Gate 1 and I have not been disappointed with any.Joyce W. Westbury, NY
We had a very wonderful tour to Copper Canyon in Mexico. Sergio, our tour director, was not only knowledgeable with Mexican history and indigenous cultures but he was also a fantastic singer! We really enjoyed his singing with the Mariachi and other performers. It was another great tour with Gate 1.Susanna M. Alexandria, VA


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In his life, Jimbo Perry has run a successful law practice, raised five sons (and participated in and watched all their extracurricular activities), given a temporary home to dozens more children while volunteering many hours of his week in several other endeavors, such as little by little and The Refuge.
There are many things for James �Jimbo� Perry to take pride in; as one of Kinston�s most prominent attorneys, he runs one of the most successful law practices in Eastern North Carolina. He�s a well-recognized philanthropist who has helped create and run several mentoring programs.
However, Perry is most proud of his family. He�s been the loving husband of Joan for 32 1/2 years and is the father of five sons: Madison, Stockton, Stephen, Nathan and Jackson.
Perry credits his own father, along with the influences of his grandfather and other older members of his family, for the man he�s become over his 57 years. He�s spent time reading and studying his grandfather Eli Jackson Perry�s journal � one he kept while attending UNC in Chapel Hill in 1917.
�He wrote, �In all things, keep the end in mind,� � Perry said. �What I think he was referring to was a pursuit of truth, trying to figure out what truth is and then making that your priority. From a very early age, he understood the importance of being a good husband and a good daddy.�
Some of Perry�s earliest memories are of his grandfather complimenting his grandmother and always encouraging her.
�I saw the security of a home in which a mom and dad love each other,� he said.
What you see is what you get
Perry�s public persona is simple: if you meet him, you automatically like him. The fourth-generation attorney believes in eye contact and rarely, if ever, does someone walk away from a conversation with him without feeling encouraged.
But is he like that at home, too?
�He�s so genuine; what you see in public is what he�s like 24/7,� Joan Perry said. �I�m not sure I can adequately describe what it�s like to be married to him and to watch him be a husband and father in our home.�
Nathan Perry, 24, concurred.
�He�s the exact same person at home that you see in public,� he said. �He�s an outgoing and caring guy. He never changes moods.�
Opening his home to other children
About 20 years ago, Jimbo and Joan answered a calling � allowing a young man from a dysfunctional home to live with them for an extended period. He was the first of now more than two dozen young men or women to whom Jimbo and Joan have opened their home over the past two decades or so.
�After we took in the first young man, we learned that sharing our home is the greatest gift we could give,� Joan Perry said. �Almost all of them came from dysfunctional homes and from all over the world.�
Jimbo said the inspiration for helping children was simple.
�We really are all part of a community and we have a responsibility to those who have little or no hope,� Jimbo Perry said, referring to the New Testament story about Jesus� lessons about helping those who �are the least of these.�
The Perry�s oldest child, Madison, who is 30, laughed heartily when he explained how his father successfully brought other children into their home.
�I think Dad got a bulk of his training about how to be a good parent by being a great camp counselor when he was younger, so it felt like he was expanding the fun to a wider circle,� Madison said with a chuckle. �I feel like he first figured out how to be a good dad and then he learned he had enough energy to be a good dad to more than just me or my brothers.�
Madison said there was never any ill will towards the children his father took in.
�I was the oldest kid, so of course I wanted more attention, but I never felt like he overlooked me in favor of anyone else,� he said.
Wegene Tadele is one of the young people who have lived with the Perrys; he was born in Ethiopia and made his way to Kinston and the Perrys via a Raleigh-based orphanage in 2007 with the goal of eventually returning to Ethiopia and improving the country. Tadele lived in their home and attended Arendell Parrott Academy for his senior year of high school.
He is now a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass. He said he and Jimbo talk on the phone several times a month and he tries to visit Kinston a couple of times a year.
�He taught me that when I become a dad, I should always tell them that I love them,� Tadele said. �When he would come home, he would say, �I love you guys;� before bed every night, he�d say, �I love you guys.� �
Bringing other children into their home was always a family decision.
�All along, we prayed and wanted to be used in our community in the way that would be really pleasing to the Lord,� Joan Perry said. �As we became aware of needs, we would pray about it and then involve our children in the decision.
�I never imagined opening my home to other people to live in for extended periods of time. It�s been such a blessing, though, because we take it on one need at a time. We�ve learned that if we recognize that need, God is going to provide for that situation.�
A father figure to a community
Former Southeast Elementary School Principal and Kinston native Felicia Solomon met Perry in 2000 when she returned to town to teach at Sampson Elementary; he was a volunteer at the school then.
The two helped create the little by little mentoring program, which continues to help young people at Southeast. Solomon, who now works in the Washington County School system, estimated Perry�s influence to young people in Kinston in the �hundreds� of children.
Emotion coursed through her voice in a phone interview with The Free Press when she was asked to describe Perry.
�Jimbo is definitely one of the greatest men I know,� Solomon said. �I�ve often said he embodies the nature of Christ � that if anyone never knew anything about God, meeting Jimbo would help someone learn the character of Christ. He�s a vessel of hope.�
Thelittle by little program was a practical example of his influence, she said.
�Jimbo is a father to so many; his territory is so large,� Solomon said. �He�s very selfless and one that believes in casting hope and dreams. He�s not one that sits on the sideline and talks about it, he�s a man of action.
�The life that Jimbo leads is one that is to be admired.�
Lessons he�s taught
Tadele fondly recalls the best lesson he learned from Perry.
�He taught me that, regardless of one�s accomplishments, a dad always loves you,� Tadele said. �He was like my dad. When I lived there, I felt like I was home and that was a great thing. I learned how to be a good dad in the future from Jimbo.�
One trait Nathan Perry appreciates in his father is Jimbo�s ability to encourage others.
�He always wants everyone to feel special,� Nathan Perry said. �Every person he comes in contact, he makes them feel special.�
Madison Perry, the father of two � including a newborn son last week � said he models his home after the one he grew up in.
�I emphatically endorse him as the kind of father I hope I am and can become,� Madison Perry said. �I�m very happy to be his son.�
Time management
In his life, Jimbo Perry has run a successful law practice, raised five sons (and participated in and watched all their extracurricular activities), given a temporary home to dozens more children while volunteering many hours of his week in several other endeavors, such as little by little and The Refuge.
Even his wife admits she doesn�t know how he makes time for everything he does.
�Honestly, I don�t (know) the answer to that,� Joan Perry said with a laugh. �His schedule is crazy but somehow he works it out. I really don�t know how he does it, because he makes time at home such a priority.�
Time management comes easy to him, he admitted.
�The greatest gift we have is time,� he said. �You can replace anything else. We should treat each minute as a gift; how we use the gift of that minute is important. That means there is plenty of time.�
His children certainly appreciated the attention he gave of them.
�Having four brothers, I know it was hard for him to find that quality time to spend with each one of us, but he always found it,� Nathan Perry said. �He always took time out of his day to read to us. � We read a lot of good books together.�
Jimbo�s genuine love for his boys was always evident, according to his children.
�He always left work at work and when we saw him every day, he always made it special, like it was the first time we�d seen him in a long time,� Madison Perry said. �He would come home after a long day on the road and in courtrooms all over North Carolina and would still be just as excited to hug Mom and go out in the yard and play with us.�
Advice to other fathers
It�s evident that Jimbo Perry is still very much in love with his wife. During an interview last week, when the subject of Joan Perry came up, he choked up a little and wiped tears from his eyes when describing his affection for his spouse.
The feeling is certainly mutual.
�The greatest privilege of my life is to be married to him,� Joan Perry said. �We�ve had such a wonderful adventure together. He is the most remarkable man I�ve ever known.�
Ultimately, that leads to his advice for new fathers: love.
�Love your child�s mother well,� he said. �That is the best advice I can give.�
Bryan C. Hanks can be reached at 252-559-1074 or at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BCHanks.


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Latinos in the 2010 Elections: Indiana
Fact Sheet
This statistical profile provides key demographic information of Latino eligible voters in Indiana.1 It also contains data on other major groups of eligible voters in Indiana.2 All data are based on Pew Hispanic Center tabulations of the Census Bureau's 2008 American Community Survey.3
Hispanics in Indiana's Eligible Voter Population
- The Hispanic population in Indiana is the 22nd-largest in the nation. Some 322,000 Hispanics reside in Indiana.
- The population in Indiana is 5% Hispanic, the 32nd-highest Hispanic population share nationally.
- There are 116,000 eligible Hispanic voters in Indiana—the 21st-largest Hispanic eligible-voter population nationally. California ranks first with 5.4 million.
- Some 2% of eligible voters in Indiana are Latinos, the 32nd-largest Hispanic eligible voter population share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 38%.
- Less than four-in-ten (36%) of Latinos in Indiana are eligible to vote, ranking Indiana 31st nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. In contrast, 77% of the state's white population is eligible to vote.
Characteristics of Eligible Voters
- Age. One-third of Hispanic eligible voters in Indiana (32%) are ages 18 to 29, similar to the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide (31%) in that age range. By contrast, only 21% of all Indiana eligible voters and 22% of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
- Citizenship. Two-in-ten of Hispanic eligible voters in Indiana (21%) are naturalized U.S. citizens, compared with 2% of all Indiana eligible voters. Hispanic eligible voters in Indiana are more likely to be native-born citizens (79%) than are Hispanic eligible voters nationwide (74%).
- Educational Attainment. One-quarter of Latino eligible voters in Indiana (25%) have not completed high school. That was greater than the rate for all eligible voters in Indiana—14%—and the rate for U.S. eligible voters nationwide—13%.
- Homeownership. Two-thirds of Hispanic eligible voters in Indiana (67%) live in owner-occupied homes, compared with 60% of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Somewhat greater shares of all eligible voters in Indiana (74%) and all eligible voters nationwide (70%) live in owner-occupied homes.
Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Indiana, by Race and Ethnicity
- Number of Latino Eligible Voters. Latino eligible voters are outnumbered by black eligible voters in Indiana by more than 3 to 1—116,000 Latinos to 379,000 million blacks.
- Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than black and white eligible voters in Indiana. One-third of Latino eligible voters in Indiana (32%) are ages 18 to 29 compared with 26% of black eligible voters and 21% of white eligible voters.
- Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of education than do white and black eligible voters in Indiana. Some 25% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained at least a high school diploma compared with 19% of black eligible voters and 13% of white eligible voters.
- Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters in Indiana are less likely than white eligible voters, but more likely than black eligible voters, to live in owner-occupied homes—67% versus 76% and 47%, respectively.
- Eligible voters are defined as U.S. citizens ages 18 and older. Eligible voters are not the same as registered voters. To cast a vote, in all states except North Dakota, an eligible voter must first register to vote. ↩
- The terms "Hispanic" and "Latino" are used interchangeably. References to "whites," "blacks," and "Asians" are to the non-Hispanic components of those populations. ↩
- This statistical profile of eligible voters in Indiana is based on the Census Bureau's 2008 American Community Survey (ACS). The ACS is the largest household survey in the United States, with a sample of about 3 million addresses. The data used for this statistical profile come from 2008 ACS Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS), representing a 1% sample of the U.S. population. Like any survey, estimates from the ACS are subject to sampling error and (potentially) measurement error. Information on the ACS sampling strategy and associated error is available at http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/data_documentation/Accuracy/accuracy2008.pdf. An example of measurement error is that citizenship rates for the foreign born are estimated to be overstated in the Decennial Census and other official surveys, such as the ACS (see Jeffrey Passel. "Growing Share of Immigrants Choosing Naturalization," Pew Hispanic Center, Washington, D.C. (March 28, 2008)). ↩


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Records indicate father not part of Kenyan airlift, as prez said
Official documents catch Barack Obama in another apparent misrepresentation of his life story, this time challenging a claim made during his campaign that his father was part of a JFK-era airlift to bring Kenyan students to the U.S. to study in American universities.
WND research indicates Barack Obama Sr. was not brought to Hawaii in 1959 by any airlift of Kenyan students organized by baseball great Jackie Robinson, John F. Kennedy or the African-American Students Foundation, the AASF.
Nor was Barack Obama Sr. on any of the three subsequently chartered airplanes in what became known as the "second airlift" organized by Kenyan Luo politician Tom Mboya in 1960 after the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation contributed $100,000 to AASF.
Moreover, after a thorough search of the Jackie Robinson papers at the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress, WND can find no mention of Barack Obama Sr. in the files on deposit, either as an applicant or candidate for an airlift from Kenya to study in the U.S.
Read more
Previous stories:
THE FULL STORY: See listing of more than 200 exclusive WND reports on the eligibility issue
Was Obama's birth out of wedlock?
Obama presents 'nativity myth' to schoolkids
Official Obama nativity story continues to unravel
Obama's parents didn't live at newspaper birth address
Obama mama: 6 lost months
Evidence challenges claim over Obama's birth address
Gibbs: 10,000 more important issues than eligibility
White House stonewalling on 'birth letter'
AOL poll: 82% want Obama to release it
'Shut up Lou Dobbs' campaign hits stride
Hawaiian newspapers don't prove birthplace
Mr. President, we have a problem
'Birth hospital': Letter for real
Lib talker, Lou Dobbs now asking eligibility questions
'Begone!' Georgia judge orders fired reservist
Pentagon orders soldier fired for challenging prez
Bombshell: Orders revoked for soldier challenging prez
Now White House joins 'birth hospital' cover-up
Soldier won't serve without proof Obama eligible
Wikipedia says Obama born in Kenya
Just who delivered baby Barack Obama?
Obama's 'birth hospital' in astonishing cover-up
New reports cite Obama's African 'home'
Obama's birth letter: Is this thing for real?
U.S. hospitals 'wouldn't have to disclose Hitler'
News sites swap Obama's birthplace like magic
Obama birth mystery: More than 1 hospital
Hospital won't back Obama birth claim
Gibbs gets 2nd shot at eligibility question
President usurper Obama/Soetoro/Obama, regardless of his proud and stubborn refusal to be transparent (as promised - no change there), paying expensive lawyers hush money to keep his revealing documents in the dark, is not a natural born citizen of two American parents and is therefore not eligible to be POTUS according to the Constitution. It's past time the fraud and foreigner is brought to justice! Emperor Obama has got to go!
Furthermore, this has never been refuted:
The Mistake, The Evidence, Obama is NOT a constitutional president
The Theory is Now a Conspiracy And Facts Don't Lie


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Asynchronous Java Calls, Part 1
After doing some work with JavaScript and DWR for Ajax and reverse-Ajax communication, I began to enjoy the asynchronous call paradigm involved. This is similar to how JavaScript frameworks such as Node.js work, where everything is event-driven and asynchronous. This leads to code that scales well without the complication of writing multi-threaded code. Admittedly, it was an adjustment at first, but once used to it, I liked the result: fast, responsive UIs with a very clean and consistent programming model. I wondered how easily and transparently this could be achieved with Java.
The goal I set was to write plain-old Java code that appeared to make method calls on Java objects, but have them be intercepted and translated to an asynchronous message-based implementation. I wanted this to be mostly transparent to both sides: the code calling the object, as well as the object implementation itself. Thanks to the richness of Java and its libraries, the solution almost fell into place: Use Reflection to create proxy objects to the objects to be called, where the method and parameters are placed on Java Message Service (JMS) queues. The objects to be used asynchronously would simply extend a base class, which would use reflection to listen on the appropriate queue ( based on the class's interface package names).
In the end, I achieved this goal, and the implementation remains mostly transparent. Here's a summary:
- For the caller, you use a helper class to get a proxy to the object whose interface name you provide. The helper class creates the queue, and the proxy object packages up the method calls and parameters on the queue, and routes the return value back (if any) to the caller over the queue as well.
- For the object to be called, just extend a base class. The constructor for the base class uses reflection to get the object's implemented interfaces, creates a queue for each one with a name that matches the interface package, and listens on the queues. When messages arrive, the appropriate method is called with the parameters received.
One caveat: This implementation does require a JMS provider that lets you create queues on the fly, without having them be predefined. In the next blog, we'll examine one that supports this, and even works across the network without any configuration. For now, let's take a closer look at the implementation.
The Caller's Side: AsyncHelper.java
If you want to invoke methods on objects asynchronously, your application code must use the helper class,
AsyncHelper.java, which has two static methods:
getProxy(), which uses Reflection to create a proxy object for the real object you want to use; and
call(), which packages the method name and parameters into an array and sends the request over JMS.
First, your application calls
AsyncHelper.getProxy() with the name of the interface you want to call, and a callback object to receive the return value:
class MyApp implements AsyncCallback { … public void someMethod() { MyObject myObj = (MyObject)AsyncHelper.getProxy("mypackage.MyObject", this); … } public void onReturn(…) { … } }
The application can then invoke methods on the proxy object as though it were the real object, but since the calls are made asynchronously, you need to provide a callback to receive the return value. The
AsyncCallback interface defines this callback method. The
getProxy() method is very straightforward:
public static Object getProxy(String interfacePackage, AsyncCallback callback) { try { Class c = Class.forName(interfacePackage); InvocationHandler handler = new AsyncInvocationHandler(interfacePackage, callback); Object prxy = Proxy.newProxyInstance( c.getClassLoader(), new Class[] { c }, handler ); return prxy; } catch ( Exception e ) { } return null; }
First, the
Class object for the interface name provided is loaded. Next, an
InvocationHandler object instance is created to handle the actual method calls on the proxy object (more on this in a bit). Finally, the
Object object itself, which acts like the real object, is created using the
Class and
InvocationHandler instances. This object is returned to the caller, and the Java VM uses it to delegate method calls to your
InvocationHandler implementation, by calling its
invoke() method. Java Reflection requires you to implement the
invoke method, which in our case looks like this:
public Object invoke(Object proxy, Method mthd, Object[] args) throws Throwable { try { Class proxyClass = proxy.getClass(); Class[] interfaces = proxyClass.getInterfaces(); String interfaceName = interfaces[0].getName(); AsyncHelper.call(interfaceName, mthd.getName(), args, callback); } catch ( Exception e ) { } return null; }


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Download Transformers Online StreamingDownload Transformers Online Streaming with duration 144 Min and broadcast on 2007-07-02 with MPAA rating is 1550.
Original Title : Transformers
Movie title in your country : Transformers
Year of movie : 2007
Genres of movie : Action, Adventure, Science Fiction,
Status of movie : Released
Release date of movie : 2007-07-02
Companies of movie : Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks SKG, Hasbro, Di Bonaventura Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, SprocketHeads, thinkfilm,
Countries of movie : United States of America,
Language of movie : Espanol, English,
Durationof movie : 144 Min
Average vote of movie : 6.6
Youtube ID of movie : ejxQOv53lXs
Translation of movie : EN,DE,DE,FR,RU,IT,SK,ES,NL,TR,PL,CS,ZH,FI,PT,HU,SV,NO,DA,HE,SR,XX,TH,EL,JA,KO,BG,UK,
Actors of movie :
- Shia LaBeouf ( Sam 'Spike' Witwicky )
- Josh Duhamel ( Captain Lennox )
- Megan Fox ( Mikaela Banes )
- Rachael Taylor ( Maggie Madsen )
- Tyrese Gibson ( USAF Master Sgt. Epps )
- Jon Voight ( John Keller )
- John Turturro ( Agent Simmons )
- Anthony Anderson ( Glen Whitman )
- Peter Cullen ( Optimus Prime (voice) )
- Mark Ryan ( Transformers (voice) )
- Hugo Weaving ( Megatron (voice) )
- Keith David ( Barricade (voice) )
- Kevin Dunn ( Ron Witwicky )
- Michael O'Neill ( Tom Banacheck )
- Julie White ( Judy Witwicky )
- Amaury Nolasco ( ACWO Jorge "Fig" Figueroa )
- Bernie Mac ( Bobby Bolivia )
- Colton Haynes ( Cafe Kid )
- Brian Stepanek ( Sector Seven Agent )
Their war. Our world.
Transformers Synopsis:
Play Streaming Transformers Young teenager Sam Witwicky becomes involved in the ancient struggle between two extraterrestrial factions of transforming robots, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons. Sam holds the clue to unimaginable power and the Decepticons will stop at nothing to retrieve it.
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Leaving Virginia
Each state has different rules and regulations related to driver licensing and vehicle titling and registration. You can review these requirements by visiting any state's department of motor vehicles' web site.
Driver's Licensing and ID Cards
- Contact your new state's driver licensing authority to find out how to obtain a new license or ID card. When you apply for a new license in another state, you will be asked to surrender your Virginia driver's license. The licensing authority will advise DMV that your Virginia license has been surrendered to that state.
- If you have a disabled parking placard, you must return it to the Virginia DMV in person or by mail either before or immediately after you move.
- You are still responsible for any outstanding suspension and/or license revocations you may have on your record. If you have questions about your DMV record, you can request a copy of your record online. You may also contact us to get a copy.
- Notify DMV of your move so that we can change your vehicle status on our files. Please provide us with:
- your full name and customer number
- the title number and the last 4 digits of the vehicle identification number (VIN) for each vehicle that you own.
- Notify the Commissioner of the Revenue or Director of Finance of the locality you are moving from to prevent the locality from continuing to assess personal property taxes on your vehicle(s).
- Notify your insurance company of your move and provide them with your new address. If you wish to cancel your present insurance, do not do so until you obtain coverage from another insurance company.
- If your vehicle is leased, notify your leasing company.
- Vehicle inspection requirements vary from state to state, so be sure to contact the inspection authorities in your new state.
- Though it is not required, we encourage you to return your Virginia license plates by mail once you have re-registered your vehicle in another state. This will prevent fraudulent use of your plates and allow us to recycle the old license plates.
Additional Information
For other helpful information that will assist you as you relocate, visit MoversGuide.


text: Kriss G25 Mag 25 Round 45acp Glock Free ... Lot of 6 Magpul PMAG 25 Gen3 Windowed AR... ps90 p90 mag magazine 30or50rd in stock ... Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 Magazine 25Rd N... Browning T-Bolt Magazine 17 HMR 22WMR 10... Non Guns Magazines Clips Rifle Magazines Other Barrett M A Round Factory Magazine | 1073 | 0 | Lc | 375.1203ms View Category Barrett M82-A1 10 Round Factory Magazine For Sale from Alpha Omega Services | Positive feedback: 99% View | Verified Seller | 703 Completed Sales View Sellers Items /UserImages/199/977938958 12445589.jpg Description: No Additional Credit Card Fees! 10-round .50 BMG factory magazine for the Barrett M82-A1 rifle. New manufacture, black finish. Please note that the $20 shipping charge will cover up to two magazines! Stock up! ALPHA OMEGA GUNS ARE MORE FUN! NO ADDITIONAL CREDIT CARD FEES!! NO OFFERS, NO TRADES. Any e-mails for offers or trades will be deleted without response. Thank you for your cooperation in this. Our business hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10:30 AM to 6:30 PM, MT. We will respond to all inquiries as soon as we can, but inquiries made on Sunday or Monday will not receive a response until Tuesday. Thanks for your patience and understanding! Please note that when you click the 'Buy It' button you will STILL NEED TO CONTACT US for payment instructions. Please also note that we do not ship outside the US, and shipping prices in the ad are to destinations in the "Lower 48" only -- shipping to Alaska or Hawaii will incur additional costs, which can only be calculated on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for shipping costs to destinations outside the Continental US. Buyer is responsible for knowledge of, and compliance with, all applicable local and federal laws regarding this item. Ammunition available to all states including Alaska and Hawaii, but must be shipped separately from firearms; subject to all Federal, State, County, and local restrictions. Buyer is responsible for compliance. Additional fees and shipping costs may apply. Read More Condition: New In Box Brand: Barrett Firearms UPC: 13355 Location: ID Trades Accepted: NO OFFERS, NO TRADES. Any e-mails for offers or trades will be deleted without response. Thank you for your cooperation in this. Read More Our store hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10:30am-6:30pm, Mountain Time. We are a family-owned, full-service gun store. It is our goal to provide quality products and outstanding service. We have been in the firearms business for more than eleven years, with more than 60 yrs. combined firearms experience. Shipping Notes: Insured shipping directly to you. For payment we accept VISA, M/C, Discover, or debit cards, as well as USPS Money Orders. There are no additional transaction fees unless noted in the ad. We also offer Lay-Away plans; please e-mail us for details and more contact info. Thanks for your interest! Read More Qty: 4 Available Share Item Item #: 977938958 SKU: 816715010957 Stock No.: Mag, Barrett, 10 Alpha Omega Services Seller Since: Jun. 2006 Seller Level: Gold Seller + This seller is an FFL City: Nampa State: ID Price: SOLD Shipping: $20.00 (or FREE in-store pick up!) Accepted Payment Methods: Returns: No Returns Your Recently Viewed Items


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Tim Russ as Tuvok
Tim Russ is reprising his role as Tuvok from Star Trek: Voyager.
Born into a military family in Washington, D.C., Tim was raised on Air Force bases around the world. He and his younger brother and sister spent time in the Orient and the Middle East before his family finally settled in Sacramento.Russ feels there is a direct correlation between growing up in a military family and being an actor. Each experience has elements of insecurity, and both are unpredictable by nature.
Russ' first professional job came while he was at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, when he appeared in a PBS Masterpiece Theater production. But it wasn't until 1985, eight years later, that he began to work full time at his trade. While Tim's efforts have been split equally between film, television and stage, his most memorable roles to date have been in television.
Russ starred as Sam Jones' computer-whiz compadre in the NBC primetime series The Highwayman , and he appeared as the Answering Machine Guy in the NBC comedy The People Next Door. This role found him playing an annoying alter-ego character who resided in series star Jeffrey Jones' answering machine. In addition, Tim had a recurring part in the syndicated drama Arresting Behavior, which was loosely based on the reality program Cops, and he made guest appearances in Freddy's Nightmares with star Robert Englund, and the NBC pilot "Journey To The Center Of The Earth."
Russ has also appeared in numerous telefilm projects. He portrayed a deputy sheriff in "Dead Silence," and was cast opposite actress Virginia Madsen in the USA cable movie "Bitter Vengeance." One of Tim's most memorable roles was that of a military corporal in "Heroes of the Storm," a television movie that depicted true-life stories from survivors of Desert Storm.
He made his debut in the 1985 Paramount feature "Fire With Fire," in which he played an honor warden at a juvenile camp alongside Craig Shaeffer and Virginia Madsen. Additionally he also appeared as a detective in the Propaganda offering "Dead Connection" with Michael Madsen and Lisa Bonet.
Russ is a veteran of the stage as well, having appeared in numerous roles across the country. Most recently, Tim starred in an updated version of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" which was staged at the CBS/MTM studios. He received the NAACP Image Award for his portrayal of dual roles as "prisoner" and "high priest" in the Los Angeles Theater Center production of "Barrabas." Russ has also appeared in productions of "Dream Girls," at L.A.'s Shubert Theater, "As You Like It," "Twelfth Night," "Macbeth" and "Cave Dwellers."
When not acting, Russ finds time to indulge his other passionsâmusic and film producing. An accomplished guitarist and vocalist, he has performed in a number of bands and stage productions during the past 20 years. In addition, a public service announcement he wrote called "The Zone" won the Sony Innovators Award. During his second season summer hiatus he worked as a writer/producer on the feature film "East of Hope Street."
The versatile performer regularly plays guitar and sings at Los Angeles-area venues. His brother Mike playing drums in the band as well.
Biography courtesy of http://www.startrek.com/


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Fitness professionals have been telling clients to "use it or lose it" for years. Although that well-worn cliché is usually in reference to muscle tone, flexibility or endurance, research shows that it holds true for the brain, too.
Regular exercise, along with brain-stimulating activities such as puzzles, crosswords and some computer-based games, have been shown to positively improve cognitive function and memory. Brain fitness has been a hot topic in the mainstream media and the subject of much research in the past 10 years.
"This isn't new information. It's been known for quite a while, but it hasn't gotten out to the public very much until now," says Sandra Aamodt, editor in chief of Nature Neuroscience and co-author of the book "Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys But Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life." "You wouldn't believe the number of researchers who jog or play tennis as a consequence of their research."
Even though brain fitness is a hot topic these days, only a handful of fitness facility owners are using that to their advantage by promoting the cognitive benefits of exercise. Even fewer are providing brain-related programming or software. Rosemary Lavery, spokesperson for the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association, says brain fitness is in the infancy stages within health clubs.
"Most of the brain fitness I have come across has been in conjunction with researchers and scientists, and not necessarily within clubs themselves," she says.
Clubs may be missing a big opportunity, though. The brain fitness market is estimated to be worth $80 million, and 69 percent of older adults list losing their mental abilities as one of their top fears, according to a recent USA Today/ABC News poll. Five million Americans already suffer from Alzheimer's disease, and that number is expected to rise to 16 million by 2050, according to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America. Computer-based brain fitness software companies are booming, and even video game giant Nintendo is having financial success with BrainAge, a brain fitness game that brings a video-game format to adults.
Learning Curve
With 78 million Baby Boomers in the United States, it's smart business for fitness facilities to target this group with programming, experts say.
"There hasn't been as much incentive for businesses to gain financially from promoting physical activity as there has been with nutritional supplements or exercise equipment promoted on television," Aamodt says. "But [health club operators] are the set of people who have a financial incentive to follow this."
Brain fitness has become such a hot topic that facilities that focus solely on improving cognitive function have opened.
In December, vibrantBrains opened its doors in San Francisco. The 1,400-square-foot facility includes 20 computer stations and a lounge area with coffee, tea and healthy brain snacks such as walnuts. The lounge area also includes reading materials related to brain health, says Lisa Schoonerman, CEO and co-founder of vibrantBrains.
Memberships to the facility are analogous to fitness centers, she says, and cost about $60 a month with discounts for longer-term memberships. A membership includes unlimited access to the facility's mind-building software along with the opportunity to work one-on-one with a staff member.
"We felt like there was a niche for bringing the concept of brain fitness to the general public," Schoonerman says. "There are lots of programs through senior centers and retirement centers, but the need to exercise [the brain] begins much sooner."
The facility targets Baby Boomers. Schoonerman plans to expand to multiple locations, and she is looking to partner with health clubs and yoga studios.
"While the exercises that we offer at vibrantBrains do not involve physical activity," she says, "we do advise our members that physical exercise along with proper nutrition, sufficient sleep and stress reduction is key to brain health."
A Fit Mind
Some health clubs are also incorporating the brain fitness trend into their programming. Nifty after Fifty, a franchisor of full-service fitness centers for people 50 and older, offers two types of brain-related software programming for members at its five locations in the Los Angeles area: Brainaerobics and The Virtual Driver.
Brainaerobics is a specialized computer program that provides mental exercises and stimulation through memory exercises, puzzles and games to help improve the ability to retrieve and remember information and improve problem-solving skills. The Virtual Driver is a driving simulation program that helps members sharpen their driving skills by simulating challenging traffic situations such as driving in the rain, on highways and in the dark.
Both software programs have licensing fees but are cost effective for club owners to purchase and offer to members, says Sheldon Zinberg, founder of Nifty after Fifty. Members are not charged separately for the brain-related programs; they are included in the membership costs.
"We at one time believed that once you reached a certain age, your brain was on a downhill path that was irreversible," he says. "Now, we know that's absolutely incorrect. You can improve your ability to remember with mental and physical exercise. Putting the two together is a one-two punch."
Stevens Point Area YMCA in Stevens Point, WI, has also tried some brain-related programming. In the beginning of January, the Y hired Pamela Luedtke, certified Brain Gym instructor, to teach two introductory Brain Gym classes as part of the Y's free fitness sampler week. More than 20 people attended the older adult class.
The Brain Gym program is designed to keep the mind in shape and connected through educational kinesiology or learning through movement.
"It's not meditation. It's not a puzzle. Brain Gym is a physical movement that stimulates both hemispheres of the brain," she says, noting that most people have a dominant side of the brain. "The goal is to be able to access the whole brain in any activity that we do."
The Brain Gym certification took Luedtke, an associate lecturer in theatre and dance at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP), more than two years to complete and was funded by a $2,500 grant from the UWSP Personnel Development Committee.
Because of the Y class' strong attendance, the Y plans to add a regular or multiple-session Brain Gym class, Luedtke says. She says the Y will probably charge a small fee for the class, such as $10 for three sessions for members and $20 for three sessions for non-members. She may soon instruct a class for a local Pilates studio as well.
Mind Over Matter
Not everyone is sold on the brain training trend. Sandy Coffman, president of Programming For Profit, a training and consulting firm in Bradenton, FL, for health club owners and operators, isn't ready to recommend that clubs invest in brain health software or programming. Although brain health is important, she says clubs should focus on what they know.
"It is an overwhelming fact that the majority of our wellness issue is the lack of fitness, movement and activity," she says. "That's what [health clubs] are programmed to do best."
A wait-and-see approach can be good, Aamodt says, noting that few large studies have been done on computer-based software programs.
"I certainly don't think [computer-based software programs] hurt anyone, except maybe your wallet," she says. "They need to do a lot more systematic study before I would be convinced that they provide a systematic advantage."
Of the smaller studies that have been completed, most computer-based brain fitness programs don't offer brain benefits that are better than exercise's brain benefits, Aamodt says. One recent study from a brain-training software manufacturer cited faster processing speeds and better memory recall after a group of 468 adults ages 65 and older received an hour of brain training for eight to 10 weeks, compared with a similar group that had no training. Ninety days after the study, cognitive gains still held up, researchers noted.
However, a four-year study published in the journal Neurology found that people 65 and older who regularly walk and get other forms of moderate exercise lower their risk of dementia. Study participants who exerted the most energy walking were 27 percent less likely to develop vascular dementia than those who walked the least amount. Also, people who scored in the top third for total physical activity lowered their risk by 24 percent, compared to those in the bottom third.
A March 2007 study that was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences went even further by pinpointing what exercise does within the brain. Researchers found that moderate exercise targets a region within the hippocampus known as the dentate gyrus. This area is responsible for normal age-related memory decline that begins around the age of 30 for most adults. After a workout, researchers found that the dentate gyrus actually increases the growth of new neurons, thereby improving cognition and reducing normal memory loss.
"There's no question that physical exercise, if done consistently over the years, does substantially protect your brain against normal aging," Aamodt says. "You might be missing an opportunity with some parts of the population if you fail to use that in your marketing."
Although reviews are mixed about whether computer-based brain fitness programs are worth the investment, experts agree that an emphasis on improving brain health through exercise may help clubs target the hard-to-reach deconditioned market.
"Even though we are learning more about the beneficial effects of exercise and the effects of exercise on the brain, the population as a whole is remaining sedentary," says Benjamin Greenwood, research associate at the University of Colorado's department of integrative physiology and the Center for Neuroscience. "Promoting the beneficial effects of exercise is an essential first step to getting people off the couch."
Aamodt suggests that clubs create separate classes for mental exercise. A separate space and being surrounded by other like-minded participants can increase people's motivation and comfort level.
"Brain health is a very significant and societally important benefit of exercise," Aamodt says. "If you're selling exercise, you might as well sell it on the basis of what it really is good for."
Brain Health Workout Ideas
To challenge your members' ability to learn and process information quickly while exploring new topic areas that require judgment and decision making, use the following tools and tips from the International Council on Active Aging:
- Book of the month club
Host a book of the month club in your aerobic studio or office during your down time. Invite members and non-members to meet every month to discuss a book that they have all read during the month. These sessions could be led by volunteers and can help keep your older clients' minds active while giving them the opportunity to socialize.
- Question and answer
Have your personal trainers challenge your older clients' memories with fun fit tips and questions, such as, "What muscle is this exercise working?" or "How do you set up and use this piece of equipment?" These may seem like elementary questions, but these questions will let you know if your older client is paying attention and if they are able to recall the information.
- Mind games
Place a health or fitness crossword puzzle in your monthly newsletter and offer prizes for completing it.
- Educational lectures
Host monthly talks that help members learn new things and have new experiences.
- Getting connected
What better way to keep the mind working — and people connected — than offering computer labs at your fitness center? Work with a local computer store to supply computers and with local schools to have teens come in and mentor your older members on the use of the computer during your down time.
- Travel fare
Work with your local travel agent to offer trips to other countries. Prior to the trip, offer language classes.
- Debate club
Create a debate club where older adults can chat and debate with others who share similar or opposing points of view.
- Art class
Offer art classes to stimulate creativity and memory recall.
- Autobiography club
This is a book-writing club where older adults can create the story of their lives for future generations to read and learn from.
Source: International Council on Active Aging
How Does Exercise Help the Brain?
- Improves concentration and attention
Brain imaging studies show that highly fit older adults have faster reaction times — an indication of better concentration — than their less fit counterparts. They also are better able to focus on relevant information and ignore irrelevant cues, indicating better attention.
- Reduces gray-matter loss
Highly fit people also show less of a decrease in gray matter in the cortex than is normally seen with aging, which may suggest a protective effect of exercise against nerve cell death. This effect is most pronounced in areas of the brain involved in executive cognition that typically decline with aging.
- Promotes neurogenesis
Neurogenesis is the production of new nerve cells as a result of neuronal cell division. Laboratory animals that are allowed to voluntarily run on an exercise wheel show increases in the generation and survival of new neurons (brain cells) in the hippocampus (the area of the brain involved in short-term memory). This increased neurogenesis is associated with improved learning.
- Strengthens synapses
In animals, running also increases the strength of synaptic connections. This occurs through the same molecular mechanism that is believed to underlie long-term memory formation.
- Changes gene patterns
Exercise induces changes in the expression patterns of a wide array of genes, with some becoming more active and some showing less activity. Many of the genes that become more active are known to play roles in the structure and adaptability of synapses, suggesting a direct role for exercise in synapse density.
- Increases growth factors
Growth factors are molecules that promote the health of specific cells and are produced by cells other than the ones they nourish. Nerve growth factors play vital roles in nourishing and supporting nerve cells. A growth factor called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) increases significantly in the brains of animals that run voluntarily. Separate studies show that when people with depression exercise in addition to taking antidepressants, their BDNF levels increase and their depression symptoms decrease.
- Enhances blood flow
Exercise also increases the density and size of brain capillaries, which increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain. This may in turn help support the survival of new neurons and facilitate faster firing by neurons.
Source: The AARP


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