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Sketching out a better Muir Woods Shuttle
January 15, 2014 2 Comments
Residents of Tam Valley are up in arms about Muir Woods, and it's no wonder. Their community and its two-lane road is the gateway to the popular site, as well as all the beauty and recreation of southern West Marin.
In response to the cry, the Board of Supervisors wrote to the National Park Service and asked them to explore improving shuttle service and to limit visitors.
While limiting visitors is an awfully stingy solution to the traffic problems in Tam Valley, tackling the traffic problem with transit alone is likely to be tough. How to restructure the shuttle to improve service to provide that much travel is an important question.
So, to get planners' creative juices flowing, here's my own sketch of a new shuttle, lifted from some brainstorming on Twitter.
Guiding questions: What is the purpose of the program? To ease traffic to West Marin through Tam Valley. To do that without limiting visitors, we need to create a shuttle that takes enough cars off the road to make traffic run more smoothly. What's the purpose of that shuttle? To provide a car-free way for people to visit Muir Woods.
How do we make this shuttle attractive to tourists who might have rented a car and might be from areas where transit is not part of their daily lives?
Basically, like any good transit, we need to run it from a logical origin point to our logical endpoint while hitting other possible origin/destinations in the process. For tourists in San Francisco and Southern Marin, the primary destinations are Union Square, Coit Tower, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, Fort Mason, Lombard Street, and the cable cars in San Francisco, and Sausalito, the Marin Headlands, the Golden Gate Bridge, Muir Woods, and Stinson Beach in Marin.
Muir Woods sits on a dead-end, so it's probably not a good idea to go on to Stinson Beach. The time going in and out again is just too much of an inconvenience for something going on to West Marin. Hitting Sausalito makes easy sense for a shuttle. Route 66F does this now and doesn't get enough riders, so we'll need to press on.
The Golden Gate Bridge makes a lot of sense. Not everyone wants to take a ferry to Sausalito, but everyone wants to see the Bridge if they're touring San Francisco. It would be a good way to make the shuttle highly visible to tourists and catch those who want Muir Woods but not the ferry ride.
What about Fisherman's Wharf? It would certainly put the shuttle into the heart of tourist San Francisco, lending it ease of use and ease of access. The problem is how far Fisherman's Wharf is from the ultimate destination – Muir Woods – and how much it would cost to run a shuttle with appreciable frequency that deep into The City.
Not to say it isn't impossible, only expensive. At a typical $89 per revenue hour (the number of collective hours the shuttle vehicles operate for passengers), it would likely cost above $1 million annually to operate, less fare revenues. It may also do more to boost tourism to Muir Woods than offset driving, which isn't something the National Parks Service wants.
So, unless there is a compelling reason for the shuttle to run all the way to Fisherman's Wharf, I propose the shuttle run from the Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza to Muir Woods, passing through Sausalito (timed with the ferry), Marin City, and park & ride lots on the way. It should run consistently and frequently, with on- and off-season schedules. Every 15 minutes allows people to just show up and go. And the average wait of 7.5 minutes at the Golden Gate Bridge could easily be filled by reading plaques with facts about Southern Marin and the redwoods, not to mention fabulous views of The City and the Bridge. Shuttle should start so they can arrive at Muir Woods at its opening and end at closing.
The current Muir Woods shuttle, Route 66, typically runs to Marin City. It's much more a parking shuttle than a tourist shuttle, as the only destinations tourists might want to be at are park & ride lots to wait for the shuttle. Infrequently, it runs to the Sausalito Ferry as Route 66F. This is the route that makes more sense from a tourist's perspective, as it allows the tourist to chain their Marin trips together. Adding the Golden Gate Bridge would add significant value to the shuttle.
Short of that, it would add value to run all shuttles as 66F. We don't want to ask shuttle riders to drive or transfer, but running most shuttles to park & rides forces tourists either to take Golden Gate Transit or drive.
A non-route concept might have just as much impact as good transit design: limit access to the park for people driving. If you plan to arrive by car, you'd need to reserve a timeslot for your car ahead of time. People arriving by shuttle wouldn't face that kind of limitation, dramatically incentivizing people to take transit or at least use the park & rides.
A free transfer from the ferry, too, would help overcome the feeling that we're just gouging the tourists: tickets for everyone for the ferry, tickets for everyone on the shuttle, then back…
Total cost to operate this shuttle? Somewhere around $1 million per year, though with fares it will probably cost the taxpayers around $750,000. With the parking limit, taxpayer cost would be significantly less.
We don't want to limit access to Muir Woods unless we must, and right now there's no need to do so. The alternative – a well-designed shuttle program paired with the right incentives – needs a chance to work. To say we need to limit access and solve traffic before boosting the shuttle is to display incomprehension about the purpose and power of good transit. It is not an add-on; it is a solution.
In doing so, we can keep our national heritage open for all Americans, not just the ones who got there first.


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Bartók, Brahms, Janácek at the Santa Rosa Symphony
During my interview with Christopher O'Riley about his performance with the Santa Rosa Symphony of Bartók's Piano Concerto no. 3, he warned of the difficulties involved in the concerto's second movement: "It's really important to get the mix right with the orchestra, and to have them participatory instead of deferentially," he said. "It's a real concerto for piano with orchestra, not piano and orchestra. And so hopefully we'll get that right."
O'Riley, who strode to the stage last night in a dramatic, long black button-up coat, handled Bartok's swiftly shifting themes in the first movement with keen versatility. The second movement, as predicted, tested the delicate balance between O'Riley and the orchestra—truthfully, a strenuous challenge of musical ESP—but the seesaw only faltered a couple times during passages of whimsy, somber tones and mid-century blues lines. And the triumphant finale after the third movement brought the crowd to their feet as O'Riley determinedly yanked conductor Bruno Ferrandis off the podium to clasp hands, orchestra and pianist together sharing in the praise.
One of the nice things that Ferrandis has brought to the Santa Rosa Symphony is variety, and tonight's set included Janácek's suspense-ridden From the House of the Dead overture, played beautifully. (Incidentally, I watched Brian De Palma's Sisters last week, mostly to hear Bernard Herrmann's score, and the overture reminded me of Herrmann, famous for his work with Alfred Hitchcock.) Brooding pulses, high-pitched discord and yes—I'm not kidding—clanging steel chains, rattled in time to the music.
After the intermission, the orchestra was completely in its element for Brahms' Symphony no. 1, full of sweeping passages, nice solos (particularly the flute) and a crescendo-busting, whiz-bang ending. Just when the night couldn't have ended any better, it was announced that this very month marks the 80th anniversary of the Santa Rosa Symphony (which presented its first performance in April of 1928) and to mark the occasion there was free cake and champagne for everyone afterwards in the lobby. Right on!
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
P.S. Christopher O'Riley, well-known as an interpreter of Radiohead, Nick Drake, and Elliott Smith, felt pretty weird about being billed as a "hipster" pianist. But I can understand why. After all, how many classical soloists know how to play Guided by Voices' "Surgical Focus"? And how many classical soloists have this as their ringback music?:

subset: commoncrawl


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It's Valentine's Day! And loving husband Jessy Jones has made a delicious and nutritious breakfast for his wife Brandy to eat in bed. But she doesn't want a stupid breakfast, she wants to go shopping. Jessy begs his ungrateful wife to make love, but after an unenthusiastic handjob he's fed up. He vows this will be the last Valentine's Day they ever spend together. Not wanting to lose her husband, Brandy realizes she has to pull out all the stops to win him back - and one of those stops includes her tight virgin asshole. Collapse
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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have released an intimate family photo showing the couple with son Prince George - and their pet dog Lupo.
William and Kate have chosen to release the image ahead of their forthcoming tour to Australia and New Zealand, which begins next month.
The photograph shows the Cambridges casually dressed as they lean on the sill of an open window at their Kensington Palace apartment.
The couple moved into the property, which had been the home of Princess Margaret, late last year after it had been refurbished.
Kate is seated and holds eight-month-old George while William clutches Lupo, a black cocker spaniel.
The couple both smile broadly while their son, who is third-in-line to the throne and will one day be king, seems more interested in the family pet and looks intently to his left at the dog.
Celebrity portrait photographer Jason Bell took the picture and was also the official photographer for George's christening last October.
Bell is renowned for his images of Hollywood stars and rock and pop legends like Sir Paul McCartney, actress Scarlett Johansson and former England footballer David Beckham.
He captured the relaxed image of the Cambridges during the photo session held a few weeks ago.


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Kristen Stewart Cheated On Robert Pattinson With 'SWATH' Director Rupert Sanders
Kristen & Rupert were caught 'kissing like teenagers' on July 17 — just five days before Kristen & Rob flaunted their love at the 2012 Teen Choice Awards!
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are one of our favorite celebrity couples. We've loved watching them in love, on-screen and off, so much that this latest news on their relationship is devastating: Kristen cheated on Rob.
People reports that Kristen, 22, had a "brief fling" with Rupert Sanders, the married director of her recent film Snow White and the Huntsman. "Kristen is absolutely devastated," a source tells the magazine. "It was a mistake and a complete lapse in judgement."
"She wasn't having an affair with Rupert," the source continues. "It was just a fleeting moment that shouldn't have happened. She never meant to hurt anyone. She's a good person who just made a bad choice."
In a separate report, Us Weekly claims the encounter happened July 17 in Los Angeles. According to the magazine, Rupert and Kristen were caught by photographers during a "marathon make out session." One eyewitness even tells the magazine, "It seemed like they couldn't get enough. … Kristen was sitting with her back up against the driver's-side window [of her black Mini Cooper] and the guy was kissing her entire body."
Kristen and Rupert only stopped kissing when they thought they'd been spotted — but quickly resumed making out once they felt they were in the clear. From that point, the magazine reports, Kristen and Rupert drove to several different locations in Hollywood to escape the paparazzi. They eventually ended up at Pacific View Trail, where they parked her car and got out to enjoy the view.
"She was swept up in the moment," an onlooker tells the mag. "A few people would walk by, and as soon as they heard a voice, they would split up and walk in other directions."
When they were finished, Kristen drove Rupert home — he lives with his wife of seven years, 33-year-old British Vogue model Liberty Ross, and their two children, ages 7 and 5 — parking three blocks away just to be safe.
SWATH began filming in Aug. 2011 and wrapped in December, with the film having been released this past May. We have to wonder if this is something that began months ago, when Kristen and Rupert were working together for those four months, or if it truly is a recent development, as People claims.
A source close to the couple admits that Rob worried about Kristen during their time apart while she was filming, especially when she wouldn't "call him back" for days at a time.
We're especially shocked by this news because of how in love Rob and Kristen appeared July 22 at the 2012 Teen Choice Awards — just five days after her alleged tryst with Rupert!
Rob and Kristen have been together for the past four years, since meeting each other on the set of the first Twilight film. The two even live together. While we don't know Kristen's stance on cheating, Rob has been very vocal about how he's against cheating, even saying how he doesn't understand it.
"There is one thing I've never understood: why people cheat," he said. "My parents met when my mom was 17 and my father 25; they are still together and seem very happy. I grew up believing that you can be together all of your life."
In fact, one source even tells Us Weekly that Rob "wants to spend the rest of his life with" Kristen. He was planning on proposing!
"Rob worships the ground Kristen walks on and would marry her in a second," a friend tells the mag.
HollywoodLife.com has reached out to Rob, Kristen and Rupert's reps, but have not yet received a response.
Robert Pattinson: Dump Kristen Stewart & Don't Accept Her Cheating Apology
— Billy Nilles
More On Kristen Stewart's Cheating Scandal:
- Kristen Stewart Wears Robert Pattinson's Hat During Alleged Affair
- Team Kristen 'Freaking Out' About Alleged Affair With 'SWATH' Director
- Kristen Stewart Allegedly Cheated On Robert Pattinson With 'SWATH' Director Rupert Sanders
Click here for more ENTV stories!


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Free | (18)
Enter and explore a spooky haunted house - in true 3-D.
From the creators of Forest HD, Ocean HD, My Beach, Christmas HD, Season Zen, and Celtic Garden comes a spooky 3D live wallpaper creation for Halloween - or any time you need a little scare. Creep towards a looming Haunted House on Halloween night. Tiptoe past glowering pumpkins and a mailbox with your own custom name or message. If you dare, slam the knocker attached to a nameplate with your name or message on it, and push the creaking door open. Explore a haunted house full of ghosts, flickering lights, paranormal activity, and many other surprises just waiting to leap out at you! Customize every part of the scene, create your own ghost using one of your photographs, and write your own custom message for the mailbox, door, and doorway. Choose your style of pumpkins, and decide if you want to see the inside or outside of the haunted house... or enter the graveyard with the optional 'Cemetery Pack'. You can also hide or show the items in the scene to decorate your haunted house for Halloween, making it as spooky or as fun as you like. Optional add-on packs are available for purchase, so you can choose the features most meaningful to you. The 'Cemetery Pack' features an entirely new and customizable scene allowing you to explore the spooky graveyard next to the mansion. Read the tombstone epitaphs to learn the stories behind the unusual occurrences in the Haunted House - or engrave your own! Ravens, crypts, coffins, and apparitions are just a few of the spine-tingling specters waiting for you in the cemetery. Beware of the grave digger and other things that just won't stay buried. This visually stunning live wallpaper is true 3D with hand-crafted artwork. Our wallpapers feature silky-smooth animations while conserving your battery life and works great with phones, tablets, or any device that supports live wallpapers. *Awards and Praise for Haunted House HD* " Top 3 Halloween Apps 2011 for Android Market. - PricenFees.com http:bit.ly1iYbyf5 " "Haunted House HD is the best looking Halloween themed live wallpaper out there" - Android-Apps.com http:bit.ly1gHOoXF " "High quality graphics and ultimate optimization really make Haunted House HD shine" - AndroidAppsReview.com http:bit.ly1g4C5K1 " "Haunted House HD has more options than almost any LWP I've seen lately." - AndroidCommunity.com http:bit.lyOwZ0lf
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Best definition
monkey boy
The current occupant of the White House.
George W. Bush thinks, acts, and looks like a monkey. Therefore he is a monkey boy.
monkey boy: define #2
Monkey Boy
a slang word used in the office to brand a person as a slave of another.
I got 'Monkey Boy' to tidy up that kitchen this morning…
monkey boy: define #3
Steve Ballmer – CEO of Microsoft
Is known as Monkey Boy for jumping around on stage like a monkey screaming and dancing.
Link to Monkey Boy:
monkey boy: define #4
Monkey Boy
A young, loud, boisterous, male prone to excessive alcohol consumption, aggression and immature, obnoxious behaviour. Monkey boys are generally of middle to upper class origin and have a preference for either preppy or jock attire and hairstyles.
Female college students with any level of sophistication avoid fraternity parties because most frat parties are filled with monkey boys.
monkey boy: define #5
A person who is content to be medicore
Monkeyboy sets his alarm-clock so he can be up in time for the morning gridlock. He wouldn't want to miss his dead-end 9-5 job and the 3 hours a day he spends in traffic.
monkey boy: define #6
Usually a person of low intelligence. possibly somebody who works in retail, more than likley works in the stockroom.
Right monkeyboy, I want this stockroom cleared by 12.00, Then you can make us all a nice cup of tea.
monkey boy: define #7
monkey boy
A little hairy knuckle dragging drunk that does the chimp walk.
Look…there's Jack the monkey boy.


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I've been reading a lot of Anne Perry novels and come to some conclusions about this best-selling author of historical crime fiction. She writes several series with dedicated characters situated in specific venues for their exploits. By far I prefer her William and Hester Monk books. Acceptable Loss is the latest of these and they are so good I will reserve as many as the New York Public Library has so I can read all of them.
Monk shares top billing with Hester who is a strong heroine, smart sleuth, fearless investigator and highly principled woman essential to the solving of morally repugnant crimes along the Thames in Victorian London. Acceptable Loss picks up where Execution Dock left off—the pornography ring and floating salons of sexual abuse that serve as prisons for young boys is still very much alive. Even the murder-suicide of the owner of one of the boats and the prominent judge who was his customer hasn't slowed the traffic. Monk and Hester have taken in a mudlark, Scuff, a kid who lived by his wits on the lawless banks of the Thames and was nearly destroyed by the horrible business. As Acceptable Loss opens, they know that Scuff still doesn't feel safe and won't until they do something to uncover the money and power behind the sex salons and the extortion ring they fuel.
When the body of a boat owner farther upriver washes ashore, Monk and his deputy find another slave ship crammed with five- and six-year-old boys. The hunt is on for the real puppet-masters, complicated by the charge that the upper-class father-in-law of London's most prominent barrister, a close friend of both Hester and Monk, has something to do with the revolting trade in children's flesh. Monk's investigation threatens a major patron of Hester's clinic for prostitutes and poor women, and makes an enemy of the barrister's wife, a clinic volunteer and friend of Hester's who is also the daughter of the chief suspect.
The forensics are terrific; the suspects are plentiful; the stakes couldn't be higher; the moral questions are fierce; the courage required to pursue faint and dangerous leads to the truth is exceptional. So is the novel. I think the Monk books are by far Perry's best and my guess is that the characters and the issues are richer and more compelling than those in her other mysteries. London's seedy waterfront spawns an inexhaustible number of colorful individuals. The crime is cinematic; the narrow alleyways are stifling; the poverty is grinding and grimy; the gap between rich and poor is stark; the self-doubt that plagues the protagonists at key points in the crime-solving isn't based on poor self-image but on a refusal to settle for anything less than absolute integrity.
I wonder if Monk and his cohorts are Anne Perry's favorite creations? In my estimation, they benefit from the lion's share of her talent. I have yet to read any of her WWI books, although I am told those are among her best. So I'll reserve final judgment until I've had the chance to sample all the dishes in this literary banquet. But Monk and Hester are the go-to team for times when I want a reliable, satisfying read—one that could compel you to stay up way too late so you can finish it. Which I did.
Acceptable Loss: A William Monk Novel Anne Perry | Ballantine Books 2011


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Most parents understand the need for child safety seats in the care. But understanding which seat to use and how to use it can be a bit more daunting.
While overall use of child safety seats is increasing, they are not always being used correctly, according to the 2008 Partners for Child Passenger Safety study by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Safety seat use among restrained children 8 years and younger rose to 80 percent in 2007 from 51 percent eight years earlier. However, only 63 percent of restrained 4- to 8-year-olds in the study were in appropriate seats. The rest were in adult seat belts alone.
Typically, such belts don't begin to fit properly until kids grow to about 4 feet, 9 inches tall, said Kristy Arbogast, director of engineering at CHOP's Center for Injury Research and Prevention.
"More parents than ever now realize that kids need the help of a booster seat to make sure the belt fits properly across the bony parts of their lap and shoulder, rather than across the soft belly or the neck, which are more prone to injury," Arbogast said.
Previous CHOP research shows boosters lower crash injury risk by 59 percent for 4- to 7-year-olds compared with belts alone.
"Unlike child restraints, boosters don't restrain children in crashes," said Insurance Institute for Highway Safety President Adrian Lund. "This is because, unlike child restraints, boosters don't restrain children in crashes. They simply position kids so lap and shoulder belts are in the right place to restrain them."
Laws vary by state
Arbogast attributes the increase in booster use among older kids to education of parents and caregivers, plus state laws requiring older kids to ride in safety seats. Laws in 43 states and the District of Columbia include booster provisions.
However, the laws aren't clear cut when it comes to child safety seats. It really depends on where you live.
The IIHS offers a state-by-state break down of child restraint laws.
But Arbogast and CHOP offers the following suggestions:
- Children should remain in a rear-facing seat until at least 1 year old and at least 20 pounds
- A forward-facing seat with a harness comes next and should be used until children weigh more than 40 pounds or until their ears reach the top of the seat
- Use a booster seat when your child has outgrown the forward-facing seat until he or she is 8 years old or 4 feet, 9-inches tall
As Autotrader.com notes, guidance is also available from local fire and police departments and hospitals, which often run child safety seat clinics designed to show parents how to correctly install the seats.
Keep kids in back
Making sure children take a back seat is also another important step in keeping children safe, reducing the risk of fatal injuries in crashes by about one-third among kids 12 and younger.
While the American Academy of Pediatrics, which provides an online guide to child safety seats, recommends that children younger than 13 ride in the back seats of vehicles, the CHOP study showed that about 30 percent of all 8- to 12-year-olds ride in the front.
"These findings are an alarm bell that parents still haven't heard the critical safety message (that) old air bag, new air bag, no air bag, kids are safer in a rear seat properly restrained," said Chuck Hurley, executive director of the Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign of the National Safety Council. "It is particularly important that this message get out to lower-income families of all races whose self-reported behavior places their babies at much greater risk."
LATCH to the rescue
A relatively new development has also made it easier for parents to keep their children safe while traveling.
Since it is estimated that four out of five car seats are not installed correctly, the LATCH system was developed to make it easier to correctly install child safety seats without seat belts.
All new vehicles as well as infant, convertible and forward-facing child safety seats made after Sept. 1, 2002, are equipped with the LATCH, or Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children, system.
Instead of using standard seat belts, LATCH uses two hooks on the base of a child safety seat that attach to lower anchors in the back seat of your car. There is also top tether strap on the car seat that provides further anchoring.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that using LATCH correctly will cut the number of improperly installed child safety seats in half.


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++Incoming Transmission
Priority - Low++
==Enter Authorization codes==
++Crimson Level Clearance Authorization Recognized
Clearance Accepted
Printing Transmission++
"Officers and Ratings of the Imperial Navy, I speak to you now from the gantry above the command deck in front of the bulkhead to our bridge of the Emperor Class - Imperial Dreadnought Battleship: Starchild's Grief; "The Imperium's Retribution"
I, The CIRO, Servant of His Imperial Majesty, and the Undying Emperor, I am here to introduce myself to you, my fellow unshaking Admirals, and the brave captains and crew under them, the darkness that threatens the Gothic Sector, will be burned away by the light of the Emperors plasma batteries, any world that sides with our enemy will see it's seas evaporate, and it's sky darken, as it's surface becomes as fiery as our fury, an inferno equaling the star of Segmentum Solar that shines on the places of Holy Terra, and on the Emperor Himself.
We are unbowed, we are unswayed, The Heretic, Xenos and the Traitor will be brought to the Imperial Sword, and the Imperial Sword through them!
"What do you mean the warp engines are overheating due to an rune input malfunction? You're interrupting my heroic speech to inspire us all to victory!"
Warp interference
"I'll drown you in tanna if I catch you with another cup in the ops room, spillages are the reason this ship....
++Signal lost++
++Transcript Ends++
On a more serious note I am quite sane, and too old to be playing with toy soldiers and virtual ships, I'm just hear because I'm bored, honest! ;P
Heya, y'all, I'm the one in the big feathery sallet, I like history, strategy, armies, and will be signing up to the local PDF Division as soon as I am fit, I'm also a "f@ke gemer gurl." Cos this is the internet and there are no real girls on the internet.
I try to make extra pennies via kindle books, and I have too many airsoft guns. :3
++Incoming Transmission++
Admiral! Introduce yourself here!
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- Blexus Falconer
- Tindalos Team
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- Joined: 03 January 2017, 16:17
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Re: ++Incoming Transmission++
Welcome CIRO!
A moment of Laxity spawns a lifetime of Heresy.
- Ashardalon
- Posts: 568
- Joined: 12 April 2016, 12:53
- Contact:
Re: ++Incoming Transmission++
im a little late but
good to have people stir up the old discussions like the fin things one and even add relevant data that then gets shot down by GW
good to have people stir up the old discussions like the fin things one and even add relevant data that then gets shot down by GW
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White House Press Secretary Jay Carney says the president won't condemn a controversial Priorities USA ad because it has no control over outside groups.
Deflecting continued questions about a controversial ad from a Democratic-aligned super PAC, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney insisted Friday that a candidates' campaign is powerless over third-party ads.
But he took the opposite view in May when he urged Mitt Romney's campaign to renounce a Republican donor who had considered running ads on the president's ties to the controversial pastor Jeremiah Wright.
During Friday's White House briefing Carney was asked whether the president agrees with an ad by pro-Obama Super PAC Priorities USA, run by former White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton, which links the shuttering of GST Steelworks, a company bought by Romney's private equity group Bain Capital, with the death of a former GST employee's wife six years later.
As he and campaign spokespeople have in the past few days, Carney maintained that the Obama camp has no say over outside groups' ads.
"We do not control third-party ads," Carney said, adding later, "I do not have any role in third-party groups that produce these ads."
But Carney held a different view on campaigns' responsibilities to mediate outside groups when, in May, Republican bundler Joe Ricketts was revealed to have considered investing in ads highlighting then-Sen. Obama's ties to Rev. Jeremiah Wright, his fiery former pastor.
In a briefing on May 17th, Carney suggested the Romney campaign should denounce the potential ad campaign, drafted by Republican consultant Fred Davis, but never actually implemented.
"And I think there are moments when you have to stand up and say that that's not the right way to go. And I would point to numerous comments that echo that, not just from Democrats and political observers, but by Republicans today," he said of Davis' proposal.


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Enter the double doors leading to the Blue Springs South High School multipurpose center, and there is the bulletin: Vote for David Cook. Listen carefully, and you'll pick up the chatter about Cook, one of 16 finalists vying to become the winner of Fox's "American Idol."
Enter the double doors leading to the Blue Springs South High School multipurpose center, and there is the bulletin: Vote for David Cook.
Listen carefully, and you'll pick up the chatter about Cook, one of 16 finalists vying to become the winner of Fox's "American Idol."
"David is so awesome. I just know he's gonna win 'American Idol.' "
"David is ridiculously hot."
"You know, David was actually a student of mine."
The last statement comes from Room 207, where Susan Cooper, the Blue Springs South drama teacher, stands ready with a remote in hand.
"Don't believe me? Watch," she says, punching play.
Onto a projection screen spills a grainy video of a musical she directed in 2001.
"It's 'Singing in the Rain,' and David Cook was my Cosmo Brown," says Cooper, the mere mention of Cook's name is enough to lure a few students lingering in the hallway.
Cook, his complexion a smorgasbord of powder and rouge, enters the frame with the command of a four-star general. He bursts into a rendition of "Make 'Em Laugh," his voice as mesmerizing as a hypnotist. In an acrobatic charade, Cook performs hand stands, clumsy cartwheels and scores of slapstick spills -- without missing a single note.
When he's done, Cooper hits stop and exhales.
"That's the David I know and love."
Cook tried out for Cooper's first production at the high school, 'Music Man,' where he landed a part minus any lines; still, the part required a lot of dancing and singing, something in which Cook excelled.
"Even then he had a presence on-stage," Cooper said. "He definitely caught my attention."
Cook was already a veteran of the limelight. He became involved in forensics as a freshman (he would ultimately place in the top 30 at nationals in duo interpretation) and had been singing before crowds since his elementary days.
"He developed a tough skin competing every weekend in forensics tournaments before crowds as mean as Simon is on 'American Idol,'" Cooper said.
The following year, Cook auditioned for the lead role of Riff in 'West Side Story.'
Cooper didn't need to look at anyone else.
"He nailed the audition," she said.
Even then Cooper said the bad boy rocker image suited him well.
"He was a natural in that role," she said. "Always will be."
Cook drew tremendous praise for his performance and the next year -- his senior year -- he auditioned for both productions put on at Blue Springs South, "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Singing in the Rain."
In "The Taming of the Shrew," Cook played Petruchio. But it was his portrayal of Cosmo Brown that was the real eye opener.
In attendance at a show one evening was a member of the theater department at Central Missouri State University.
Cook would later earn a theater scholarship to the university.
"I was so incredibly excited for him," Cooper said. "I was ready for him to make it in New York."
But after two semesters, Cook abandoned the scholarship and his interest in theater for another performing art -- music.
"I had heard through the grapevine that David had gone up to Omaha for 'American Idol' tryouts and had done really well," Cooper said.
One day last autumn she received a visit from Cook, who told her he had to survive one more cut before he could advance to Hollywood Week.
She gave him her assurance.
"I told him to just get up there and be yourself," Cooper said. "If you do that, I think you'll go far."
Now, Cook is a top 16 finalist.
And Cooper's confidence in Cook isn't about to waver.
She said the physical and psychological toil of the show will eventually get the better of other contestants, but not Cook.
"His voice is in shape," Cooper said, citing one contestant who was voted off when her voice faded to a scratchy whisper. "I think he could sing all night and never tire out."
Even if he is eliminated, Cooper said the name David Cook won't disappear like so many other cast-offs on the show.
"This is his big break," she said.
But in truth, Cook had his big break years ago.
It's in the boxes of pictures Cooper has stowed away and in the videocassettes of past musicals paused where Cook's scene ends.
And it's in the blown-up photograph of Cooper's first cast at the high school, where an awkward sophomore is tucked toward the back like a champion grape begging to be plucked.
Several Web sites have been set up by Blue Springs South alumni to track David Cook's "American Idol" success and reminisce about his former days at the high school:
Contact Examiner writer Hugh S. Welsh at email@example.com


text: Hello, My name is Mary K. Strickland, but most people call me Kathy. I live in Alexander City, Al. I am not working anywhere but at home right now, because I am trying to get on Disability. I have Fibromyalgia and Meniere's Disease. I work in Acrylics mostly, but I like to try new things. My studio is a room in my home, it make it very easy to work on my art, but sometimes I over do it and end up making myself hurt more. I am a self taught Artist, I have been painting and making crafts for most of my life. Woodworking and Photography are some of my other passions.


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Suits and gowns floated around a crowded room at the Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown Friday night, their occupants casually inspecting the art that covered the tables. Occasionally they'd put their cocktails down to sign their names next to a price.
Chris Rasmussen moved with more purpose, weaving through the dapper group, making sure everything was in the right place.
For the night, she was a volunteer in charge of the silent auction section of the Habitat for Humanity benefit, helping to raise money so that another family could afford to live on the Vineyard.
Two weeks ago, Ms. Rasmussen moved into her own Habitat for Humanity home with her three sons. It had taken more than a year — a grueling application process and 350 hours of what Habitat calls sweat equity — but it was worth it.
"It's fabulous," she said over the phone Monday, catching a little sun on her new porch in Vineyard Haven. "To be able to walk through the door and say, 'Ahh, this is mine.'"
According to event organizers, Habitat would raise more than $40,000 in gross receipts Friday, a third more than last year's auction. It would be enough to pay for half of the new Edgartown house the organization plans to start building in the coming weeks.
Finding and keeping housing can be tough on the Vineyard. According to Habitat, Vineyard home prices are 85 per cent above the statewide median and wages are 27 per cent below the statewide average.
Habitat has built five houses on the Island in an effort to make it possible for people like Ms. Rasmussen, a Montessori school teacher, to live on the Vineyard and continue contributing to the community.
"Our families have good jobs on the Island, like so many," said Julie Willett, the executive director of the Martha's Vineyard Habitat for Humanity affiliate. "But their earnings just don't allow them to apply for a conventional loan to buy a house."
Ms. Willett likes to use the phrase, "it takes a village," when describing Habitat. Events like the one on Friday demonstrate her point.
Ms. Rasmussen and other volunteers donated their time. Two of her sons, Taylor and Connor, sold raffle tickets. The Harbor View donated the venue and artists like photographer Alison Shaw donated their works.
The folks wearing the fine attire donated their money — lots of it.
Rick Lee and Susan Klein led the live auction. Their rapid-fire approach was like the sped-up legal jargon at the end of a pill commercial. They poked and prodded at the crowd, driving the bidding wars, reminding everyone where they were: apparently a place where money was no option.
"Oh, come on people, this is Edgartown," Ms. Klein said into the microphone. "We're looking for seventeen hundred. Come on, this is pocket change!"
Moments later the piece sold for $1,800 to cheers and applause.
The excitement grew and shrank as the night wore on, sometimes beaten down by shh's from the auctioneers.
The chance to name an Offshore Ale brew after yourself sold for $550. A baseball sold for $475. Granted, it was signed by the Red Sox, but it was a baseball nonetheless.
It was all for the next family to find peace in a home of their own, to kick back on their porch for a moment's rest, knowing the days of the Island shuffle between seasonal rentals were over.
For Ms. Rasmussen, that sense of place can surface at unexpected moments, for little things like confirming her place of residence
"A resident of Vineyard Haven, yes," she said, and then paused as the words hit her. "That sounds so good. A permanent resident of Vineyard Haven. I never have to move again!"


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The crew of Skidaway Institute of Oceanography's Research Vessel Savannah has been honored with the Gold Award in the Chancellor's Customer Service Recognition Awards. The crew won the award in the team category in a competition among all 36 institutions in the University System of Georgia for year ending June 30, 2012.
The 92-foot, ocean-going R/V Savannah is used by scientists from Skidaway Institute as well as other institutions for oceanographic research in waters ranging from Cape Hatteras to the Gulf of Mexico.
The award was based on a survey of scientist-customers in which R/V Savannah crew received outstanding reviews. In the two key categories that dealt directly with the crew and their interaction with the science parties, the scientists rated the crew with an average of 4.97 on a scale of one to five.
The crew received the award in a ceremony at Clayton State University on October 4th. The team is led by Captain Raymond Sweatte, and includes First Mate Peter Casserleigh, Engineer Richard Huguley, Second Mate Chris Keene and Marine Technician John Bitchy. They are supported by Marine Superintendent Michael Richter.


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Vatikan - Personalwechsel: Neuer Chef der Glaubenskongregation? - Ausland - Politik - Hamburger Abendblatt
Nearly a dozen senior leadership positions are filled with dignitaries beyond the retirement age of 75. Will the Curia become more international?
In the Vatican, a number of high ranking staff changes are awaited. Among them, it is not for certain that the Cardinal Secretary of State will remain in office, who is currently the focus of the "Vatileaks" attack. But there are currently almost a dozen senior positions with occupied by dignitaries above the pensionable age of 75. And even if no relationship between leaks scandal and retirement exists, the appointment will this time attract special attention. In addition, it will be possible to observe whether the Curia becomes more Italian or more international For in the discussion about "Vatileaks", the influence and work of the Italians plays a significant role.
Already at the weekend, Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of the librarian and archivist of the "Holy Roman Church," Cardinal Raffaele Farina (78). It is unusual that at the same time a successor was not appointed and was due to complications. For the office, which usually goes to a deserving elderly member of the Curia, has already has been turned down more than once, it is heared.
Of course, the focus of interest is the CDF whose prefect, William Levada on Friday was 76 years old and who is known to be tired of office. It is unclear however, whether Benedict XVI will undertake the change in office prior to a decision on the SSPX, which could drag on. As a candidate for the succession to Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, Canadian Marc Ouellet (68) is cited, or the Italian-American Joseph Augustine Di Noia (68), who is currently secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments . The President of the Family Council, Cardinal Ennio Antonelli (75), who has just organized with much bravado Milan's World Family Day, can reckon on an extension of office.
In contrast, Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata, secretary of thePontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue , who was seventy-five in January , is expected soon soon to retire. The same applies to his fellow-countryman and Deputy Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples , Pierluigi Vacchelli. The vacant post of "Third Man" at the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples has been filled last Tuesday. In place of Massimo Cenci, who died suddenly, the Pope appointed a native of Sri Lanka, theologian Indunil Janakaratne Kodithuwakku Kankanamalage.
Long unoccupied is the post of the Under Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity . Staff changes are expected in the medium term In the management of the ecclesiastical courts. A native of Poland Antoni Stankiewicz, Dean of the Roman Rota, reached the age of seventy-five in October 2010. Gianfranco Girotti, "Regent" of the Apostolic Penitentiary reached that age limit in April.
The question remains, in the context of the upcoming appointments, how much the representation of Italians will change in the Curia. In the "small government departments," the pontifical councils, there are Italian Presidents in half (six out of twelve), in one third of the congregations (three out of nine) - more than at the beginning of the pontificate of Benedict XVI in 2005. In the College of Cardinals, there are 30 Italians in the 124 potential participants in the next conclave.
The German-speaking countries under the Bavarian Pope are represented at the top of the Curia with only one head of department (the Swiss Cardinal Kurt Koch, Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity), a secretary (the German Bishop Josef Clemens, Pontifical Council for the Laity ) and an Under-Secretary (Monsignor Udo Breitbach, Congregation for Bishops)
Therefore, the speculation about a move to Rome of the Regensburg Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Mueller (64) is particularly persistent. Vatican experts already saw him in half a dozen different high offices from the Congregation for Bishops to the Congregation for Catholic Education, even including the archives( Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church), The Vatican expert for the magazine "L'Espresso" Sandro Magister mentioned the theologian who is competent in several languages even for the "pole position" of the CDF.
The guessing game wassparked by the recent appointment of Mueller as a member of two other Vatican agencies. He has thus four Roman tasks - and is committed to the Vatican more than some cardinals who live in Rome. The question remains whether this signals an imminent move to the Eternal City - or whether the Pope would like to bind him more closely to Rome, because he (initially) will remain in his German diocese.


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Eminem will release a new album this fall, his eighth. The news was announced today in tandem with the premiere of a new track from the rapper. "Survival" provides the soundtrack for the new trailer for Call Of Duty: Ghosts, marking the third time Eminem has partnered with the game franchise.
Eminem is on tour in Europe for the rest of August, then will probably be back in the States and on full press assault for the remainder of the fall. All six of his upcoming tour dates are listed below.
Eminem tour 2013
Aug. 15—Pukkelpop—Hasselt, Belgium
Aug. 17—Slane Castle—Slane, Ireland *
Aug. 20—Bellahouston Park—Glasgow, United Kingdom #
Aug. 22—Stade De France—St. Denis, France ^
Aug. 24—Reading Festival—Reading, United Kingdom
Aug. 25—Leeds Festival—Leeds, United Kingdom
* with Earl Sweatshirt, Tyler The Creator, Slaughterhouse, and Yelawolf
# with Kendrick Lamar, Earl Sweatshirt, Tyler The Creator, and Yelawolf
^ with Kendrick Lamar, Earl Sweatshirt, Tyler The Creator, and Slaughterhouse


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Portal provides software customers with online support
Hach Co. now offers online support for customers of the Hach Water Information Management Solution (Hach WIMS) software family of products.
This Web browser-based customer support portal enables customers to track issues because each item is assigned a unique tracking number that identifies history of all communication between parties involved in issue resolution. Customers can review all communication with support personnel, upload screenshots of issues, collaborate on resolution of issues and view resolution status.
"Convenient and timely access to support information is critical to keep operations running smoothly," said Chuck Scholpp, Hach information management business unit manger. "The Hach customer support portal is another example of Hach providing world class support for software, instruments and service."


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What does it take to beat Jews with metal clubs? It takes Israeli police, and it happened in Amona.
It is the stereotyped image of a Nazi or a Ukrainian smashing a Jew. Jews proved not to be inferior to Nazis in smashing their brothers. Are we brothers? Do we share values, religion, and goals? Do we even understand Jewishness similarly? What makes us brothers?
Would we address a Jewish murderer or rapist as "my brother"? As a traitor? The universal Jewish brotherhood is a convenient fiction of anti-Semites and Israeli rulers.
On other hand, the happenings in Amona were moderate. The police did not shoot at the crowd or maim the demonstrators. Girls were intimidated, but not significantly assaulted sexually. The protesters were charged with horses, but not overrun. Few were arrested for considerable time: the clear crime of opposing the police went unpunished. Our adversaries feel somewhat restrained by the idea of Jewish brotherhood. We should use that.
The Israeli government is not ready for large-scale violence against Jews. The media tolerates sporadic suppression of the nationalists, but continual clashes would undermine the government's international credibility. Many people, foreign Christians included, support the Jewish idea rather than the Israeli government. Conservative Jews could exploit the government's restraint twofold.
First, mobilize whatever media we can, down to the blogs; create an outcry, however squeaky, against the government's oppression of the Jewish idea. Second, press the government. Taking a few club blows isn't a major thing—many other Jews have suffered much more for their faith and ideals.
People obey moral restraints until they have been broken once or twice; then restraints fall. It is hard to kill one's first enemy—the subsequent are easier. Similarly, the Jews will find it hard to disobey the government the first several times. Then, the situation will change. The protesters will know that opposing the government is possible and not very dangerous. The government's credibility and deterrence factor will dwindle. Nationalist policemen will not hide their approval of the victorious protesters.
Many political leftists oppose economic leftism. Israeli conservatives could attract them with our free-market agenda, which is especially relevant against the background of Israeli socialism.
Leftists should be systematically shamed out of the Israeli army and police because they ostensibly repress the Arabs. Conservatives should hold incessant vigils demanding prosecution of the policemen who behaved cruelly against settlers. It is a must to undermine the resolve of the police to break the defense of "illegal" settlements.
Amona was defended in Boy Scout fashion. The next clash with the government should be organized professionally, in "no step back" mode. The defenders need not come barehanded; clubs must be met with clubs, horses with horses, bulldozers with tractors, and firearms must be answered in kind.
The Israeli government is ripping the Jewish idea apart piece by piece: Sinai, Palestinian Autonomy, Gaza, and Judea and Samaria. Otherwise decent Jews think every time that "it's not the end," and do nothing. No concession to the government is too small. Zero tolerance of government encroachment on Judaism is the only winning strategy. When the police arrest activists, thousands of other Jews must block the police station until the prisoners are unconditionally released. They cannot arrest all of us, nor could they force employers to fire so many people.
Russian revolutionaries killed the tsar and various ministers. Irgun killed Jewish traitors. The nationalist Jews cannot settle for peaceful opposition.


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What is the number one reason you read this blog? Unfortunately, the software does not allow checking multiple answers in poll below, so feel free to add any additional comments below.
Please add in the comments below any new topics you would be interested in seeing covered on this blog.
Thank you.
–Lynne Diligent


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In the ramp ahead of the launch of the new "Shanghai" quad-core Opteron processors for servers and workstations, Advanced Micro Devices lined up some niche players in dense rack and blade servers for commercial data centers and high performance computing clusters often used at government and academic supercomputing centers. But none of the tier one server partners were at the Shanghai pre-launch event.
Fear not, fans of competition in the x64 server space, the big boys are indeed ready and eager to sell Shanghai Opterons. Then again, if they could sell your grandmother in a metal box to do calculations on the cheap, the major server makers would try to in this recessional IT environment.
Having messed up the "Barcelona" quad-core Opteron launch this year, from the point of view of running a business (as opposed to trying to cram as much features as possible into a chip to leapfrog rival Intel), AMD clearly did the right thing when it revamped its Opteron roadmaps in May and threw the "Sandtiger" eight-core Opterons on the scrap heap and made Shanghai a quad-core kicker to Barcelona, able to plug into existing AMD platforms but delivering significant thermal and price/performance benefits nonetheless. That shift, which was done because a move to 45 nanometer water-immersion lithography from the 65 nanometer processes used to make the Barcelona quad cores was complex enough without having to get a whole new chip design out the door in a timely fashion. Ditto for the six-core "Instanbul" kickers to Shanghai, due in the second half of 2009, which will also plug into current Rev F 1207-pin server sockets.
If you were expecting a lot of interesting new engineering for the Shanghai Opterons, there won't be a lot as part of today's launch among the tier one server players. But there is some, and a little bit of rejiggering in the product catalogs, too.
As the volume leader in the x64 server space, Hewlett-Packard says that it is plunking Shanghai chips into three blade servers and six rack-mounted machines, its entire Opteron-based server lineup. HP says that it expects "customers to respond well" to the chip and that early benchmark tests have been "impressive" and have boosted the performance per watt considerably on the ProLiant rack and BladeSystem blade server lines; HP is also keen on the hardware assists that Shanghai has for supporting server virtualization.
As for new engineering in servers using Shanghai chips, HP says to keep an eye out for "a new virtualization-tuned rack-based server leveraging Shanghai imminently".
At Sun Microsystems, Arvie Martin, group marketing manager of x64 systems, says that Sun will obviously put the Shanghai chips in its existing blade and rack Opteron servers in the "Galaxy" server lineup, which also sports gear using Intel Xeon processors these days.
"We will begin to start shipping product in the next 30 days and we will be refreshing our product line," says Martin. Sun has not decided on pricing for Galaxy machines using Shanghai chips yet, but Martin says that Sun will probably keep the same or similar prices and give customers the extra performance and better thermals of the Shanghai chips. But, given the state of server sales and profits at Sun, the company might be tempted to charge a little premium for Shanghai machines.
Martin says that Sun will not be rolling out any new platforms just because Shanghai is here, but hinted that Sun is working on future Opteron server designs. This is probably machinery employing AMD's future "Fiorano" platform, which is a homegrown SR5690/SP5100 chipset made by AMD and employing Socket F processors that will initially support Shanghai chips in mid-2009 or so and then the Istanbul six-core kickers towards the end of 2009, if roadmaps are drawn to scale.


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A two-alarm fire in a 40-story building in New York City Side left 19 people injured early Saturday morning after the building's alarms failed to go off, authorities said.
The fire began around 3:45 a.m. on the 12th floor of a high-rise building on Manhattan's Upper West Side and was contained to one apartment, fire officials said.
The building's centralized alarm system did not detect the fire and a security guard in the building's lobby had to be alerted about the fire by a passerby, authorities said.
U.S. & World
It took over 100 firefighters more than two hours to get the fire under control. While the flames were contained to one apartment, smoke quickly traveled through the hallways and vents of the 40-story tower.
"I didn't even know there was a fire. There was just black all over the floor," said building resident Tom McNulty. "I grabbed my friends and yelled to my partner 'we gotta get out!'"
Ten residents suffered smoke inhalation, and several had to be treated at a nearby hospital. Three firefighters also suffered smoke inhalation and six firefighters were treated for burns on their legs.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. An investigation is ongoing.


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NEW YORK (AP) — Star power and Oscar aspirations are reigning at the box office, where the space adventure "Gravity" and the Somali pirate docudrama "Captain Phillips" are holding off all comers.
With $31 million over the weekend according to studio estimates Sunday, "Gravity" topped the box office for the third straight week, cementing its status as the juggernaut of the fall movie-going season. The 3-D Warner Bros. movie, staring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, has now made more than $170 million in three weeks. The film's groundbreaking visuals have been particularly popular on IMAX screens, where it made an "Avatar"-like $7.4 million on the weekend.
"Captain Phillips," starring Tom Hanks and directed by Paul Greengrass, also held in second place, taking in $17.3 million in its second week. The Sony film slid only 33 percent from its debut last weekend of $25.7 million.
The two movies and their veteran stars were able to keep three new wide releases at bay: the horror remake "Carrie" ($17 million for Sony and MGM), the Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger action flick "Escape Plan" ($9.8 million for Lionsgate), and the WikiLeaks drama "The Fifth Estate."
The last utterly flopped — a fate predicted by its subject, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange — taking in a paltry $1.7 million for Disney. It's the worst debut this year for a film in such wide release (1,769 theaters).
"It's a very strong lineup that is not budging," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak, who noted the primary family choice, "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2," is also holding steady with $10.1 million in its fourth week. "'Carrie' came into a very competitive marketplace."
In a limited release of just 19 theaters, Steve McQueen's highly-anticipated slavery epic "12 Years a Slave," starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, opened with $960,000. The exceptionally high theater average of $50,000 suggested considerable audience eagerness for the already much-lauded film.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Gravity," $30 million.
2. "Captain Phillips," $17.3 million, ($9.1 million international).
3. "Carrie," $17 million.
4. "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," $10.1 million.
5. "Escape Plan," $9.8 million.
6. "Prisoners," $2.1 million.
7. "Enough Said," $1.8 million.
8. "Fifth Estate," $1.7 million.
9. "Runner Runner," $1.6 million.
10. "Insidious Chapter 2," $1.5 million.
(©2013 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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Hot water boilers
Grundfos' single-stage and multistage pumps for hot water boilers are available for temperatures up to 140°C. All pumps can be supplied with motors with a wall-mounted or integrated frequency converter (up to 22 kW), ensuring that the pressure and temperature in the system are constant. If the boiler requires a shunt in order to avoid thermal stress, we offer highly reliable pump solutions that will hold the temperature in the boiler constant.
|The very high temperature of hot liquids can be damaging to the pump and even destroy the shaft seal.
|Grundfos offers specially designed shaft seals that handle water temperatures up to 180°C.
|The application's inlet conditions are poor.
|An advanced Grundfos low NPSH pump is available, efficiently reducing NPSH and eliminating cavitation.
|When temperature control is part of the process, the pump material is potentially stressed because of the continuous thermal expansion and contraction.
|By applying one of Grundfos' speed-controlled pumps the temperature is held constant.
|Mechanical regulation valves are very expensive.
|Grundfos' E-solutions completely eliminate the need for this particular valve as the water inlet is automatically adjusted to the fluctuating steam demand on the outlet.
|Erratic load characteristics are a frequent problem.
|Grundfos offers tailor-made software to stretch the pump curves, allowing pumps to operate outside their set curves and increase efficiency.
|Energy consumption is important to your customer.
|Grundfos' high-efficient E-solutions significantly reduce energy consumption by automatically adjusting pump performance to the actual need. Naturally, the E-solutions meet international efficiency standards.
|Stock management can be difficult due to the global differences in voltages and frequencies.
|Grundfos' E-solutions feature dual frequency and a wide voltage range, allowing you to use the same solution all over the world. Naturally, the E-solutions carry the necessary approvals.
Important notes
- As boiler shunt applications are often subjected to very high ambient and liquid temperatures it is essential to carefully design the pump for this demanding environment.
Local sales company
Local service centre


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Warner Norcross + Judd strives to foster and maintain a culture that is based on three principles of diversity: Respect, Inclusion and Teamwork. We believe a team that values the broad range of experiences, perspectives and ideas of a diverse group is better at problem solving, more innovative and more effective, resulting in better results and better service for our clients.
We are implementing our commitment to diversity and to a culture of inclusiveness through programs and initiatives throughout the law firm. We have taken a leading role in promoting diversity and inclusion in the Bar at the local and state levels.
Our Diversity Partner, Rodney Martin, has been charged by our Management Committee with day-to-day responsibility of leading our effort to be a more diverse and inclusive workplace for everyone. Specifically, he is charged with identifying barriers to inclusion in the workplace and with developing and implementing strategies to break down those barriers. Each year the firm issues a Diversity & Inclusion Annual Report that candidly assesses our progress.
Warner was one of the first firms to sign the State Bar of Michigan's Pledge to Achieve Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession in Michigan. Rodney Martin serves on the State Bar's Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, which is charged with implementing the pledge.
We also are a leading member of the Grand Rapids Bar Association's Managing Partners Diversity Collaborative, which has adopted a five-year action plan to increase the diversity of our law firms and the Bar Association and to foster an inclusive legal community.
We are proud of the role we play as a leader in our community and the profession. We were the first organization to be accredited as a Full Partner by Partners for a Racism Free Community. We were honored to receive the Diversity Visionary Award in 2009 from the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce. For the tenth year in a row, we have been recognized as one of West Michigan's 101 Best & Brightest Companies to Work For by the Michigan Business & Professional Association. We have received the same acknowledgment for our Metro Detroit offices for five years running.
Next - Collaborating to Promote Diversity and Inclusion
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"The Great American Off-Road Race", The General Tire Mint 400, Returns to Las Vegas March 12th – 16th
January 28th – 2014 Las Vegas – The largest and most prestigious off-road race event in America, The General Tire Mint 400, will return to the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas Nevada, from Wednesday, March 12th through Sunday March 16th. The Mint 400 will feature three days of pre-race festivities in the heart of downtown Las Vegas, followed by the most challenging and thrilling off-road race of the year. Over one thousand of the world's top off-road championship competitors will do battle in twenty different classes of vehicles across the brutal and unforgiving Mint 400 racecourse in front of thousands of spectators and race fans. Crowds in excess of forty thousand are expected to attend the festivities on Fremont Street East as well as The Mint 400 race – which are free to attend.
The Mint 400 owners, The Martelli Brothers, have once again improved on the historic event by expanding the pre-race festivities, adding to the treacherous racecourse, and expanding the television and media coverage. The world famous Mint 400 Contingency, (already the largest in North America), has doubled in size and will include dozens of new off road vendors, food and drink specials from local Fremont Street businesses, as well as dedicated destination spots for off-road enthusiasts including; "Raptor Alley", a "UTV Showcase", vintage off-road cars on "Memory Lane", rally cars on "Rally Road" and an off-road "Builders Showcase". The spectating area dubbed "The Quarry" has also been expanded to accommodate more fans, offering an unparalleled birds eye view as the competitor's battle through the ultra technical section of the racecourse.
"This year marks the 47th anniversary of the Mint," commented Matt Martelli. "This is not just a race – this is a massive cultural happening that allows us the chance to showcase the most dynamic and exciting motorsport on Earth to tens of thousands of off-road enthusiasts. People come from all over the United States and beyond to race, party, and spectate with us here in Vegas – and we're thrilled that we can share off-road racing with them by hosting the most historic and challenging race in professional off-road racing."
The Mint 400 race festivities kick off Wednesday, March 12th at 12pm with "The Mint 400 Battlefield Barbeque", a "lunch and guns" barbeque at the finest indoor shooting range in Las Vegas. Following the BBQ, the second annual "Mint 400 Vehicle Parade" will begin at 3:15pm, and feature hundreds of race vehicles in a massive procession down the world famous Las Vegas Strip. Wednesday night will feature the official "Mint 400 Kick Off Party" at Backstage Bar & Billiards in downtown Las Vegas on East Fremont St.
On Thursday, March 13th the festivities continue on historic Fremont St. East, with the "Mint 400 Driver Meet & Greet" at 4:30pm. Drivers will sign autographs, take photos, and allow fans to get up close and personal with their amazing race vehicles. Thousands will gather afterwards for the "General Tire Miss Mint Contest, presented by Metro Honda," and watch the judges pick a new "Miss Mint 400" and award her with $5,000 cash, prizes, and a one-year lease of a brand new Metro Honda vehicle.
Shortly after Miss Mint is crowned, sixteen of the top off-road pit crew teams in the world will battle head-to-head for cash, prizes, and bragging rights during the "KMC Wheels Pit Crew Challenge, presented by Currie Enterprises." International recording artist Bob Wayne and his band of outlaw carnies will perform at the Fremont Country Club to round out the evening.
The world-famous Mint 400-vehicle procession; know as "contingency," starts Friday March 14th at 9am. More than three hundred custom off-road race vehicles will be pushed slowly down Fremont Street, giving fans a chance to see, touch and take pictures with the incredible racecars and their drivers. There will be a ton of new off-road racing products and merchandise available for purchase from the industry's best manufacturers. Official 2014 Mint 400 merchandise will be available on Fremont Street near the entrance to contingency, including a massive selection of new t-shirts, hats, stickers, patches, belt buckles, DVD's and more.
The 2014 General Tire Mint 400, will take place Saturday March 15th in Jean, NV just South of Las Vegas. The racing will begin with the "Limited" vehicles at 6:00am and continue with the "Unlimited" race beginning at 1:00pm. The race for both classes will run late into the night and into the following morning. This year's Mint 400 will feature the largest spectating areas of any off-road race – specifically designed to highlight the capabilities of the incredible off-road racing vehicles.
Come bring your friends and family to witness the high-speed bumper-to-bumper off-road action first hand. Spectating for The Mint 400 is completely free and open to the public. Parking is $10 per vehicle, cash only. Maps, directions, and guidelines on spectating will be available at www.themint400.com. The Mint 400 staff and BLM staff will be onsite to help guide the more than twenty thousand spectators expected to attend the race.
2014 marks the fifth year that Mad Media will return as the exclusive marketing group and television production team for The Mint 400. Mad Media was hand picked by General Tire to cover the 2010 Mint 400, and they have produced uninterrupted national television coverage – and accompanying DVD and digital programming via iTunes, for the past five years. Mad Media has expanded the reach of the historic Mint 400 race to a global audience – and they will be expanding their coverage in 2014. The Mint 400 will air on Sunday, July 6, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET on NBC as part of the Red Bull Signature Series, the most progressive action sports property in the world.


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Span of steel: new Arrigoni celebrated
PORTLAND >> Local, state and federal dignitaries were here Tuesday to re-dedicate the Arrigoni Bridge, following a major refurbishing of the 74-year-old steel-arched structure.
The steel bridge replaced a lower, smaller bridge constructed in 1895, just south of the present one.
State Department of Transportation employees and a private contractor, Middlesex Corp. of Littleton, Mass., finished the project two months early and the project came in $2.3 million under the $19 million budgeted for it.
Dignitaries also unveiled the original plaque that was affixed on the side of the bridge along the sidewalk at its midway point, that was also refurbished.
The plaque was displayed under a tent near the approach to the bridge on the Portland side, where Tuesday's ceremony took place.
"I can't wait to mount it and rededicate it," said James P. Redeker, state DOT commissioner.
The plaque will be remounted in its original place, he said.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy drew a parallel between the original dedication in 1938 and Tuesday's rededication.
"In 1938, the economy was not recovering as quickly from the Great Depression as hoped. There were sounds of war in Europe and not enough people were employed. Yet we moved forward with this project...the original construction allowed for the employment of men and women," the governor noted, adding that today, 60 individuals did the same thing. "It's a great time to make an investment in our infrastructure and future," Malloy said.
Malloy said the project helped the local communities because people worked on the bridge who in turn spent money in the community, and the bridge will facilitate commerce further by allowing goods and services to be moved across it.
"Seventy-five years ago the historic Arrigoni Bridge was built. Today it is reborn. Governor, thank you. We are leading the country in infrastructure and what it can mean as an engine for growth. It is the key to our future," said U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3.
Portland First Selectman Susan Bransfield thanked the taxpayers, "who pay the federal, state and federal taxes." She noted that a relative, Joseph P. Bransfield, was part of the original Arrigoni Bridge committee.
Middletown Mayor Dan Drew said the partnership between the public and private sector is a model of success.
"Connecticut is leading the way, and I'll venture to say, this project project is a model for the entire country. Private industry and government at local, state and the federal level can come together
to make a very successful project that enhances economic development, that creates jobs and puts money into the economy and circulation and preserves an absolutely beautiful and important piece of history," he said.
Drew said after the ceremony that the Arrigoni family is still a major presence in the city. Charles Arrigoni -- the bridge's namesake -- a former state legislator who served as chairman of the bridge building committee. He is the grandfather of the Charlie and Dan Pickett.
Charlie Pickett is a veteran who is active with the local American Legion and Dan Pickett is chairman of the Middletown Democratic Town Committee.
In a 2009 Middletown Press feature (http://middletownpress.com/articles/2009/08/05/news/doc4a7a41aec90a1832126473.txt), a story about a 1938 edition of the paper was found in a local family's attic.
The edition featured the completion of the bridge and some facts about it gathered at the time.
According to the 1938 edition, the bridge was built over the span of two years, with the groundbreaking on April 14, 1936.
A steel makers' strike in 1937 "had some bearing locally," the paper read, but it was relatively minor, involving a "brief dispute.".
The edition mentioned the old bridge, which was dedicated in 1896 and closed Aug. 6, 1938, the same day the new one was opened.
An electrician and native of Southington named Harry D. Francis was the first person to cross the bridge, "soon after the first concrete had hardened."
"If, sometime, someone wants to know who was first to drive a car across the new highway bridge, let them know that it was one of the many workmen employed on the construction, Harry. D. Francis, electrician of Southington," the paper read.


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Mon. E.G. (Feat. Yo Gotti & Rick Ross) - Chevy Anthem (Remix)
Video for Mon. E.G. The Ghostwriter "Chevy Anthem (Remix)" featuring Yo Gotti and Rick Ross off of Gotta Eat coming soon.
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Research News
Pterosaur Heads Were Uniquely Adapted for Flight
Taking a high-tech look at fossil skulls, scientists examined the brains of ancient pterosaurs. They found key structures to be specialized and enlarged, a discovery that could revise views of how vision, flight and the brain itself evolved.
July 30, 2004
With its 13-foot wing span, an ancient flying reptile soars above a lake, scanning for dinner as its shadow glides across the water's surface below. Eying a fish, the aerobatic reptile, called a pterosaur, dives through the air, its shadow shrinking and darkening until--splash! The fish is in the pterosaur's beak, which resembles a cross between a pelican's bill and a crocodile's snout.
While such a scene would have occurred more than 100 million years ago, a study in 2003 has painted a clearer picture of what went on inside the pterosaur's head. When scientists using fossil skulls examined the neuroanatomy responsible for flight control and prey spotting, they found key structures to be specialized and enlarged, a discovery that could revise views of how vision, flight and the brain itself evolved.
Led by Lawrence Witmer of Ohio University, the researchers took a high-tech look through two skulls of separate species of pterosaurs. Using computerized images derived from X-rays, they peered into the vestibular apparatus, the passageways and chambers responsible for maintaining equilibrium. The scientists also dove "virtually" into the brain cavity to analyze the regions responsible for coordinating wing movements, for scanning the environment and for "stabilizing gaze," a necessity for airborne predators.
The research team included Sankar Chatterjee of the Museum of Texas Tech University and Jonathan Franzosa and Timothy Rowe from the University of Texas (UT) at Austin. The trio put the two skulls through the scanner at the NSF-supported High-Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography Facility at UT Austin.
"It is a beautifully integrative study," said William Zamer, who directs NSF's Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology program, which supported the research. "It uses paleontological information, state-of-the-art technology to reconstruct the brain anatomies, and existing knowledge of the working of the semicircular canals to draw fascinating inferences about how these organisms may have performed when they were alive."
Some differences between the two pterosaurs were outwardly apparent.
The skull of Rhamphorhynchus muensteri, a species found in Jurassic formations in Germany, is about five inches long. From its broad back, the skull tapers steadily to a pointed beak. On the other hand, the skull of Anhanguera santanae, found in the Cretaceous deposits of Brazil, is almost two feet long. Narrower and triangular in cross-section, it tapers toward both the front and the back.
"Anhanguera was quadrupedal and didn't walk solely on its back feet," Witmer said. "It had long forelimbs, though, and so was canted into a more upright position than was the shorter-armed Rhamphorhynchus."
Anhanguera's head hung at a downward slant, which likely enhanced its binocular vision and terrestrial agility. "The major evidence for the down-turned head comes from the orientation of the inner ear canals," he said. Those, however, remain deep within Anhanguera's rock head, visible only virtually.
To examine the skulls' chambers encased within the mineralized fossils, the researchers used non-invasive X-ray computerized axial tomography--more commonly known as "CAT scans." Custom-built to explore the internal structure of natural--and often fossilized--objects, the scanner at the Texas facility has greater resolution and penetrating power than a conventional medical-diagnostic CAT scanner.
The scanner feeds its data to DigiMorph, an NSF-funded digital library that develops and makes available 2-D and 3-D structural visualizations of living and extinct animals, mostly vertebrates. DigiMorph turned the scanners' deep and detailed views into digitized "virtual" endocasts, which revealed more differences between the vestibular networks in the two skulls.
For example, the orientation of the vestibular apparatus relative to the long axis of the skulls varied. This is particularly noteworthy because of the semicircular canals. These fluid-filled chambers, which all vertebrates have in their inner ears, serve as levels to help the brain determine which way is up, arrange an appropriate rate of acceleration and maintain equilibrium.
In Rhamphorhynchus, the orientation of the canals suggests a level-headed approach to flying. In Anhanguera, it suggests a head turned strongly downward both in flight and when on the ground.
The researchers also found in both animals another greatly enlarged neurological structure critical to flight. Called the flocculus, this lobe of the cerebellum has important connections with the vestibular apparatus, the eye muscles and neck muscles, which work together to stabilize and sharpen an image of prey upon the retina.
The flocculus may also connect to the membrane covering the wing, gathering massive amounts of sensory input on body orientation amidst aerodynamic forces. In both pterosaur subjects, the flocculi occupy about 7.5 percent of total brain mass; in birds, they occupy about 2 percent or less.
According to the report in the journal Nature, "Enhancement of such mechanisms seems reasonable in these two visually oriented pterosaurs given their apparent foraging style of aerial fish-eating."
--Sean Kearns
Lawrence Witmer
Sankar Chatterjee
Jonathan Franzosa
Timothy Rowe
Related Institutions/Organizations
Ohio University
Texas Tech University
University of Texas at Austin
Related Programs
National SMETE Digital Library
Related Awards
#0004082 Facility Support: High-Resolution X-Ray Computed Tomography Laboratory
#0208675 A Digital Library of Vertebrate Morphology Using High-Resolution X-Ray CT
#9601174 Unusual Narial Structures in Dinosaurs and other VertebratesA Case Study in the Functional Interpretation of Anatomical Novelty in the Fossil Record
#0343744 The Ear Regions of Archosaurs: The Transition to the Modern Avian and Crocodilian Conditions and Functional Implications for Hearing and Balance in Dinosaurs
Total Grants
Related Websites
DigiMorph: http://www.digimorph.org/
Witmer Lab: http://www.oucom.ohiou.edu/dbms-witmer/lab.htm
High-Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography Fac.: http://www.ctlab.geo.utexas.edu/
eSkeletons: The Hip Bone's Connected...(Discovery): /discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=100547&org=NSF


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Keeping it "Real": Leadership in the 21st Century
Have you noticed that the leadership skills necessary for success today are very different from leadership best practices 10 years ago? If so, you're not alone. In a volatile, hyper-connected and complex world, leaders' decisions are more visible and have a greater global and political impact than ever before. They are also frequently expected to make these decisions right now.
I recently read an article in McKinsey Quarterly about leading in the 21st century that conveyed experiences from some of the world's most renowned executives and leaders. There was a common theme; each noticed that the challenges of being a leader are no longer consistent with their experiences from the past. What is most striking is that the executives interviewed for the article candidly expressed their concerns that it is close to impossible for chief executives to know all the things they need to know to do their jobs. These executives all agreed that today the tempo of business is quicker, more dynamic, and more politically complex than even 10 years ago.
Overall, common themes included: Being aware of global issues that could impact your business unexpectedly (remember the tsunami & the budget crisis in Europe); Communication remains a key skill—using both right (creative, non-verbal or image based) and left side of the brain (verbal, organized and analytical) equally; and finally, developing a sense of empathy to work globally, understand different cultural contexts, and make the best ethical decisions possible.
How then, can executives learn to get off the hamster wheel and shift with this ever-evolving and very demanding business landscape? A few key quotes from the article really resonated with me as critical lessons for leaders. I'd love to know how these quotes resonate with you, the reader, as well.
- Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan Renault:There are internal crises because a company has not been managed well. Then there are external crises, like the collapse of Lehman Brothers or the earthquake in Japan . . . Business schools may prepare people to deal with internal crises. But I think we need to be more prepared for external crises, where it's not the strategy of the company that is in question; it's the ability of leaders to figure out how to adapt that strategy.
Business and management programs do a great job in teaching students the fundamentals of what to expect as a leader, but what an individual learned in a lecture hall 10 or 20 years ago won't ever fully prepare them for the reality of being in the hot seat today.
That's where executive education comes in—leaders need to become life-long learners and refresh their skills in a ways that keep them competitive and up to date with the pressures of 21st century. Instead of trying to learn new skills individually as problems arise (i.e. learning new technology, crisis management of a specific type, etc.), my advice is to focus on programs that will enable executives to become agile learners –skills that enable one to act when confronted with an unknown future. The skills developed through agility will equip leaders to respond with confidence and decisiveness to situations that would otherwise throw them into a tail spin. Click here to learn more about agile learning for leaders.
- Josef Ackermann: After I became CEO, the former head of the Bundesbank one day took me aside and gave me some valuable advice: "From now on, you must remember that you are two people. You are the person whom you and your friends know, but you are also a symbol for something. Never confuse the two. Don't take criticism of the symbol as criticism of the person.
This lesson is applicable in so many ways. In business, it's often an advantage to mentally separate one's work from the person. It's mostly about learning to take criticism and feedback– always try and understand that it's your work that's being scrutinized, not you as a person. Instead of taking criticism personally, try to see your job and what you've produced objectively. This tactic will allow you to understand what you've been doing wrong and how you might do better.
It's a difficult skill to master, and that's why we can use it to inform the way we communicate with others as well. When giving others feedback, be crystal clear in when choosing terminology- keep it about their work and decisions, and refrain from using language that might cause others to take your comments personally.
- McKinsey analysis: There is a growing recognition of the connection between physical health, emotional health, and judgment—and of how important it can be to have precise routines for diet, sleep, exercise, and staying centered.
This is a facet of leadership that is frequently pushed aside as a "soft skill" or a "women's issue". However, when you get to a certain level of your career, achieving a work/life balance that works and finding time to integrate personal happiness into your routine helps maintain sanity. Learning to deal with the extreme pressures of the daily grind is the difference between leaders who thrive and leaders who crack. Moya Greene CEO of Royal Mail Group reads poetry because she can never get through a whole novel. Carlos Ghosn has developed a strict routine that ensures he gets enough exercise. If you can no longer do some of the things you loved in the past, find some way to make a compromise so that they're integrated into your life. You can still retain your individuality so that you're still you—you don't become your job.
- McKinsey analysis: At a time of extreme volatility, past experience is an unreliable guide to future outcomes. Leaders must create cultures of constructive skepticism and surround themselves with people who bring multiple perspectives and have no fear of challenging the boss.
Do you remember the old adage "history repeats itself"? These days, more often than not, it's a totally new problem that's never happened before. Scary, right?
You can't always look at lessons of the past to inform the decisions of today. The solution is to hire people who don't look and sound exactly like you. "The boss knows best" mentality ruled in the days of yore, but the time for collectively informed decision making has arrived. Don't surround yourself with individuals who follow you blindly—look for people who can nimbly play the role of devil's advocate. They'll show you the gaps in your strategy, and highlight any errors that might lead to catastrophe. They'll make your decisions much stronger because you'll have the opportunity to refine and define exactly what you're doing and how.
If you are a leader, look at your abilities critically. What skills do you need to hone in order to really operate effectively? Identifying competency gaps now (and let's be honest- everyone has one), and proactively bridging them will improve your performance during times of calm and crisis.
UC Davis Executive Education develops custom education programs for business leaders. For more information on building a custom program, please contact Managing Director Wendy Beecham.


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Video: 'Take Out,' in Which a Waitress Gets Fed Up
This film about a fed-up waitress who exacts her revenge after reaching the breaking point was shot at Paulie Gee's in Brooklyn. If you're easily offended by cussin' or violence, do not click play. From the video description page:
A short film from SharkaaFilms about good service, bad jokes and a waitress pushed to her limits.
Written and Directed by Bridget Palardy. Starring Kat Palardy.
Featuring cameos by Tony award-winning actress Karen Ziemba and members of NYC improv group Chet Watkins. Shot on location at Paulie Gee's in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
[via SisterKitchen]
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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by Lou Mancinelli
Many of the new business owners featured in the Local tend to be individuals who were looking for a change in life, something different, something that made them feel more fulfilled.
And so it has gone for Mt. Airy resident Sue Worton, who quit her more-than-40-year job in the nursing industry before buying the Oh So Pretty Pet Grooming Salon, the award-winning dog and cat grooming salon formerly located at 7150 Germantown Ave. in Mt. Airy, now located in Glenside.
If your dog is the type to bark, get upset or try to run away from you come grooming time, or you want a quality cut for you canine at Oh So Pretty, Worton and her experienced staff offer "highly personalized attention" to all the dogs and cats they groom. But they specialize in working with anxious dogs, or dogs who have had previous negative grooming experiences. And they do it without medication and without muzzles, barring any extreme cases.
"The dog might be nervous or have fear of a stranger," said Worton, 66, early in 2011. "It might not be properly socialized. It might not like to be around other dogs."
The new, larger upgraded facility located at 248 N. Keswick Ave. in the Keswick Village Shops, where it was relocated last February in the name of expansion, boasts individual grooming rooms, something you will not find at Petsmart. They allow staff to give each dog the personal attention it needs. Oh So Pretty also carries high-end all natural food, as well as other supplies in its retail space.
"We want your dog to have a good time, but we also want to educate you," said Worton, who took over the business in August.
The staff also offers tips about the proper way to feed and groom your dog at home. It is simple things like brushing right, from the skin out. And, according to Worton, spending more money on healthier food leads to paying less at the vet.
Worton's own history with a bad grooming experience was with her first Bichon Frise, a white furry lap dog who got cut the first time he was groomed.
Worton then searched the area for a groomer who could work with her dog without medication because she felt "it was just unnecessary to do to a dog." Just shy of a decade ago, she met a woman in Abington who knew how to groom difficult dogs without using medication.
As time passed, the husband of the woman in Abington became terminally ill, and Worton's groomer planned to sell her home, purchase a mobile home and roam the American highway with her dying husband. The Abington woman groomed a number of Pomeranians for a Havertown family. She asked Worton if she would be interested in learning how to groom anxious dogs. And so Worton learned how to groom dogs and how to make dogs feel relaxed while you work on them.
"You try to work with it and get the dog used to being at the groomer's and being comfortable," said Worton, a mother of three (including one adopted child). "You let them think it is an OK experience … I'm a person who is interested in people and dogs, not paperwork."
It was too much time spent doing paperwork and not enough time spent with patients that finally caused Worton to quit nursing and her last position as a hospice nurse. "That's not how I wanted to spend my time with people who were dying. I didn't want to do paperwork. I understand it's a necessary evil. But my energy wasn't where I wanted it to be."
She was working in her garden last year when a woman who used to walk Worton's dogs passed by her home. The woman asked her why she wasn't working. Worton told her she had quit. They continued to talk, and the woman asked Worton if she would be interested in working for a friend who needed help with a mobile dog grooming business.
Soon afterwards, Worton was contacted by Tina Grello, the former owner of Oh So Pretty who asked Worton if she wanted to buy that business. "I thought, wouldn't that be nice?" said Worton. "I took almost all of my retirement money and bought the place. I've never been happier."
But the biggest challenge Worton is facing is not giving an Australian Blue Heeler or Golden Retriever the right kind of cut for their coat type, or dealing with a hyperactive Terrier, or the dogs yapping in the background (after their 60- to 90-minutes session) during our telephone interview but with "learning how to run a business."
For more information about Oh So Pretty Pet Grooming Salon, 248 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside: 215-690-4696, www.ohsopretty.net or firstname.lastname@example.com. Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sporadic Mondays. Cats by appointment only.


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Having just deleted my commendation about locking that topic, I've just reassesed my opinion.
I don't agree with cencorship of any kind, and am ashamed that I at first endorsed the locking of debate on this forum.
Some of the posts on this forum may be stupid, but we should either learn to ignore them or accept the moderator's right to lock certain topics for legal or other reasons that may put the future of this forum in jeopardy.
Either way, I now have become so used to reading ignorant opinions that I am impervious to them.
"Is the sun dimmed that gnats do fly into it?" - Shakespeare
Keats has nothing to fear, or his admirers from those out to ridicule him.


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Here is a partial list of volunteer opportunities in the community:
Here is a partial list of volunteer opportunities in the community:
Communities in Schools in Jefferson County is seeking volunteers to help in the "Lights on After Dark" program at the Jack Robey Junior High School. Volunteers are needed to tutor and assist with scheduled activities from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Monday and Wednesday. Any business, organization, or individual interested in helping is asked to call 870-536-4762.
Girl Scouts — Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas is currently seeking volunteers who care about the lives of people in their community. Prospective volunteers are challenged to replace one television show a month with sharing their skills or hobbies with girls ages 5 to 17. The rewards will be priceless. For more information call Tiffany Stewart or Mary Ann Lee at 870-534-8563.
Hospice Home Care is looking for volunteers to help continue its mission to provide companionship for its hospice patients. Volunteers should be at least 10 years of age and older and be able to give a few hours a week. Contact Sheena Goal at 870-540-0727.
HOSTS (Help One Student to Succeed) is seeking mentors to work with students in math and reading in the Pine Bluff School District. Volunteers may select the day, time and location that is the most convenient for them. Greenville, Broadmoor, 34th Avenue all have HOSTS programs at their schools. To volunteer or receive additional information about the program, call Monica O'Briant at the Volunteers in Public Schools office at 870-543-4224 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Jefferson Comprehensive Care Systems Inc. — Headstart is seeking volunteers to work with special-needs students. The hours are from 9 to 11 a.m. If interested, call Lou Celia Courtney, disability coordinator, at 870-534-5913.
St. Mark United Methodist Church and Healing Place Ministries are in need of volunteers for its new "Family Life Skills Workshops." The major emphasis of this program is to provide an opportunity for parents and their children to learn life skills in a community setting, to participate in activities to reinforce their learning, and to become more resilient and ready to meet challenges that are common place during this new millennium. If you love children and would like to help strengthen families, please consider being a volunteer by contacting Rev. Edna Morgan at 870-692-2400 or 870-535-0101.
To list volunteer opportunities in this column, call Patricia Johnson at 870-543-4227 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.