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Imagine you are a teen with ADHD. It's hard for you to focus in class, your mind wanders everywhere, and even though you want to do well in class you'd much rather be outside shooting hoops. Although you take notes, it's hard for you to remember the teacher's instructions. So after a medical evaluation, your doctor prescribes stimulants to help you focus.
That's what happened to NIDA's second place Addiction Science Award winner, Kevin Knight, a 17-year-old junior at Collegiate High School in Niceville, Florida. Based on his own experience, Kevin wanted to know if there were other ways besides medication to train his brain to focus.
So he decided to take a scientific look at computer programs designed to improve focus and memory with his project, "Improving ADHD Treatment: A Comparison of Stimulant Medication Treatment for Children with ADHD."
Computerized Cognitive Training of Attention and Working Memory, and the Combination of the Two," took a lot of work (even more than coming up with that title!) He worked with doctors to find teenage volunteers with ADHD to see if they could improve their focus and memory by playing computer "brain games."
Kevin was surprised by what he learned. The best outcomes came with kids who took their medication AND used the computer programs. They had better focus and better memory. Kevin even tested himself, and improved his own ability to focus. This suggests that computer games used with medications could be part of an effective approach for treating ADHD.
Why was this given an "Addiction Science" award? Because the medications prescribed for ADHD, such as Ritalin and Adderall, are stimulants, and stimulants can be abused. Some kids even give or sell the pills to their friends, which can be dangerous. For more information on stimulants taken for ADHD, check out https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/prescription-stimulants.
NIDA's Addiction Science award is given at the annual Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), which was in San Jose this year. For more information on NIDA's 3 winners, see NIDA's news release at http://www.nida.nih.gov/newsroom/10/NR5-14.html
What is part of your personal experience that might be the basis of a cool science fair project?
Really good information...
I'm presently looking into this whole ADHD area for my son, who I reckon needs help.
It appears that specialized training may provide substantial improvements in academic scores, and as a consequence, improvement in socializing ability.
There are a few companies that can provide appropriate training. I just came across one. I am sure there must be others and I am going to keep looking. Maybe I'll post my findings back here, or if anyone else can recommed a good training program, also, please post.
ADHD is a serious issue, although I do wonder how we all survived before ADHD was so frequently diagnosed as it is today?
I will come back again, that is nice site. [commercial link removed, per guidelines]
Finding a good activity for kids is a great way to pull that scattered attention into a fine focal point. I've been teaching martial arts for a few years now, and I've seen a lot of kids who were bouncing off walls, really straighten up, and they've become some of my best students. I also run a blog [commercial link removed, per guidelines] if anyone wants to see some martial arts strategies.
I think its great that playing computer games can be used for something helpful as well as entertainment, but could this also help people who dont have ADHD focus more?
I think that this is really good information that can help parents that have kids with ADHD to focus more.
Finding the new way for people to get out of drugs and stand up by their own ability, with his project, so many people will get help so they do not have to depen on drugs the whole life and obviously it will have the time when drugs can't help you anymore and you don' know how to do by yourself
Yes, this is a good method. It gets the brain thinking hard and focused. Using memory does just that.
This is very good content. Had a cousin who also had ADHD. We made him take his prescribed drugs and also engaged him in online brain training games by [commercial link removed, per guidelines]
The improvement was good. Yes indeed, it is better for the kids to take the games while on their recommended drugs....I can testify to that. Thanks
This method is really amazing.Its working good.
ADHD is an important phenomena on this day.I think this treatment plays an important role in society.For teens it is a good news.........
Thanks for this excellent work.


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Batting has been South Africa's Achilles' heel during the ongoing series against India, conceded captain J-P. Duminy, who feels each one of his team's senior players need to "look in the mirror" and improve.
"Unfortunately from a batting perspective, that's been our Achilles' heel throughout this Indian tour in the short format. As senior batters, we have to take responsibility for that," Duminy said after South Africa lost the first T20I.
"We've got to look ourselves in the mirror, ask how we can improve and get better. Hopefully that improvement comes on Wednesday. You are going to go through periods in your career, where you go through slumps, be it a senior or a new player.
"Unfortunately, throughout the series quite a few seniors have come up short, including myself. It's been a dismal ODI series and today as well."
Duminy, however, defended his bowlers for peppering the Indian batsmen with short balls, a strategy that didn't quite work.
"It's going to come down to execution of our skills. If we execute a plan well, it is potentially going to work. But, unfortunately, with our plans in place, we didn't execute as well as we'd have liked.
"I still believe and feel the plans are good, but especially when it's a shorter format you have to execute well. Unfortunately there were a few missed opportunities throughout the innings. But we'll definitely come back stronger. I firmly believe that," he said.
Duminy rejected suggestions that the morale was down in the South African dressing room right now, having already lost the ODI series 5-1.
"I honestly don't believe that we are dropping our heads, or our body language is bad. Naturally when you put down opportunities, there will be some moping around, and you have to try and get yourself up as quickly as possible especially in a big game like that.
"You are going to feel a bit down and it's only natural, but in professional sport you have to find a way to get back up and I felt within a few balls we certainly did," he added.

subset: commoncrawl


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For over 15 years, Charlene Holzworth has turned her passion for preaching into a mission of hope, serving as a lay or 'fill-in' pastor for churches from Fort Morgan and Brush to Sterling.
Although she continues to work as an insurance agent for her State Farm practice in Fort Morgan, this woman of many hats also takes great pride in advancing her message of peace and hope.
As of her first official sermon as lay pastor for the Immanuel Congregational Church in Brush on Sunday, February 3, Holzworth has been welcomed with open arms by her new congregation who are thrilled to have her on board.
"It's a great congregation," said Holzworth. "They are on fire with passion, are friendly and have a real heart for God. And, they want to share that with others, which makes my job so much easier," she continued. "My job is to preach and teach the word of God, as well as to be a companion to this congregation as we support each other, love each other and reach out to the community."
For Holzworth, delivering the message of peace and hope has been a calling and during one fateful experience endured by Holzworth during a July 16, 2012, trip to Alaska, that calling was more than heard, it was felt by every fiber of her being.
"Surprisingly, they do snorkeling in Alaska," noted Holzworth as she began her remarkable story, "and they snorkel with wet suits which is different than warm-water snorkeling. It keeps you warm and from sinking, both of which are good things, but my snorkel mask and I just couldn't' seem to get along and the last thing I remember thinking was that this mask isn't working well."
What happened next was frightening. According to Holzworth, the professional divers at her side told her that by the time they reached her, her eyes were open but she was not breathing and did not have a heartbeat. They took her on to a river bank and performed CPR.
"My heart didn't start beating until the ambulance arrived," said a noticeably shaken up Holzworth as she recalled the tragic event, "and I may have been there for seven to 11 minutes."
She was taken to the hospital and was cared for there for three days before being released. During that time, she endured a life-changing experience.
"The wonderful thing, for me," she said with tears of joy, "was that when all of that excitement was happening, I got to go someplace else. It was truly a wonderful experience. Perhaps not exactly the same experience as many have, but for me it was as if I was enfolded in a lovely, velvety darkness and felt supported. The darkness gave way to light and I was in an incredibly beautiful place with a circle of light, sparkling rainbows and complete serenity," she continued. "I stayed there until I heard myself being called back into a very difficult medical situation."
"Truly it gave me such an assurance and such a peace about the wonder we call life," said Holworth. "Why me, I don't know. But I wouldn't change a thing. People tell me how awful and that they are so sorry, but really it was and continues to be a blessing. It has given me a perspective that I never dreamt of having before."
For more information on the Immanuel Congregational Church, located at 209 Everett Street in Brush, contact Charlene at 970-380-6598.
Immanuel Congregational welcomes Holzworth as lay pastor
For over 15 years, Charlene Holzworth has turned her passion for preaching into a mission of hope, serving as a lay or 'fill-in' pastor for churches from Fort Morgan and Brush to Sterling.


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Those hours, that with gentle work did frame
The lovely gaze where every eye doth dwell,
Will play the tyrants to the very same
And that unfair which fairly doth excel;
For never-resting time leads summer on
To hideous winter, and confounds him there;
Sap checked with frost, and lusty leaves quite gone,
Beauty o'er-snowed and bareness every where:
Then were not summer's distillation left,
A liquid prisoner pent in walls of glass,
Beauty's effect with beauty were bereft,
Nor it, nor no remembrance what it was:
But flowers distill'd, though they with winter meet,
Leese but their show; their substance still lives sweet.
Sonnet 5: Translation to modern English
Time, that so carefully made those beautiful eyes that every other eye gazes at, will become a tyrant to those same lovely eyes and make them ugly; because never-resting time leads summer into hideous winter and destroys it there. Sap is stopped from rising by the frost and the leaves disappear; beauty is covered with snow and all the trees are bare. Then, if summer's distillation hadn't been preserved as a prisoner in a glass vial, that summer's legacy would be lost with that summer's death. Neither it nor the memory of what it was would remain. But flowers that have been distilled, even though they've been destroyed by winter, lose only their outward appearance: their substance lives on sweetly.


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The phone rings… rings… rings. An answerphone clicks into action only to be interrupted. "I'm here…!"
Ethan Miller is at home in California. The time's 9.30 in the morning, locally. "It's not a bad time to be up, just a little tough to get the brain working," says the man best known for fronting outer space acid-rockers Comets On Fire, who buckled under the weight of their colossal freak-out arsenal last year after four awesomely received long-players (check out their Sub Pop-released Blue Cathedral and Avatar albums). In 2004 Miller got a group of musicians together to record the first Howlin' Rain album, a self-titled affair attracting a spread of plaudits pleased by its refreshingly laid-back vibe, something of a departure from cataclysmic Comets material.
Unashamed in its embracing of retro colours, psychedelic-hued west coast classic rock played out with a contemporary twist, Howlin' Rain didn't impact upon as many radars as Comets' last two LPs, but has paved the way for an impressive follow-up, Magnificent Fiend (review). Recorded with a different line-up after Miller parted company with a few contributors to album one, the newie is flush with warming guitar workouts and faintly familiar progressions that lend it an air of immediacy never common in the work of its lynchpin's previous main concern. With Comets' disbanding now accepted, critics and consumers alike can approach this LP without the need for prefixing any opinion with the words 'side' and 'project'.
Engaging the grey matter, Miller and DiS begin.
Video: Howlin' Rain live @ Amoeba Music, San Francisco
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Magnificent Fiend has just come out over here – you as pleased with the album as you hoped to be, given it's now your 'main' band?
I'm very pleased with it. We finished it quite a while ago so it has been coming down the pipe for some time – we've been playing the songs live and everything, but I'm a tiny bit distanced from the album because I don't have that warm glow of having just finished it anymore. So I need to go back and check up on my notes, get a few listens in to refresh myself.
Has the reception to the album been any different than last time, for the self-titled, given critics now realise this isn't a side-project set-up?
It's hard to say, and hard to gauge. I don't know… I think it is probably true that they have responded differently, but it's hard to tell as there's so much going on – the booking agent is working that bit harder this time, and we're touring so much more, so all around… Certainly when you put something in the centre of your creative force, at the centre of your creative life, it seems to be a lot more in focus and drawing a lot more energies towards it.
How do you feel being part of the American Records/Columbia family after previously working with Sub Pop? Rick Rubin's label has quite a roster, and now you're on it.
Any record label you go to that has artists you admire and a team of people in the office you can work with, who are friendly and you can call your gang, that's always a good place to be. Everyone we've ever worked with in Comets and Howlin' Rain has had a really great vibe, and it's no different with the Columbia folks – they're great people.
The record's licensed to Birdman, who put out the debut…
I am still working with Dave Katznelson of Birdman on this because of licensing stuff, and he's an amazing person. It's fun to work with a new team, but I'm grateful my tenure with him isn't quite up yet.
And your relationship with the major label folks is sweet?
Y'know, if record labels can get an album that'll sell like crazy then that's number one, but 75 per cent of acts at most labels aren't exactly going to go flying out of the door. At that point they're usually looking to find out if they've got a musician, or a band, that they can be friendly with, who isn't some junkie or a complete fuck-up, or fucking crazy or whatever. If you're selling a lot of records, as a hard-working person who's friendly and easy going, then that's the business environment that everyone wants to work in. Although perhaps I'm a little naïve – I don't know about accountants and shit like that, at the top of the labels. But the guys who you talk to about radio press, stuff like that – these people just want a band they can kick back and have a beer with. To be honest, at Columbia I'm not sure the gang there talks to too many artists, because most bands have managers, but they get to talk to me, for better or for worse!
Something that reviewers have picked up on is the more obvious soul sound on Magnificent Fiend, with references made to the 'Stax sound'. A fair comment?
I think it probably does (have a greater soul element), and a lot of that comes from bringing in the horn arrangements, and the Hammond – both those elements have a Stax air about them, or that Muscle Shoals thing. You take those elements out and, if you write a soul song, you're back to that A-C-D progression – most soul songs are pretty simple when you strip away some of the accoutrements and certain vocal flairs, and the organ and piano and the way they're being used, and the horns.
- - -
And the record sounds really familiar, too, like the chords used are ones ingrained in the fabric of rock 'n' roll, making the songs quite immediate.
I guess that's good – the whole point of good music is feeling it, especially when you hear it for the first time. If it feels genetically familiar the first time you hear it, like when you turn on Sgt. Peppers and it's like, DAMN, why didn't I think of that? Well, that's a bad example, but y'know, more the songs off Rubber Soul or The Rolling Stones' 'Wild Horses'… it's like Shit, but it's just a couple of chords and it's so familiar. Hopefully this works that way for folks, too.
There's something about both the Howlin' Rain albums that really roots them in California, a warmth they exude, or something…
Both the records just came out that way, possibly due to the way I write – I'm using more major chords or something. I dunno, I guess we just gravitate back towards writing a certain way. I was playing certain songs which I'd written to get away from some of that vibe a little bit – at least two of the songs were in different tunings, to get a different feel, a little folkier feeling. But neither now have any droning, dark sensibilities. So perhaps you do go back, and the environment is an influence. I do think that Howlin' Rain's music sounds different… it does sound more rural and sorta coastline-influenced than a band from Brooklyn or somewhere. I think you are a product of your environment.
You're touring here really soon, and calling in at ATP. Do you like playing in the UK, despite our dodgy weather and – so I'm told – questionable cuisine?
Oh yeah, I love it. I lived in England a couple of times in my life, so I've a real affinity for the place. When I come to England it feels like coming home, and not all musicians feel that way about England – some people love it, but some people are like, "Oh no, you can keep that weather". I don't have roots there so much anymore – I've lost track of a lot of friends – but you go back to a place that's been important in your life, like London has been, and the city's not changing that much, and all the buildings you used to hang around are still there. London's not changing that dramatically to me – it's just got cleaned up a bit.
Sure has, and the smoking ban's helped in the bars and clubs. Have you been here since that came into effect?
Y'know I probably have been there since the smoking ban, but I'm for it. Being a singer I get pretty bummed when I'm touring these small clubs in the winter time, and the heating's blasting and all these people are smoking… it's hard to get a clean breath to do some good singing. As unpopular an opinion as that might be in some bars, it's pretty much murder for your vocals.
Are you a fan of the touring cycle? Your schedule seems pretty hectic, keeping you on the road between now and October.
I don't know – there are things on any tour which are enjoyable. Every night, being on stage, is the thing you kinda live for. Being in a van all day, away from your wife, that's not so nice. I never enjoy that, but once in a while you'll find yourself hanging in a pub in London with your buddies and y'know… You asked earlier, and I do actually have friends in London, and I get to hang with them. There are moments of glory to be had on tour, so long as you don't let yourself get dragged down by the bad times.
Are you in control of your touring as much as you'd like to be, or as much as you could ever hope to be?
Yeah, everyone has to develop their own touring plan. If you're thinking about being a musician in your life, all your work can't be in the studio. You look at acts like the Stones and Madonna – if these people can't stop touring to make their living, who the fuck can? Everyone has to develop their own plan, for your sake, your label's sake, for your record's sake. If you want to do this as a profession you've got to hit the road, but with a sane game plan. But it's great to play to people, to have that interaction. That's what I'm in this for, to take music to people and have that connection; I'm not making these records for myself, to fulfil some sort of gloomy artistic ambition or something like that. When that connection happens every night, you've got to keep going out there.
Finally, the group's line-up changed between albums, but I get the impression there was always going to be a second Howlin' Rain album – and that there will be more – regardless of who does or doesn't come and go…
I set the thing up so I could use the title and the banner, and the identity of Howlin' Rain for anything, even if one day I'm just making records on a four-track in my bedroom and nobody else is listening. Whatever, y'know – perhaps nobody will want to play with me, because I'm a dick, but I can still slap the Howlin' Rain name on there. Groups are really tied to the members of the band, and I wanted this to be an environment where people could come play with the band, stay with the band and help create something, and be the band but then move on without any heartbreak or crumbling of the group. At the same time, as and when people do move on, as I'm the captain of this ship I can just pull over at harbour and get some new folks to come on board. This active process of people coming and going will force change in the band's sound, which I cherish so much and strive for anyway regardless of whether or not the band's line-up is changing. Like, you can hear that with the difference between the first album and this one, and that's mostly to do with the change of musicians. The songwriting changed a bit but I bet if the same guys worked on it, it wouldn't sound so different. So for me that mixing up of personnel is a blessing, because it makes it impossible for me to retread old ground.
Video: Howlin' Rain live, 2006
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Catch the Trent Reznor of easy-going west coast rock 'n' roll, and his Howlin' Rain bandmates, live on the following dates:
1 Belfast Auntie Annie's
2 Dublin Whelans
3 Cork Pine Lodge
4 Salford Kings Arms
5 Birmingham Custard Factory
6 London Luminaire
7 Cornwall Miss Peabod's
8 Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach
9 Camber Sands ATP vs Pitchfork
11 Bristol Croft
12 London Scala
Magnificent Fiend is out now via Birdman/American; find out more and hear songs at the band's MySpace page (where all photos are taken from).


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Red Hat has submitted several new specifications for Java Enterprise Edition (Java EE) 7 (JSR 342) in a move to back the company's corporate stance on Java EE 7 as the "platform of choice" for the cloud. The new Java Specification Requests (JSRs) are said to create standards for Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and cloud deployments, offering Java users consistency, flexibility, and portability across on-premise and cloud environments.
Red Hat insists that these new JSRs reflect Java EE's position as one of the most flexible and adaptable application platforms in the market. Java EE 7 includes enhancements that enable Java EE 7-based applications to run more easily in the cloud -- it also includes new and extended APIs to improve developer performance, including Context and Dependency Injection (CDI), Web Sockets, HTML 5 for mobile applications, Java Message Service (JMS) 2.0, and Bean Validation. Java EE 7 also incorporates features for multi-tenancy, security, application management, application scalability, and cloud management.
"Java is a living, viable standard and platform for enterprise and cloud applications," said Craig Muzilla, vice president and general manager, middleware business division at Red Hat. "Red Hat is committed to an open, community process and we intend to continue to be at the forefront of Java's future."
The new specifications submitted and led by Red Hat include:
- Context and Dependency Injection 1.1 -- CDI simplifies and unifies various layers of a Java EE application by providing a standard model for Dependency Injection and lifecycle management and to allow components to interact in a loosely coupled way. The result is simpler, more maintainable, and more portable applications without having to introduce non-standard, proprietary frameworks.
- Data Grids -- Distributed data grids allow easier and more cost-effective scaling for the data-tier, which is essential for large-scale cloud or utility computing and multi-tenant application platforms.
- Bean Validation -- provides a consistent approach to implementing validation logic throughout an application, from the persistence layer to the presentation layer. The unified approach helps avoid duplication and inconsistencies, ultimately resulting in speedier development.


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Welcome to John Duval Wines. After 29 years as a winemaker with Penfolds, one of Australia's most famous wineries, I started my own wine label in 2003. I have had a fortunate career, graduating in agriculture and winemaking in 1973 at Adelaide University and then following in the footsteps of some of the greats of Australian winemaking such as Max Schubert, the creator of Penfolds Grange and Don Ditter, another famous Penfolds winemaker who mentored me in the 1970s and early '80s.
I guess there was a family precedent to all of this - the Duval family had for many years run a world famous sheep stud and quality vineyards south of Adelaide, coincidentally supplying Shiraz grapes and vine cuttings to Penfolds. So I wasn't exactly a newcomer to wine.
I was appointed Chief Winemaker at Penfolds in 1986 and was lucky enough to oversee one of the most dynamic periods of change in the Australian wine industry. With the support of my team in the Barossa I secured a number of awards for the company - Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London in 1989; Red Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine Challenge in London in 1991 and again in 2000; and seeing the 1990 Penfolds Grange named the Wine of the Year by the prestigious US magazine Wine Spectator in 1995.
Since leaving Penfolds I have consulted to a number of international wine companies in Europe, South America and Australia. I am a vintner partner in the Long Shadows venture in Washington State, US with our first 2003 Sequel Shiraz released in late 2005 and I have a project with Vina Ventisquero in the Apalta Valley, Chile, producing several wines including our Syrah 'Pangea' and 'Vertice' our Syrah / Carmenere blend.
As you can imagine I don't get enough time to spend at my home in the Barossa but I insist on securing at least four uninterrupted months around vintage to make my own wines. I love working with the fruit that comes from the old vines of the region, so I started with 'Plexus', a Rhone style blend of Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre and in 2006 released my first Shiraz, 'Entity'. I have also released small quantities of a reserve Shiraz, Eligo, further highlighting the premium quality fruit from the Barossa.
John Duval Wines will never be another Penfolds - it is simply my chance to express my 40 odd years of premium winemaking knowledge using some of the best fruit in the world.
I hope you enjoy the wines.
John Duval
Just Wine partners with the finest bars, restaurants, wineries and retailers from around the world!


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MTA's Proposed 2015 Budget and Four Year Financial Plan Maintain Fare and Toll Increases at Projected Levels
July 28th, 2014
The MTA is finding ways to pay for an increase to labor costs, but without increasing the previously announced 2015 and 2017 fare and toll increase proposals which were reduced by nearly half to the rate of inflation.
In releasing its proposed 2015 Budget and Four-Year Financial Plan, which includes budget projections through 2018, the MTA assumes an average $260 million annual increase to these costs as a result of recent labor settlements.
The plan reallocates resources to pay for the increased labor costs as well as for a series of investments in new service, improved service quality and enhanced safety for customers and employees. The plan also contains sufficient pay-as-you-go capital funding to provide $5.4 billion in funding capacity for the 2015-2019 Capital Program. It benefits from $635 million worth of favorable underlying budget trends, including lower re-estimates of costs for fuel and electricity, debt service and pensions and higher than anticipated savings from Access-A-Ride operations, and higher-than-anticipated fare and toll revenue.
The MTA plans to invest $20 million per year in new subway, bus and commuter railroad service, as well as an additional $125 million over the four-year plan period for new operational and maintenance needs. These initiatives are detailed in separate news releases from MTA New York City Transit, the MTA Long Island Rail Road and MTA Metro-North Railroad. The budget also makes major investments in customer, employee and public safety which total $363 million over the four-year plan period. These investments are also detailed in a separate news release from the MTA.
The plan makes several long-term trade-offs to ensure revenues meet ongoing obligations. Over the four-year period, supplemental contributions to an LIRR pension plan totaling $110 million will be eliminated, though all actuarially-required contributions will continue. Also, $254 million will be withdrawn, and additional contributions totaling $533 million will be suspended for four years, from a discretionary fund for future retiree health benefits which has no mandatory funding level. The plan also reduces pay-as-you funding for the MTA Capital Program by $80 million per year, which is equivalent to a $1.5 billion reduction in Capital Program funding capacity.
The favorable budget trends and the management actions noted above allow the MTA to project a year-end cash balance of $162 million in 2014, which would be rolled forward to help balance the 2015 budget. A previous $255 million deficit projected for 2017 has been eliminated, and the 2018 projected deficit is reduced to $262 million. Fare and toll increase assumptions remain unchanged at 4% revenue increases in 2015 and 2017, which is broadly equivalent to the rate of inflation.
The MTA's annually recurring savings, from a series of management actions that began in 2010, continue to play an important role in the MTA budget's stability. The MTA expects to save $1.3 billion in 2015, a figure that rises to more than $1.5 billion in 2017. The savings expectations have increased with each consecutive annual budget since they were first introduced.


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H&M are a Palletways member and run a fleet of 30 vehicles dedicated to its Palletways operation. They make over 1,000 pallet deliveries and collections each day throughout the UK. The company has a general haulage fleet, which, together with extensive warehousing facilities, enables it to offer customers a complete third party logistics service.
Their choice of the Webfleet Solutions system was based on the proven technology behind it and their confidence that partnering with this market leading brand would ensure that they would keep pace with changes both in technology, and in the needs of fleet management and the transport industry.
The company has benefited through a 30% increase on collections and accurate ETA's, which is essential for their business.


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A Blue Island native was among 14 people rescued Monday by the Coast Guard after their ship, the famed HMS Bounty, went down in hurricane-ravaged waters.
Drew Salapatek, 29, and the others who were rescued haven't yet spoken publicly of the ill-fated voyage that left one crew member dead and another missing.
"I think right now they're just kind of decompressing," Salapatek's father, Jim Salapatek, said Tuesday afternoon from his TV shop in the far south suburb. "These crew members become family. They become a real tight knit. ... Right now they're suffering."
After two years aboard the HMS Bounty, Drew Salapatek was looking forward to rounding out this sailing season at a festival this weekend in Florida. But the ill-fated ship went down early Monday morning 90 miles off the North Carolina coast. The crew's course was a well-charted one, and they were trying to maneuver around Hurricane Sandy, but didn't make it.
The tall ship's Facebook page kept a virtual log of the trip that everyone board knew would be treacherous but navigable.
"One of Bounty's generators has failed....they are taking on more water than they would like," read a post from Sunday.
"As the water rose it took the other generator out and killed the batteries, killed the engines. They had no propulsion. Otherwise they would have made it," Jim Salapatek explained.
Aside from the younger Salapatek, the Coast Guard identified those rescued as Daniel Cleveland, 25; John Svendsen, 41; Matthew Sanders, 37; Adam Prokosh, 27; Douglas Faunt, 66; John Jones, 29; Joshua Scornavacchi, 25; Anna Sprague, 20; Mark Warner, 33; Christopher Barksdale, 56; Laura Groves, 28; Jessica Hewitt, 25; and Jessica Black, 34.
Claudene Christian, 42, was found hours later, unresponsive. She was taken to Albemarle Hospital in Elizabeth City, N.C., where she was pronounced dead, spokesman Patrick Detwiler said.
Capt. Robin Walbridge, 63, of St. Petersburg, Fla., was still missing Tuesday. The Coast Guard says he could still be alive in his survival suit in the warm waters.
The HMS Bounty was originally built for the 1962 film "Mutiny on the Bounty" starring Marlon Brando, and it was featured in several other films over the years, including one of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


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Supporting Research
This study tracks the implementation of Breakfast in the Classroom in the Dallas Public School system. Three delivery approaches were developed to enable students to eat breakfast in their classroom. Read the case study: "Breakfast in the Classroom: A Case Study"
Read more
In this report prepared by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), principals in schools participating in the School Breakfast Program share their insights, success and experiences with breakfast after the bell. Read the report: "Start The Day Ready...Read more
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When customers say they can't afford the up-front costs, Sarasota company makes deal possible with up to 100% financing
To boost its sales, Evolucia Inc. will begin offering up to 100 percent financing so customers can more easily buy its light-emitting diode products.
The company also said Wednesday that it has joined forces with Solarmax International SA, of Colombia, to take advantage of a 2012 U.S. free trade agreement with the South American country.
Through financing partners, the company hopes to increase sales by offering customers the chance to install even major new lighting systems with little or no money down.
"Cost and cash flow are often the major barriers for customers when it comes to retrofitting both interior and exterior lighting," said Evolucia chief executive Mel Interiano. "Evolucia has removed that barrier with a program designed to finance the installation of state-of-the-art, energy-efficient LED lighting and to help customers start saving dollars on day one."
Evolucia's key selling point is its patented optics system, which aims light exactly where needed. Its LED parking and roadway systems have been installed at Andrews Air Force Base, the U.S. Marine Corps' base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and at Chicago's DePaul University.
With Solarmax, meanwhile, several lighting projects are underway. They include the installation of Evolucia's newest area lighting solution, the PAL 1000, in one of the main ports in Colombia.
"We are preparing for quick market penetration and explosive growth," said Olga Lucia Giraldo, Solarmax's vice president of sales and marketing.
The Solarmax joint venture comes on the heels of several other partnerships Evolucia has entered lately.
The company has recently completed Asian, European and Australian partnership agreements and finalized a joint marketing agreement with a global lighting brand in Mexico.
"Our agreement with Solarmax opens up another important international market for us," said Carol Gutierrez, Evolucia's vice president in charge of global strategies. "This alliance also allows us to introduce our portfolio throughout the rest of South America."
The two announcements come just days after the company revealed it will move its headquarters and research operations into a larger space at Lakewood Ranch later this summer.
Evolucia's 30 employees will move by late August to the new space, a building formerly occupied by artificial diamond maker Gemesis.
The LED company moved out of offices on Cattlemen Drive late last year and has been operating in temporary quarters in Lakewood Ranch since then.
Its new offices, on Professional Parkway East, will include a customer demonstration and education area that showcases Evolucia's LED fixtures and controls.
Formerly known as Sunovia Energy Technologies, Evolucia stock is traded over the counter. In its first quarter this year, the company reported a net loss of $2.1 million on sales of $457,000.
Its shares were trading for about 2 cents Wednesday.


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Hey guys!!
I know I haven't posted in a while, been busy with work and many other projects. Haven't really even been at my computer very much over the past few months. In coming on and reading the forum, I see you guys are embroiled in a nice challenge at the moment on Cutch's McKenzie River. Very cool, and I'm even more pleased to see that John has been actively fishing with you guys. Welcome home, John! I also saw that Stanley had inquired about my whereabouts so I thought I'd update you guys on what's goin on here in Buffalo, NY.
I'm sure most of you are aware of the crazy wicked snow storm we had here in Buffalo in mid-November. Dropped 7ft of snow in 2 days! Was insane!! Luckily, the part of Buffalo I love in wasn't really affected, and I had only got a foot or two of snow. Can't say the same for South Buffalo, and the craziest thing was that if I looked down the Niagara River towards Lake Erie and downtown Buffalo, you could see the wall cloud hammering them. Some pics:
This was my view on Day 2, when the Storm was regaining strength:
These are pics from the news sites of the storm over part of Lake Erie and South Buffalo:
My cousin sent me this picture of his backyard. This is in Hamburg, just South of Buffalo. There is a 5ft above ground pool in the pic:
Fun, huh? But, in typical Buffalo fashion, we dug ourselves out, all that snow eventually melted and is in the history books. But winter is long, let's see what else Mother Nature throws our way.
Now, myself, I have basically been honing my craft as a fly tyer, trying some new things and new ideas. Some will work, others probably won't, but with lessons learned with every mistake made I have made some real progress and have gotten pretty decent at tying flies. A little more on that in a minute. I don't tie a whole lot of trout flies because I don't fish for trout often enough. I have a box full though, ranging from streamers to nymphs to egg patterns. But, I did tie up a few jigs for Steelhead, though the November storm put the kebosh on that. So here are a few Steelhead jigs:
This larger black one can also double as an all-around jig:
And now for some flies:
A colorful yellow and chartruese Woolly Bugger, tied in #6. Used ice dub for the body, combed out to create a real flashy effect. Panfish LOVE bright colors in the spring/summer!:
This pic kind of shows the combed out ice dub effect:
A white and olive Woolly:
A little minnow pattern I came up with using barred rabbit Zonker and ice dubbing. Weighted with dumb bell eyes. Wished I would of used yellow instead of white ice dub. Would of made a great baby Yellow Perch imitation:
Which also lead to me buying some white zonker strips and flexible glue to try and tie the deadly Double Bunny streamer. Would of came out better had I not used crap white zonker. This one is tied Clouser-style:
I also tried my hand at tying flies with EP fibers. A bit tough to do as they get pretty bulky quickly if you are not careful, but not too bad for a 1st try! The action on this fly is awesome! I also used a red Sharpie marker to color the throat area. Really resembles a 4" Hot-N-Tot, and the Lake Erie Smallmouths LOVE seeing an injured baitfish:
Speaking of Lake Erie Smallmouths, I tied a bunch of these Round Goby/Sculpin imitations:
A couple of topwaters as well. Here is a black Dahlberg Diver, using deer hair and rabbit zonker. I also used a piece of 30lb mono around the base of the tail so it would not foul up or tangle:
A nice little green Popper for bass and pike, tied a little sparse to move as much water as possible. I used Sharpie markers to color the head, my next move will be to get some epoxy and a dryer so I can give popper heads (among other things) and much better and durable finish:
Now for something really special to me. I really put some thought into this one and though it is a prototype for the most part, I love the way it turned out. We all know that tube jigs catch Smallmouth Bass like crazy, so I thought why not try to make a Tube Jig Fly? Well...here it is:
Haha! Nice, right? I used 0.020 lead wire to wrap the body and give it the weight up front to make sure it had that tube jig "scatter" action, had to taper the wire wraps. I then basically tied the chenille in a taper as well to give it that tube jig shape. It's a little tricky, especially when getting the legs in there, and I can tell you for sure that a 7wt-8wt is probably the way to go in order to effectively cast it and work it haha, but I am looking forward to testing it on the bass come spring. But, the coolest part right now is that this Tube Jig Fly already did one thing for me. There was a little contest on a fly fishing forum that I frequent for a few different prizes. The guy throwin the contest had bought a whole slew of fly fishing stuff for his son, but his son didn't really take to it. So, rather than sell, he put em all up as prizes. So, I posted this pic of the Tube Jig Fly, and after a few weeks I had an email saying that I had won a prize and to check with him. I went back to the site and found that my fly had won me a Pflueger President Fly Reel in 8wt!!
That's a $180 reel, used only once, hence the backing on it. I will probably take off the backing and put on my own since I have no idea how much is on there or the line weight. But hell yeah!!
Finally, the big Christmas score. You guys know very well how I like to constantly challenge myself when it comes to my fishing. So, I can say things are gonna be a bit more interesting. Got me a very nice 3wt setup from Wild Water Fly Fishing:
Yes, the plastic is still on the cork in the pic haha. It'll come off It's a 9', 4pc rod. I wanted the 9' because I like the extra reach, though I know it will probably make fishing for the Brook Trout in Great Valley a little difficult. Was thinking of also picking up a 7' or smaller rod to use there, not sure yet though. All I do know is I am really looking forward to the spring time!
So there ya have it. That's what I have been up to. Spending the winter really honing my craft as a fly tyer and experimenting a bit. Gonna cost me a fortune in hooks haha. Planning on trying my hand at a few articulated flies as well, so we'll see how that goes. I hope you all have had a great holiday season, and I hope you are all in good health and happiness. I'm very glad to see RWFF still goin strong and all the wonderful creations that are still comin out. I'll get into some games here when time permits, but my focus has obviously been elsewhere. You guys are the best, and as always I welcome all comments here. Take care for now!


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The University of Evansville's Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET, Inc, http://www.abet.org/. The Mechanical Engineering program has been accredited since 1970 and the Civil Engineering program since 1997.
In 2009, both programs were re-accredited.
"We are pleased to learn that, once again the University of Evansville's Engineering programs have been accredited," said Philip Gerhart, dean of the College of Engineering & Computer Science. "Maintaining accreditation is critical to any engineering program; in many states, you can't receive your registration as a professional engineer, or receive admittance to graduate school, without a degree from an accredited program.
So obviously, for our students to truly achieve their goals, it is imperative that we maintain the standards set forward by ABET. And this announcement verifies that the Engineering programs at UE have, once again, met and exceeded those standards."
What is Accreditation?
To learn more about what accreditation is and the process of accreditation, please read the following articles from www.abet.org:
Office Phone:
Office Email:
Office Location:
Room 268, Koch Center for Engineering and Science


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The company gained a 20% time-to-market advantage over competitors in 15 months.
A manufacturer turned to Smart Simplicity to foster internal cooperation and speed up product innovation.
A telecom-system manufacturer was taking more than 30 months to develop each new release of its network hardware and software. The industry benchmark was 20 months. The delays had wide-ranging consequences. The company's profit margins and market share were in decline—and to catch up after the delays, quality tests were skipped. Something had to change, but they didn't know what.
The company called in BCG to help it address the systemic problems. BCG applied the four-step Smart Simplicity approach.
Smart Start: What are the problems caused by complicatedness that must be solved?
Interviews with senior management and other important stakeholders were conducted to bring everyone into alignment on the critical performance issues. Management surveyed the three engineering groups assigned to the project and the project managers. They discovered that only one of the engineering groups was meeting its deadlines. They also learned that there was resentment among the engineers, particularly toward the high-performing group. Yet no group members had strong feelings about the project manager positions one way or the other.
Diagnosis:What are the root causes of complicatedness?
Deep-dive organizational interviews focused on stakeholders and their relevant behaviors. The goal was to understand why people behaved as they did given their goals, resources, and constraints.
The real heart of the performance problem—ironically—was the high-performing group. The other engineering groups had to struggle to incorporate customer feedback into their new designs. The high-performing group was responsible for a component governed by international standards, so it didn't have to change much. This meant it was able to deliver on time. As a result, the other engineers had to do even more work: they had to make additional changes to accommodate and integrate with the only component that was already finished.
Solution Design:What are the targeted interventions to reduce complicatedness and address the root causes of the performance issues?
BCG designed a plan for the company to eliminate the project manager positions, observing that they did not wield power over the program. After this cut, they suggested that the company make the high-performing engineering group accountable for delays, not only in their component but also throughout the entire system.
Implementation:How do you implement the solution, make it sustainable, and ensure constant improvement?
The company carried out BCG's plan. Within the new structure, the high performers had to attend long meetings with angry customers—and come up with ways to cooperate more effectively with the other engineers. They became the integrators.
After 15 months, the company was beating industry benchmarks for speed-to-market by 20%, while matching competitors on cost and quality. No delays were passed from one release to the next.
The company gained a 20% time-to-market advantage over competitors in 15 months.
An effective integrator has both an interest in making others cooperate and the power to impel them to do so.
Here's how to identify integrators:
Here's how to turn managers into integrators:


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Religion in the city
Although it ranks only #8 in numbers of members locally, just as it does nationwide, Episcopalianism finds its highest citywide concentration in Charlottesville. Here, the tiny denomination has 1,381 adherents, about three percent of the city population, according to the Religious Congregations and Membership in the United States 2000, published this month by the Glenmary Research Center of Nashville, Tennessee.
Top denominations in the City
Southern Baptist 6,658
Catholic 5,318
United Methodist 2,608
Presbyterian Church (USA) 1,845
Presbyterian Church of America 1,398
Church of Christ 1,509
Jewish 1,500
Episcopal 1,381
–source: Glenmary Research Center


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|Cheapest Way
|Flight — $387
|Fastest Way
|Flight — 7h 35min
|Eco-Friendly Way
|Flight — 682 lb CO2
|Available Modes
|1 modes — flight
|1,113 miles
There are 1 airports — CHG — that make sense to fly out of from CHG and 1 airports — MIG — to access MIG. The best deals are usually found by flying out of CHG.
The only way from CHG to MIG is by flight. You should expect to be able to find tickets starting around $386, if you search flights from CHG to MIG. The best time to book long flights is 5-6 weeks before your trip.
For these medium length trips, it's important to book your tickets as soon as possible. While there are flight transportation options available, the sooner to book the better. While prices for buses or trains might not fluctuate as much as flights, their availability certainly will. It's recommended to book these flights at least 2 weeks away, but even more if you are able. Shuttle service may be available to MIG. If you're traveling with a large group, you should probably take a shuttle as it will reduce the price per person. Alternatively, there are shared shuttle services available. With this option, you'll want to book as soon as possible to allow the shuttle service enough time to coordinate your pickup and dropoff.


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The city of Galion has become the first in Ohio to ask Attorney General Mike DeWine to investigate the circumstances that led it and many other cities to sign contracts with an Illinois power plant.
The city of Galion has become the first in Ohio to ask Attorney General Mike DeWine to investigate the circumstances that led it and many other cities to sign contracts with an Illinois power plant.
Galion, about 60 miles north of Columbus, is one of 60 communities in the state that are partial owners of Prairie State Energy Campus, a coal-fired power plant in southwestern Illinois that has been hurt by cost overruns and mechanical problems.
�The biggest question we have is whether these communities were given accurate information at the very beginning to make their decision,� said Don Faulds, Galion City Council president.
The council voted 4-2 on Tuesday to ask for the investigation.
A DeWine spokeswoman said it would be premature to comment before receiving Galion�s request.
Prairie State, designed to generate 1,600 megawatts, began construction in 2007 with a budget of $2.9 billion and plans to open in 2011. Electricity began to flow from the plant in June 2012, but the budget had soared to more than $5 billion.
American Municipal Power, a Columbus-based company that manages electricity purchases for city-owned utilities, bought 23 percent of the plant for its members. The company paid for this by selling shares to individual cities. Among the other co-owners are the city governments in Cleveland, Hamilton and Bowling Green.
AMP urged Galion not to ask for the investigation, saying that there was no evidence of wrongdoing and that a probe only would bring bad publicity. Kent Carson, an AMP spokesman, did not respond to a request for comment.
Galion�s council voted in 2007 to buy a share of the plant that would provide about 40 percent of the city�s peak electricity needs.
Meanwhile, a Missouri city has successfully negotiated a way to abandon its investment in the plant. Marceline, located northwest of St. Louis, reached a deal with the Missouri Public Energy Pool this month to transfer the ownership stake in Prairie State. Officials in the city said they faced financial ruin because of the high cost of electricity from the plant.
So far, Ohio communities have been shielded from large rate increases, partly because AMP has been using its financial reserves to offset the above-market power costs from Prairie State.