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Unformatted text preview: Chapter 15 Steady Heat Conduction Thermal Contact Resistance 3-39C The resistance that an interface offers to heat transfer per unit interface area is called thermal contact resistance , R c . The inverse of thermal contact resistance is called the thermal contact conductance. 3-40C The thermal contact resistance will be greater for rough surfaces because an interface with rough surfaces will contain more air gaps whose thermal conductivity is low. 3-41C An interface acts like a very thin layer of insulation, and thus the thermal contact resistance has significance only for highly conducting materials like metals. Therefore, the thermal contact resistance can be ignored for two layers of insulation pressed against each other. 3-42C An interface acts like a very thin layer of insulation, and thus the thermal contact resistance is significant for highly conducting materials like metals. Therefore, the thermal contact resistance must be considered for two layers of metals pressed against each other. 3-43C Heat transfer through the voids at an interface is by conduction and radiation. Evacuating the interface eliminates heat transfer by conduction, and thus increases the thermal contact resistance. 3-44C Thermal contact resistance can be minimized by (1) applying a thermally conducting liquid on the surfaces before they are pressed against each other, (2) by replacing the air at the interface by a better conducting gas such as helium or hydrogen, (3) by increasing the interface pressure, and (4) by inserting a soft metallic foil such as tin, silver, copper, nickel, or aluminum between the two surfaces. 3-45 The thickness of copper plate whose thermal resistance is equal to the thermal contact resistance is to be determined. Properties The thermal conductivity of copper is given to be k = 386 W/m ⋅ °C (Table A-2). Analysis Noting that thermal contact resistance is the inverse of thermal contact conductance, the thermal contact resistance is determined to be C/W . m 10 556 . 5 C . W/m 000 , 18 1 1 2 5 2 c ° × = ° = =- h R c For a unit surface area, the thermal resistance of a flat plate is defined as R L k = where L is the thickness of the plate and k is the thermal conductivity. Setting R R c = , the equivalent thickness is determined from the relation above to be L kR kR c = = = ° × ° = =- ( . 386 10 0 0214 5 W / m. C)(5.556 m . C / W) m 2 2.14 cm Therefore, the interface between the two plates offers as much resistance to heat transfer as a 2.14 cm thick copper. Note that the thermal contact resistance in this case is greater than the sum of the thermal resistances of both plates. 3-23 Chapter 15 Steady Heat Conduction 3-46 Six identical power transistors are attached on a copper plate. For a maximum case temperature of 85 ° C, the maximum power dissipation and the temperature jump at the interface are to be determined....
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- Spring '08
- Heat Transfer

domain: chemistry


- 1 inner pocket
- 2 zips calf construction with boots-in-system
- knee slider 2.0
- medium aerodynamic spoiler
- Microelastic 2.0
- D-skin 2.0 full grain cow hide
- composite protectors (EN 1621.1 Level 2 standard) on elbows and knees
- pocket for double chest protector
- soft protectors (EN 1621.1 Level 1 standard) on shoulders
- thermoformed small shoulders with interchangeable aluminium plates
- air inlets on the sides
- NanoFeel liner with inserts in 3D-bubble air spaces fabric
D-AirŪ is a stand-alone electronic airbag system for on-road use that operates only if integrated with and connected to a Dainese protective garment. The system houses 6 sensors, electronics and a GPS inside the integrated back protector, with no need to install any kits on the bike. The D-air control unit monitors sensor signals 1000 times per second, exploiting a sophisticated activation algorithm..
The D-AirŪ system works in synergy with existing safety guards to protect the following body parts of the driver:
- neck (limits head tilt relative to neck and reduces helmet movement when unrolling)
The airbag is inflated with high pressure, is anatomically shaped and has a volume of 11 liters.
D-AirŪ detects and activates its revolutionary additional protection in the following accidents:
- Head- on and lateral collision with stationary or moving objects.
- Hit by another vehicle from all directions
- Highsider: Therider is "thrown due to the rear wheel sliding then unexpectedly regaining traction.
- Lowside with and without trumbling : Either the front or rear wheel loses traction and the rider rolls or slides.
Thanks to the intelligent algorithm, D-AirŪ recognizes the violence of the fall and only activates if necessary in the aforementioned cases. It will not intervene, in falls that occur at speeds of less than 10 km/h or when the dynamics do not call for additional airbag protection.


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THE defending champion Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC) A booked a ticket to the semis after a 3-1 win over Sacred Heart School Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) in the 19th Aboitiz Cup at the Don Bosco Tambasya Field in Barangay Punta Princesa, Cebu City yesterday.
SHS-AdC drew first blood courtesy of Leo Maquiling in the eighth minute. But DBTC responded with an equalizer from Tomas Ramos in the 15th minute.
In the second half, it was John Clyde Vitulla’s turn to provide the heroics as he scored in the 52nd minute to give DBTC the lead, 2-1, and followed it up with another goal in the 60th minute for a 3-1 edge.
Don Bosco Boys Home, meanwhile, used a big push with two consecutive goals late in the first half to beat DBTC B, 2-0.
Jonrey Delibios found away to score with a kick just inside the box at the 32nd minute. After a minute, DBBH had another attack that led to Ruel Pilande’s goal.
DBBH came out with a tight defense in the second half that minimized the goal attempts of DBTC B and the game ended 2-0.
The Paref Springdale Titans also advanced to the semis after a 4-2 triumph over Bright Academy.
Patrick Ganas led the Titans with two goals in 11th and 68th minutes. Loue Arreglo scored the first goal of the game at the third minute followed by GianPaolo Pastrana in the eight minute.
The Paref Springdale and Bright Academy ended the first half with 3-2 score. Rio Togashi scored for Bright Academy in the fifth and 15th minutes.
Ganas was the lone scorer in the second half and sealed the win for Paref Springdale.
Meanwhile, Pomeroy completed the U18 semis lineup after winning via default against Pope John.
In the semis, DBTC A will face Springdale; and DBBH will play Pomeroy on Jan. 27. (RSC)

domain: sports


- Braided Line
- High Density Weave w/No Coating
- Thin Sensitive
- Superior Knot Strength
Seaguar Kanzen 150Yd Green 50 Lb Test
Made from advanced microfibers, Kanzen is a high-performance braid featuring ultra-thin strands in a high-density weave. Designed to deliver maximum knot strength and abrasion resistance, this thin-diameter, world-class braid is amazingly sensitive and smooth casting.


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Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center Archives
Aug. 14, 2018—Medically underserved women in the Southeast diagnosed with breast cancer or ovarian cancer missed out on genetic testing that could have helped them and their relatives make important decisions about their health, according to new research from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.
Aug. 9, 2018—The Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Department of Radiation Oncology is offering survivorship care in Clarksville, Tennessee, via telemedicine to patients after they complete curative treatment.
Jun. 14, 2018—A group of young lung cancer patients and their family members recently toured research laboratories at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) to learn how investigators are working to find better therapies and possibly a cure for the disease.
Jun. 12, 2018—After successfully leading Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) through years of growth in patient volumes and enhanced care options, Michael Neuss, MD, Chief Medical Officer of the VICC Clinical Enterprise, is retiring as CMO. Neuss will be succeeded by Madan Jagasia, MBBS, MSCI, MMHC, who has been named to the George and Beverly Rawlings Directorship and is section chief, Hematology and Stem Cell Transplant and director of the Outpatient Stem Cell Clinic.
May. 31, 2018—For the 10th year in a row Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) have been named a CEO Cancer Gold Standard employer by the
May. 24, 2018—A team of investigators led by Fabien Maldonado, MD, associate professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt, and Tobias Peikert, MD, assistant professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, has identified a new technology to address false positives in CT-based lung cancer screening. The study was published in the latest issue of PLOS One.
May. 17, 2018— Internationally renowned breast cancer expert Ben Ho Park, MD, PhD, has been named co-leader of the Breast Cancer Research Program, director of Precision Oncology and associate director for Translational Research at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. In his academic role, he will serve as professor of Medicine. Park, who will assume his new post Sept. 1,...
May. 10, 2018—W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, Cornelius Abernathy Craig Professor of Medicine and director of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC), has received a grant to research the role of immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment for kidney cancer.
May. 10, 2018—Two Vanderbilt students were honored for their stellar scientific research during the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) Annual Scientific Retreat held May 3 at the Vanderbilt University Student Life Center.
May. 3, 2018—Patients at high risk for developing breast cancer can now be seen by a team of breast health experts in Cool Springs. The VU Breast Health Cool Springs clinic, located at 324 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite B, Franklin, provides a range of medical services for high-risk individuals.
Apr. 26, 2018—Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center may nominate one candidate for the 2019 Pew-Stewart Scholars for Cancer Research Program. This program supports assistant professors of outstanding promise in science relevant to the advancement of a cure for cancer.

domain: medical


Watch the music video:
The Finnish hippie metal superstars Egokills are back – bigger, badder & more dangerous than ever!
The latest Egokills banger is called Life’s a Party and it is a reminder of what life’s about in these dark times. The song comes with a movie quality music video, directed by the bands long-time friend Timo Lepistö and shot by Anthony Putkonen. The video portrays the band in its natural habitat, partying around their own camper van. Vocalist Janne Selo plays the main part.
Selo has also written the song. The banjo riff at the beginning is played by Egokills’ own guitar virtuoso Niko Viita-aho when the band happened to find a real banjo from Fantom Studio.
“The spring is in the air and I can hear the internal banjos playing. Life’s good!”, Janne Selo comments.
Third Egokills album is ready and will be released in fall 2023. Matti Lötjönen acted as the executive producer and Olli Anttila produced the vocals.
The release party of Life’s a Party will be held at Hönö Live Music Bar in Tampere, Finland on Feb 3rd. The band has not played a show in over three years and is about to play the best show of their career up to now.
“Experience Egokills like never before and be there”, drummer Vilho Rajala says.
Egokills: Life’s a Party
Release date: 3.2.2022
Videon ISRC: FIMF42200001
Life’s a Party release pary:
Feb 3rd 2023 Hönö, Tampere


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Coloring books are where most kids start to develop their artistic dexterity. They are available relatively cheap, they are often related to cartoon characters or objects familiar to very young children. They provide guidelines for children who are learning to control their hand movements by "coloring inside the lines".
Online coloring- computer and internet open a new and great spectrum of drawing and coloring. As of now, adults are very sizeable living that creates, draw and color pictures for the computer animation like movies, video games, commercials as well as items that most of the people would never consider, like high quality information sites. With such options, it is no wonder that the tools as well as the formats being used in this kind of artwork carried down along with children.
It is not surprising to consider the ever growing popularity of coloring pages. They are continuing to be the best entertaining activity among kids. Never mind hot this world is emerging to be, coloring pages online or over sheets are becoming the most popular activity among all age children. Coloring papers are the best way to keep your kid pre-occupied and creatively engaged. They are meant especially for those kids who are noisy and very chaotic. As a parent you not only keep your child engaged but also help build up confidence in them. They tend to gain experience with colors and their righteous pairing.
So now to answer the how. And trust me; it's not as far-fetched as you may think. While the Internet is a fantastic place to watch videos, keep in touch with old friends, listen to new music, network, or participate in any number of other legal or otherwise illegal activities, it is an even better when utilized as a parental resource centre. And this is where our free colouring pages come in. How many times have you wished you had something new and handy to entertain you kids while you try to (insert any chore here) do the dishes, laundry, vacuum, etc... It takes you time to make time to spend that time. What a complete waste of time! The solution you ask? Open a webpage, Google a search, print off your find, and you're done. Your children will be more then occupied for the remainder of the time you need! The beauty of the Internet is in the resources it holds; every time, you can find something new. Are your children tired of drawing sea creatures? Print off farm animals. Are they not interested in drawing? Then print them out some word puzzles such as jumbles or crosswords. The point is, parents should look beyond the obvious functions the Internet provides and start using the web as the tool it can be in order to maximize their time. In truth, the vastness of the Internet and the multitude of resources available can be the true time-saver for parents.
Don't limit what they can offer due to the fact that they don't have many supplies to work with. You can even consider offering them craft supplies such as glue and glitter, cotton, ribbon, and other items that can all become a part of the Spongebob coloring pages they are completing.
Whether you are a preschool teacher or a parent, you will only be all too aware of the need to keep your children constantly occupied and amused, otherwise they will get restless, agitated and irritable. Trying to do find an activity that will sustain their interest for any reasonable length of time as well as one that will not actually pose any level of risk or danger to the child can be a task easier said than done. Contrary to what you may think, children are not involved in a mass conspiracy designed specifically to make your life as difficult as possible, rather, they lack the emotional and intellectual maturity to appreciate that certain activities are wrong, or are "naughty" because they are dangerous.
All children love coloring books and printable coloring pages too! Even when they are very young and can't quite color within the lines, they still enjoy the time spent with crayon in hand. If all of your coloring books are all colored and your child is eagerly waiting to create their next picture, go online and get some printable coloring pages.

domain: hobby


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The letters of Christina Rossetti: Two new letters
- Additional Document Info
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Antony Harrison’s edition of the Letters of Christina Rossetti, now complete in four volumes, provides Rossetti scholars with an invaluable and long anticipated resource. I present two additional letters here, along with a short list of supplementary notes and corrections to Harrison’s edition. The new letters, discovered after Harrison’s final volume had gone to press, are of interest because they offer new information about the publishing history of two of Rossetti’s poems: “An Alphabet from England” and “A Christmas Carol.” The first letter, from Rossetti to Mary Mapes Dodge, is tipped in to a copy of the American edition of Maude: Prose and Verse (Chicago: H.S. Stone, 1897) held in the Cushing Memorial Library and Archives at Texas A & M University. The second letter is inserted in an extra-illustrated copy of Representative Poems of Living Poets, American and English (New York: Cassell, 1886) held in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University. In my transcripts of Rossetti’s two letters, I retain Rossetti’s punctuation, but I have not maintained the line or page breaks of the manuscripts or the indentations of the headings.
Journal of Pre-Raphaelite Studies-New Series
author list (cited authors)
complete list of authors

domain: library


Usually people mention warped discs. More propable reason is that the discs have accumulated some brake pad material from sintered pads causing uneven friction. You can sand the discs lightly and try again. Unless you seriously want some posh wave discs. :fingure:
The vibration could be several things.
1) - pad material on disks(s). Surfacing the rotor in a lathe or grinder should fix.
2) - non-floating disk - not centering in caliper(s). Disassembling, cleaning, and lubing parts should fix.
3) - Disk warped - unlikely, but possible. Surfacing may fix, but rotor may need to be replaced is it is really bad.
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Currently downloading Etrian Odyssey 2's remake...
-Well, it is not like anyone did not expect it or anything, but Pokemon comes up on top.
Pokemon DP: 1,586,360
Pokemon BW: 2,637,285
Pokemon BW2: 1,618,621
Pokemon XY: 2,096,050
Pokemon ORAS: 1,400,000 (?)
I'm adding the ORAS with its double pack, but if the double pack is both games together, then it would be 1,300,000 + (90,000 x 2) to around 1,500,000.
Anyways, as far as remakes go, ORAS did a good job. So-so compared to the main games, not really standing out as bad or good.
-In 3rd (losing to a double pack) is Shin Sangoku Musou 7 Empire with a total (multi) of almost 50,000.
Hmm, steadily dropping...? Well, I don't see how this series is interesting in the first place nor do I know the difference (or lack of so) between games...
-As for other games, the only other one worth noticing is Taiko no Tatsujin.
The previous? game for the WiiU (太鼓の達人 Wii U ば〜じょん！) did 17,518
Looks like it dropped a bit to 12,000.
I personally prefer Rhythm Heavy, BTW.
-Other than that, on the list is a Western game, a completely new game?, and an anime game.
-Hardware-wise, the 3DS sees a boost from Pokemon? The other systems did not change that much. Looks like the year-end boost hasn't started yet.

domain: entertainment


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A rose is still beautiful even if in black and white if the right lighting is used: strong contrast will create an appealing look.
Uploaded: Sep 19, 2015
Tags: rose, black and white, strong contrast
Watch it in full screen
Rose in black and white
Blue eyed cat on black and white contrast :)
Black and White View
Old lady walking by while morning light passes through trees in black and white
Quick abstract architectural model photography | black and white dark gotic
Seascape - Light on the sea and rock beach - Blue sky
Rocks at Croatia,Trpanj.
Winter landscape. Frost and sun. On icy and snowy river.

domain: artistic


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All Hollow’s Eve on a IV/77 Schantz
I am pleased to share Jim Roman’s performance of Robert Leech Bedell’s “All Hollow’s Eve” on the Grace Presbyterian Schantz. It’s a lot of fun and Jim does an outstanding of communicating the musical program. Additionally, don’t we all want a change from typical loud, scary Halloween pieces?
Bedell used the following tableaux as the program for this piece: “A Witch’s Rondevous in an Enchanted Glen – The Ride of the Night-Hags – Pastoral Dance of the Happy Spirits – With the dawn of All-Saints Day, the Creatures of Folklore and Legend, suddenly – vanish!”


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Project X Hand Crafted LZ 70 - Driver Shaft
or make 4 interest-free payments of $57.25 AUD fortnightly with More info
Project X Hand Crafted LZ 70
Shaft comes with adapter to match your driver and Golf Pride grip. Will come 45.5 inches in length unless otherwise requested. Please email driver model after purchase for adapter.
While every composite shaft bearing the Project X name is made to the same exacting standards and specifications, Project X Hand Crafted shafts are produced exclusively in our R&D lab in San Diego, CA. For Hand Crafted shafts, each layer of material is hand cut and individually hand rolled and the cosmetic and logo application is done entirely by hand, making the entire process truly “Hand Crafted”. This intimate practice demands the highest attention to detail and limits lab production to roughly 50 shafts per day – making Project X Hand Crafted the industry pinnacle of composite shaft excellence and exclusivity!

domain: design


Your home for turnkey building automation and systems integration. We help our clients plan, develop, and manage Smart, Functional, Comfortable, Secure and Energy-efficient buildings. Control Services Inc. is a major independent technology-based facility automation contractor providing integrated facility management, environmental control, and electronic security. Control Services, Inc. provides complete turnkey services including design, installation, planned maintenance and services for commercial, industrial, institutional, and health care markets.
Get the most of your enterprise systems and achieve energy efficiency with innovative software. Discover how StruxureWare, our integrated software platform can optimize your building operations.
Programmable control and 24/7 monitoring of HVAC, lighting, and metering. Software reduces energy waste without compromising comfort for small and medium buildings.
There’s an old recipe for educational success – the basics of any educational foundation. It’s known as the three “Rs” … Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic. Well, I’d like to add one more to the mix! Schools now have one more “R” to consider … Reduce.
Integrating a facility at the enterprise level involves managing numerous moving parts. These include the various systems, from physical security technology to HVAC to elevator control to lighting technology, as well as the network backbone to run it and all the people that interact with these pieces every day in the building. It can all seem very complicated—and it is—but in the final analysis, users of all sizes of buildings are looking for a good return on investment for whatever integration they achieve


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I have to say these are really pretty. And I'm glad I've had the opportunity to make a few for the local people of Ocala and Dunnellon.
This one was made for a dear friend. Almond cake with honey buttercream. A really nice combination.
And new things are coming along at Cupcakeables! Cupcakes in a Jar have been introduced. So far they are the easiest way to ship. Also Frosting Shocks - 2oz "shots" of frosting. Working on a list for that!
Now must come up with an idea for Father's Day :)
Monday, April 16, 2012
I made these for my uncle's birthday since he's been mentioning I haven't given him a taste test yet!
This is a simple yellow cake that I added about 1/4 cup Capt Morgan to before baking and 1 1/2 teaspoon rum extract.
After I baked the cupcakes I soaked them with about 3 tablespoons of the rum. The buttercream has about 1/4 cup DiSaronno in it.
I also created an amaretto syrup to top the cupcake but it was way too potent. I think next time I will make the syrup and mix in the buttercream.
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup amaretto
cook until sugar is dissolved
I also toasted some almonds and tossed them with butter and sugar and put them on top of the cupcake.
They were really really good! Definitely would make again and could make non-alcoholic.

domain: food


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House leaders learned about the program in late June, when CIA Director Leon Panetta personally briefed them. Panetta had learned about the program just one day earlier.
"After careful consideration and consultation with the Ranking Minority Member and other members of the Committee, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence will conduct an investigation into possible violations of federal law, including the National Security Act of 1947," Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Tex.), the committee chairman, said in a statement.
The plan to assassinate top Al Qaeda leaders was shut down by then-CIA Director George Tenet in 2004, but re-activated by his successors. Leon Panetta once again cancelled the program the day he learned about it.

domain: law


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Rebloged this from By Hook Or By Book.
I have no words….
Praying for victims and families who lost a loved one…
God bless you all.
Running from the Rte 91 Harvest Country Music Festival near the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas after gunfire was heard on Sunday. David Becker/Getty Images.
What is now being described as the deadliest mass shooting here in the U.S. took place shortly after 10:00 last night. While approximately 22,000 country music fans were gathered on the Last Vegas Strip, a man who police are describing as a “lone wolf” and a local of the Las Vegas area opened fire, killing 50+ and injuring 200+. Police have identified him as a 64-year-old man who lived in a nearby retirement community. Yes, that’s right. A retiree for some God knows what reason decided to kill as many innocents as possible. The images coming out are horrific with concertgoers, including children, fleeing from the gunfire and ducking for cover. Naturally the motive is not known yet, but it’s difficult to…
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domain: news


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Just Wanted You to Know...
Just Wanted You to Know...
Other Products: White card, StazOn black ink, silver embossing powder, WOW fairy dust embossing powder, VersaMark, Orange marmalade nuvo jewel drops, black diamond stickles, Transparent glitter, Kuretake zig colours orange, scarlet red and bright yellow, wet glue, hot glue, foam pads
For more tips on creating with the flower shaping molds, watch the tutorial at https://youtu.be/FSdPL7nXvQE.
For more tips on creating with the Flowering Dogwood collection, watch the tutorial at https://youtu.be/gI8RqHAt3vE.
Instructions: Score a 6.75" x 13.5" piece of white card at 6.75" to give you a square card base.
Cut a slightly smaller square of black card and adhere this to the base card.
Cut a 6.5" square piece of green paper from the merry and bright paper pad. Die cut 3 strips of delicate borders and adhere these to the card as shown. Adhere the green paper to the card base.
Stamp the sentiment in VersaMark onto white card and cover with silver embossing powder, remove excess and heat to set. Colour the white card using the orange Kuretake pen to give a water wash appearance. Cut the sentiment to size and mount onto a slightly larger piece of black card. Add to the card using foam pads.
Make purple flowers: Stamp the Botanical flowers in black ink onto purple paper from the Backyard Blossoms Collection paper pad. Die cut and shape each die cut and build up 1 x large flower using 3 layers and medium and a small flower using 2 layers. Use wet glue to add the layers together and allow to dry. Once dry poke a hole through the centre of the flower and add rock candy stamens - glue these in place using hot glue.
Make Orange flowers: stamp the smaller flower twice onto white card and colour using Kuretake pens. Die cut the flowers and colour the reverse of the flower in a lighter orange. Place onto the mold and run through the diecutting machine, Use wet glue to make 2 layer flowers and retain 3 small single blossoms. Add black rock candy stamens to the double flowers.
Make vellum flowers: Stamp the Dogwood flowers onto vellum in VersaMark and cover with WOW embossing powder. Remove excess and heat to set. Lightly shape the flowers using the flower shaping tools.
Position the flowers and a few of the stamens to the card using hot glue.
Add orange jewels drops to the centre of the vellum flowers and a little transparent glitter before it dries, remove excess. Add black stickles to the centre of the orange flowers and 2 little groups of 3 dots in opposite corners.
- Vellum Paper - 10 Sheets 3-GN2911-F$5.99
- Deluxe Flower Shaping Kit HCST1-401$39.99Out of stock
- Rock Candy Stamens-Small HCS1-459-4$9.99
- Oakberry Lane Blossoms Cling Stamp Set HCPC-3842$19.99
- Oakberry Lane Blossoms Die HCD1-7200$29.99Discontinued)
- For My Friend Sentiments Cling Stamp Set HCPC-3844$19.99
- Botanical Rose Cling Stamp Set HCPC-3651Special Price $9.99 Regular Price $19.99Discontinued)
- Botanical Wings Die HCD1-758Special Price $9.99 Regular Price $29.99Discontinued)
- Flowering Dogwood Cling Stamp Set HCPC-3773$19.99
- Flowering Dogwood Die HCD1-7129$29.99Out of stock
- Delicate Border Basics Die HCD1-7118Special Price $23.99 Regular Price $29.99Discontinued)
- Merry and Bright Accents Cling Stamp Set HCPC-3838$19.99
- Backyard Blossoms Paper Collection HCDP1-290$24.99Discontinued)


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Akron, Ohio (PRWEB) February 10, 2012
A new community-wide collaboration to reduce the impact of chronic disease and empower patients is generating impressive early results, leaders of the Accountable Care Community (ACC) initiative said today. The Akron-based Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron (ABIA) is leading the initiative with its founding institutional members and more than 60 public and private community partners.
The groundbreaking effort supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unites medical, public health and social science professions, nonprofits and faith-based and community organizations for an “all-hands-on-deck” approach to public health. Eventually, communities across the country will be able to apply this new model toward public health, reducing the tremendous negative impact chronic disease has on their economies, said Dr. Janine Janosky, head of ABIA’s Center for Community Health Improvement, who is leading the effort described in a white paper released today.
The news comes just weeks after an Institute of Medicine report called for a new public health approach based on “enhanced collaboration among the public health, health care and community non-healthcare sectors” to address the challenges of chronic disease. The World Health Organization refers to the growing impact of chronic disease as "a global epidemic" reaching crisis levels. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation estimates that by 2030, half the U.S. population will have at least one chronic condition.
The ABIA, along with national experts and more than 60 Akron organizations, have been collaborating for more than a year on a new, integrated, and measurable strategy to community health that could be replicated in other U.S. communities. The ACC approach detailed in the report “Healthier by Design: Accountable Care Community” utilizes a unique “impact equation” that measures the benefits of a seamless approach to community health, including metrics for a patient empowerment and market value of health, said Dr. Frank L. Douglas, ABIA president and chief executive officer.
"The amount spent on healthcare and health initiatives in the United States should translate into good health for the community and its residents. Unfortunately, America’s public health continues to lag behind other nations. Further, we are now in an era of debate about how to reverse the unsustainable cost trends and improve the health outcomes and quality of life for our fellow man," Dr. Douglas said. “The development of this inventive Accountable Care Community model, which not only speaks of the need for collaboration but actually enables all parties to be on the same page with an integrated, measurable strategy, promises to improve the health of millions of patients.”
In Akron, the ACC approach uniquely aligns public, private and philanthropic resources in a coordinated fight to improve community health by identifying and closing gaps in health education, access and delivery. The group’s initial pilot project focused on diabetes self-management. Ultimately, participants changed their behaviors and took increased control over their disease. Significant results included decreases in blood sugar and bad cholesterol levels, weight loss, decreased body mass, and a decline in emergency room visits. An additional program demonstrated nearly a total of $225,000 of cost savings or cost avoidance for local healthcare institutions through the use of volunteers and community services to monitor and serve low-income, medically underserved patients with diabetes.
The ACC measured the improvements using a unique health and public health-based formula that calculates impact based on changes in patient health, the number of patients affected and the burden of the disease as determined by the cost of care. The Impact Equation outlined in the white paper is a new and crucial way to evaluate community health initiatives, Dr. Janosky said. “The equation is crucial to a sustainable effort that other communities can implement,” she said.
The vast majority of cases of chronic diseases are caused by a small number of known and preventable risk factors, including unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and tobacco use, Janosky said. “We are convinced a collaborative approach to enhance patient empowerment and improve personal lifestyles will address the community challenges of chronic disease,” Janosky said.
"The Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron’s Accountable Care Community is taking an important step to improve public health in Summit County by studying the best means of treating and preventing chronic diseases while reducing overall costs. Dr. Frank Douglas, Dr. Janine Janosky, and the sixty partners involved with the ACC are to be commended for their collaborative approach to improve the health and well-being of local residents and communities by uniting public health professionals and the clinical community," said Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio.
“We believe that our model of an all-inclusive approach to empowering patients and coordinating and improving access can be replicated by any community by first starting the conversation about what priorities matters most to your communities," said Dr. Cynthia Capers, Emeritus Professor and former dean of The University of Akron College of Nursing. "Once you identify your priorities and targets, then performance measurement is an important cornerstone."
In the next phase of the ACC development, organizers will foster community health leadership development, investigate regional health programs, analyze the impact of new health policy such as tobacco-free living, active lifestyles and healthy eating and identify areas of greatest need in Summit County.
"Building a responsible partnership between the clinical care professionals and public health colleagues is a key to success,” said Dr. Hugh Tilson, adjunct professor of Public Health Leadership, Epidemiology and Health Policy, University of North Carolina and adjunct professor of medicine, Duke University, who contributed to the white paper. “Particularly exciting for me as a career public health professional is to witness the strong functional collaboration between the local public health agency and the accountable care organization – a true model for the accountable caring community. I know this is the winning formula for our reformed health care system, with the emphasis on health.”
According to Dr. William Keck, past president of the American Public Health Association and retired City of Akron Director of Health, "Although chronic diseases are among the most common and costly health problems, we know that they are also among the most preventable. It is vital that the increasing importance of chronic disease is anticipated, understood and acted upon urgently. This requires a new approach by both medical and community health professionals, and community leaders, who are in a position to strengthen chronic disease prevention and control efforts."
To learn more about the ACC initiative and download the whitepaper, visit http://www.abiakron.org/acc.
About the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron
The Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron (ABIA) – an exceptional collaboration of Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron General Health System, Northeast Ohio Medical University (formerly Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy), Summa Health System, The University of Akron and The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation – is focused on patient-centered innovation and commercialization at the intersection of biomaterials and medicine. The strategic alignment of public and private support, accompanied with Akron’s rich legacy in materials science, is working to pioneer the next generation of life-enhancing and life-saving innovation that will transform Akron into a model for biomedical discovery and enterprise and move the region toward a secure economic future by accelerating the creation of more than 2,000 jobs during the next decade. For more information about ABIA, please visit http://www.abiakron.org.
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97-SS Ram Air Hood (02013040) by RKSport®. Material: Fiberglass. Comes unpainted. GelCoated in gray ready for prep and paint. Without Vents/Louvers. Set your car apart and improve performance with this Ram-Air Hood. The engineers at RKSport created a functional and attractive cold air intake system. Features a functional Ram-Air scoop that delivers cool, dense air directly to the factory air box for more power and better fuel economy when connected to a cold air intake system. Installs easily using factory hardware from stock hood. Installation typically requires sanding, trimming, and filling prior to painting, thus, professional installation is recommended.
Notes: Requires original factory air box modification for ram air to function.
- Race inspired design
- Unique combination of aerodynamics and style
- Functional ram-air/cool air scoop
- Installs utilizing hardware from stock hood
- Custom designed for each application
- Made in the USA
RKSport draws on years of racing success to custom design each ground effects package. They apply their extensive knowledge of aerodynamics to your car's classic lines to create panels that both improve and accentuate its style. Every ground effects package contains everything needed to give your car that sleek, low profile look.
Before founding RKSport®, owner R. K. Smith had over a decade's worth of racing success, during which time he was named SCCA driver of the year and won National Championship titles. RKSport applies this vast experience to every product they design. But aerodynamics and speed aren't the only goal. RKSport skillfully blends aerodynamics with the attractive original lines of the car to produce a part that combines performance and style. In fact, they've been recognized by DaimlerChrysler and GM for Excellence in Design.


How Text Analytics Can Solve the Unused Data Problem
The world is producing a massive amount of data that companies want to use to their advantage. However, 88% of information that companies collect from every channel goes unused and unanalyzed. This data sits in massive storage servers, waiting to be put to use. The difficulty lies in both the nature of the data and the technology to analyze it. For years, analysts and data scientists on board with various companies have used a variety of strategies to process and gain insight from their data. Some processes have become obsolete, requiring massive amounts of time and energy to gain even the barest understanding. The average analyst spends 80% of their time manually processing data sets in Excel or SQL for structured data. When that data is unstructured, the time investment goes up exponentially.
Much of the information that goes unused is in the form of unstructured textual data. Text data has historically been difficult to analyze due to the sheer man hours it would take to read through and see any value in line upon line of text. Advances in text analytics tools have allowed companies to gain better insight from their mountain of text data, but many companies are slow to adopt these new technologies, leaving much of their gathered information on the shelf.
With data as the new portal to better customer experience, greater employee understanding, deep marketing insight, and product management excellence, 85% of companies are making efforts to be data driven. Yet, only 37% of these companies believe that their efforts will be successful in showing ROI. With 60% of business leadership believing that failure to implement strong data analytics for big data projects will lead to obsolescence, there is a wide gap between expectation and reality.
72% of businesses admit to collecting they never use, calling the process of analysis expensive and time consuming. 52% of this data is known as dark data, or information that has never been given a value or categorized in any way. While it’s understandable that the mountains of information available to companies can go unanalyzed in such huge quantities, it isn’t necessary. Advances in data analytics tools with machine learning and artificial intelligence can automatically process and analyze huge volumes of data in minutes, not months to provide near real time insight on a wide variety of information. By utilizing better data tools, businesses can gain access to their unused information and create better data driven decisions.


Is animal eutahanasia legal in US? The question of whether animal euthanasia should be legalized lies at the heart of a complex ethical and moral conundrum for many Americans.
In this article, we explore which states currently permit euthanizing pets in cases of terminal illnesses or incurable conditions, and the ethical questions surrounding such laws.
Is Animal Eutahanasia Legal In US?
When it comes to euthanizing a pet, the decision is never an easy one. Unfortunately, sometimes our furry friends get sick and suffer from incurable diseases that make euthanasia the only way to move forward and prevent them from prolonged suffering. But what about a healthy dog? Is it legal to euthanize a healthy dog?
It is possible to legally euthanize a healthy dog in some circumstances, however the laws of who can do so and why vary by state. It is important to check local laws before making any decisions regarding euthanasia.
Animal Euthanasia Law By State
The laws surrounding animal euthanasia vary from state to state in the United States of America. In general, these laws allow veterinarians, animal control officers, or police officers to put down a pet that is suffering from a disease or injury, or an animal that is posing a threat to people or other animals due to aggressive behavior.
These laws are designed to protect both the pet and those responsible for putting it down from legal action.
In some states, the decision to euthanize an animal must be made by a veterinarian who has examined the animal and determined that it is suffering beyond hope of recovery.
Other states may require additional steps such as obtaining permission from the owner before proceeding with euthanasia. In all cases, however, the goal is to provide humane end-of-life care for pets in order to prevent unnecessary suffering.
Animal euthanasia laws are in place to ensure that this goal is met while also protecting those responsible from legal repercussions.
Reasons To Euthanise A Healthy Animal
Euthanasia is a difficult decision for any pet owner to make. It is often the last resort when an animal is suffering from a terminal illness or injury and can no longer be helped.
However, there are some cases in which a healthy animal may need to be euthanized. This could be due to the animal attacking or killing another animal, attacking or hurting a person, or if the owner no longer wants the animal.
Euthanasia should be used as a last resort in cases where all other options, such as rehoming or adoption, have been exhausted. It is important to ensure that no other alternatives are available before making this difficult decision.
Methods of Euthanasia
Euthanasia is a humane practice of ending an animal’s life in a painless and peaceful way.
States have regulations about who can perform euthanasia and how, with injectin of sodium phenobarbital recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association as the fastest, most reliable, and painless method.
Ultrapotent opioids are 10,000 times more potent than standard morphine and usually relax muscles; however, these substances are typically illegal or otherwise difficult to obtain.
Alcohols cause death by suppressing the nervous and respiratory systems; however, this method is not recommended due to its slow onset of action and potential for causing distress to the animal prior to death.
Animal euthanasia is legal in some parts of the US, depending on state laws. The decision to euthanize an animal should only be made after exhausting other options and must be done painlessly.
Euthanization can be carried out by gassing, injection or poisoning, with the injection of sodium phenobarbital being the most reliable and painless method recommended by the AVMA.
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Designers, technicians, and a cast of Disney characters featuring Mickey and Minnie, hosted LDI’s second annual Backstage Disney Day on Friday, December 2, 2011, at Disneyland and California Adventure in Anaheim, CA. Forty participants began their day at 7am with special entrance before the parks opened, in order to do a walk-through at Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, a new attraction that opened last summer.
Michael E. Williams, director, show design and production at Walt Disney Imagineering and Michael Valentino, a lead lighting designer at Walt Disney Imagineering, spoke primarily about the lighting design, as we saw each of the scenic areas that comprise the ride, and it is really a great opportunity to be able to see such an attraction from the designer’s vantage point and hear how the elements came together and the challenges the creative team met with during the process.
An in-depth overview of the attraction, including a look at plans and construction drawings was next on the tour, served with a continental breakfast. Then the group went back to ride the Ariel attraction, which is located in a new building at California Adventure where the beautifully lit façade includes LED illumination for architectural arches over the doors.
The day continued until 11pm, comprising a complete tour of the Hyperion Theatre led by technical director Earle Greene, entertainment manager Jerry Tomlinson, master electrician Michael Elliot, lighting coordinator Caitlin Guyan, and other members of the production team at the theatre. The group returned to the venue later in the day to see the resident production, Aladdin. Chris Wessels of Fisher Technical Services was also on hand to discuss the automation in the theatre.
A pyro discussion with John Mouman, and a look at parade float technology with Mitch Atkins and Wesley Hunt were very informative, with a close look at a float that features a synchronized Mickey Mouse who is an actor as well as drummer that puts on quite a performance with a new style Mickey head with animated eyes and mouth. It was also cool to go up to the balcony of Tower of Terror and look out over the construction site for Cars Land, a new themed area under development at California Adventure.
The day concluded with World of Color, Disney’s fantastic nighttime fountain and light show, which has some new elements since we saw it last year. Chuck Davis, technical producer for the event, spoke to the group, along with programmer Jason Badger, and at 11pm the group was tired but happy as the last stop was the World of Color control room.
Huge thanks goes to Disneyland Resort Technical Services Operations Manager Pat Denis, and Denise Starkey of Pyro and Technical Services, who pulled it all together, and to all those who took the time to address the group on this exhilarating day that provided an insider’s look at the design and technology—as well as the pixie dust—that goes into creating the magic of Disney.


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Get to Know Co-Brander: Roots for the Home Team
Sue Moores, founder of the Roots for the Home Team program, believes in making healthier eating options more enjoyable and inviting youth to be part of that work. Roots for the Home Team helps youth become entrepreneurs in that process through creating well-balanced nutritional salads to sell to the public. By enhancing their culinary, networking and business skills, each teen gains more than basic knowledge of how to prepare a meal. They are exposed to entrepreneurship, marketing and other skills to build their future, as well.
Why did you start the Roots for the Home Team Program?
“Roots for the Home Team sparked from the idea of bringing fresh food to the new major league baseball ballpark in the Twin Cities in 2010. Two years later in 2012, Target Field hosted the beginning of the Roots program. Two other goals have been the foundation of the program– changing the public’s perception of “healthy” food and showcasing work by local youth in community garden programs.”
Why did you target teens for this project?
“We have a strong community of urban youth garden programs in Minnesota. As the initial idea was hatched to sell salads at baseball games, I thought part of the fun would be to upend the misconception that “kids” don’t eat healthy, don’t like vegetables, or much less know how to grow them. To have teens step forward and create salads, in partnership with local chefs, using the vegetables they grow and then come and sell them to an audience who would never expect any of the above would deliver a memorable experience for fans. More importantly, it could be an influential experience for our youth and offer them a unique summer employment opportunity. Teens are hungry for access to opportunities that feed successful futures. They showcase their amazing courage and capabilities at every game.”
Where can people find your organization?
“Starting from the ground up, Roots is involved with several youth-led organizations with community garden programs. Each program is focused on having their youth gain valuable gardening, harvesting and life experiences. Roots then uses the crops produced such as carrots, radishes, kale, ground cherries and herbs in the salads. Roots for the Home Team has two other unique partners assisting their outreach–The Minnesota Twins and the Milwaukee Brewers. At both Target Field and Miller Park, you can find fresh salads during weekend home games. You can also find our salads at all 11 Kowalski’s Markets in Twin Cities and at the salad bars within Minneapolis public schools.”
How is the co-branding relationship with the Sorghum Checkoff valuable to your organization?
“We first learned about sorghum at a nutrition conference and were excited about its nutritional attributes such as its fiber content and being gluten-free. It’s a whole grain, an environment-friendly crop and alternative to quinoa, which fans are excited to learn about. At Roots we strive to surprise the youth and our customers with new foods–ones we thought they’d be excited to discover. We hoped the Sorghum Checkoff would be interested in our story and the work our youth do to care for and create food and share their capabilities with a major league audience.
Roots for the Home Team promotes sorghum through a menu sign, sales pitches to customers, recipe cards given to fans and on our website and social media pages. Roots finds value in the co-branding program because sorghum offers a new and interesting element to our salads that consumers are not always aware of. By sparking consumer curiosity, we promote sorghum as an alternative to quinoa.”
Is there anything else you would like people to know?
“We’re always on the hunt for the next city to set up a Roots for the Home Team program and welcome interested cities to contact us.”

domain: agronomy


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From the A1 near Stamford, take the A6121 for Stamford/Leicester.
Travel through Ketton village and Ketton Park is signposted
on the left as you leave the village.
From the A47, at Morcott take the A6121 for Stamford. As
you approach Ketton, Ketton Park is signposted on the right.
Postcode to find Ketton Park : PE9 3RN

domain: geography


Specialized Cleaning in Yardville
Important information for your Yardville home:
Exposure to biological and chemical contaminants can pose serious health consequences. A failure to properly remove such substances can contribute to unhealthy and dangerous environments.
SERVPRO of Bordentown Professionals are trained to safely remove biohazardous substances and dispose of them properly in accordance with OSHA and health regulations. Equipped with the necessary safety apparatus and cleaning products, SERVPRO of Bordentown Professionals help turn unsafe environments into clean, safe homes and offices.


I bought this gun for my wife, but she is just not interested. The wood is very nice; probably the best I've seen on a 10/22 Carbine. It has Tech Sights installed. They are the best iron sights on the market I think. Rifle also has extended magazine release and auto bolt release from PFI. This gun has only been shot 250 times, and as you can see from the photos, is basically a safe queen. I am open to trades of any kind. Please PM me for my email address.


If you’ve heard my first two gardening broadcasts here on The Point , you know I’m dedicating this year to growing an apple or two in my yard. In the past months w e’ve talked about selecting and planting the best varieties for Central Oregon and how to train my trees for the best crop.
Now I’m going to learn how to manage disease and insects. I’m going to combine a number of techniques. In addition to using pesticides, there are cultural and biological practices that can help me.
When I chose my trees, I considered the Central Oregon climate and soil. Some varieties are more resistant to disease than others, and even the best variety will have a poor fruit set and higher disease rate if the spring is too wet.
I’ll need to water and fertilize properly. Over-watering can lead to root rot, while overfertilizing can increase disease and insect problems. A soil test is a good first step.
Last month I described pruning to improve my crop. But proper pruning to open tree canopy will also improve air circulation and reduce the opportunity for some diseases.
Insects and disease hate good sanitation. If I remove and burn diseased branches and leaves, remove and destroy old fruit from the tree and the ground , I’ll be removing the protected home that insects love.
I’m studying OSU publications to know which pests are likely to attack my trees, and when they might appear. If I check my trees regularly, I can use Pheromones and sticky traps to alert me to infestations.
T he OSU publication “Managing Disease & Insects”, tells me that Codling Moth is in most of Oregon, so I’m going to plan a spray schedule for it. To avoid excess chemical residues, I ’ll check the pesticide labels for the necessary time between spraying and harvest. Those labels have so much information on them; they’ll be a huge part of my successful apple harvest.
Good pest management means good coverage - thoroughly wetting the leaves, twigs, and branches.
Both organic and synthetic formulations of pesticides are available. Since many are variations with the same active ingredie nt, I’m going to look for pesticides that can be
used on a wide range of fruits, vegetables, and ornamentals, so I can limit the number of pesticides I’ll need to purchase and store.
As a Master Gardener, I know to mix the pesticide at the recommended rate on the label, mixing only the volume needed to do the job. If I pay attention to the instructions, I won’t be putting excess pesticide into the environment. After I finish I’ll clean the sprayer immediately and dispose of the rinse water properly. My wonderful granddaughter shouldn’t be endangered by my sloppy housekeeping!
I plan to apply pesticides at the right time and under the right weather conditions and temperatures below 85
. Applying pesticides when it’s windy could cause drift of the chemicals off the target area. If I’m careful with my choice of pesticide and, especially, the time I spray, I won’t harm the beneficial insects that I need for pollination. Two summers ago a Willamette Valley spraying killed thousands of honeybees because they did it when the blooms were open and attracting the bees! By reading my pesticide labels I intend to avoid ever making that mistake.
So I’ve chosen the best apple trees for Central Oregon, started pruning for a good crop and designed a maintenance schedule for the heathiest harvest. Now, with a little sunshine and some busy honeybees, we should be eating some homegrown apples soon.
For more information on this or any other gardening topic, call the Master Gardeners at
541-548- 6088 or go to our website gocomga.com and click on the KPOV tab on the orange bar. This has been Gardening: Get Good at it on KPOV, The Point .
EC 631: Managing Diseases and Insects in Home Orchards


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I was thinking about gift tags and felt sure I could do some on my pc. I looked at my dtp (desk top processor) which is an old version now and there weren’t any there, so I Googled ‘gift tags’ and found these on Pinterest. There are plenty of ideas there, including lots of printable ones. I love the idea of making tags using paper napkins or pretty fabric scraps. Paper napkins have a great many uses other than the intended one. Another favourite were the paper flowers using old book pages, or possibly newspaper. Very cute and would make a brown paper package tied up with string even more delicious.
There are many many ideas there, including lots for weddings, birthdays, new baby etc etc, most of which would cost practically nothing.


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What: Redecorating with
clients' existing furniture
Who: Delena Denham Dobrenchuk of
3-D Designs, Interior Direction
Where: Burleson, Texas
When: Started in 1997
Wallet: Averaging $2,500 per month (as a part-time business)
Martha Stewart has finally met her match. For Delena Denham Dobrenchuk, founder and owner of 3-D Designs, Interior Direction, it's not about decorating-it's about redecorating. Dobrenchuk, 37, operates a home-redecorating service that does interior design with clients' existing furniture.
Dobrenchuk rifles through attics and under beds for long-lost treasures. Going from room to room, she carefully rearranges furniture and accessories-all for an hourly consultation fee and a varying fee per room. She currently averages 15 homes a month, with most of her business coming from Web site and client referrals.
"I can whirlwind furniture in a matter of seconds," says Dobrenchuk of her skill at arranging. "It's all about putting the puzzle together."
- 3-D Designs, Interior Direction


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SAS Best Place to Work
Employee retention would not be an issue if all companies treated their employees as well as this company. SAS institute Inc. is a privately held software company located in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park.
SAS resembles a college campus more than a software development company. Everything from the baby grand piano in the company cafeteria, to the giant outdoor chess board, and resident artists gives clear indication this company is a world apart. They have made Fortune magazine’s “Top 100 Best Companies to Work For,” for several years running.
Many people say working at SAS is like working with your family. Their 5000+ employees find SAS to be a positive environment focusing on creativity and innovation. In some cases, SAS becomes the closest thing to a “real family” than many people have experienced at home.
Turnover hovers around 3.7 percent and has never exceeded 5 percent in its twenty years of existence.The average for most industries is between 17 – 30%. Company loyalty destroyed by many corporations, is alive and well at SAS. During the height of the Dot Com Boom, one SAS graphic designer turned down job offers from Silicon Valley for as much as 40 percent more money because he favored the environment SAS provides. Here are some of the perks and benefits employees enjoy.
- Unlimited sick leave: There is no limit to how much sick leave employees can use. Jim Goodnight, SAS President, PhD and billionaire believes if you treat adults like adults they will act as adults. Whether you are out sick for six days or six months it is not a problem.
- On Site Daycare: For $250 a month, employees can place their children in the day-care facility. Parents are encouraged to eat lunch and dinner with their children. The company cafeteria is equipped with highchairs.
- Free Family Healthcare: They provide free onsite healthcare in addition to full medical, dental, vision and hearing coverage that is 100 percent paid by the company for employees and greatly subsidized for covered dependents. Employees can elect an onsite doctor as their primary care physician, or use another offsite doctor of their choice. SAS staffs a medical clinic 24 hours a day for employees and their family members. This saves the company $300,000 a year in health insurance costs and saves thousands of hours of lost time.
- Equal Pay for Equal Work: Many businesses run off good employees because new hires are able to start making higher salaries than the “old” employees. Not at SAS. If SAS has to hire new employees and pay them more, all employees with the same skills levels receive the same pay raise. The average salary is $50,000 a year.
- 35-Hour Workweeks: All employees work five seven-hour workdays. They are encouraged not to stay past 5 p.m.
- Break Areas & Free Food: Each floor has its own break area stocked with complimentary refreshments, including all the M & M’s employees can eat. SAS spends $45,000 annually on 22 tons of the little chocolate candies.
Loyalty can’t be bought by benefits and perks, but SAS appears to have created a workplace where employees know they are cared for, trusted, and treated like adults. Learn more about the SAS Institute in the book, Here Today, Here Tomorrow: Transforming Your Workforce from High Turnover to High Retention.

domain: economics


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Big-headed bullies looking for forever homes
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (WLNE) — Potter League for Animals is hosting a block party for block-headed dogs from Dec. 4 to Dec. 20.
Breeds of block-headed dogs, or dogs with a square shaped head, usually fall under the bully category, a breed that often times has a harder time getting adopted.
“We’ve adopted out a couple already but still about 30% of our dogs is a lot for one kind of dog, especially when they’re the kind of dog that usually stays with us about twice as long as any other breed,” said Brad Shear, the CEO of the Potter League for Animals.
Davina, Zola, and King are just some of the bullies who are looking for forever homes.
Davina and Zola are around two-years-old and are both selective with others dogs.
The two have only been at the shelter for a few weeks.
King is about four and a half years old, and has been at the shelter for a few months, making him very eager to find a home.
Staff at Potter League for Animals said King would do best in a home without other dogs.
When King first arrived, he was timid and afraid to trust the staff. They said once he warmed up to them, he was able to show his true personality and feel safe again.
“I think there’s a lot of misconceptions about them, that maybe they’re aggressive, or dangerous, and we hear all these stories, but you look at a dog like this [Zola] and she’s just a big softy,” said Shear. “We are working a lot with just misconceptions about what these dogs are like and they can just be wonderful family dogs.”
Adoption fees are $50 until Dec. 20 for block-headed dogs, compared to the normal $250 fee.
Contact the Potter League for Animals for adoption inquires.

domain: pet


Bellator MMA has one again amended their tournament format.
On Thursday afternoon, the promotion revealed that all past tournament winners will now be granted title shots without the need to reenter the tournament again. This means that tournament winners will now permanently belong to a "World Title Pool" that is eligible for title shots. MMAFighting.com's Luke Thomas was first to report the news.
"Just like we've done since day one, any fighter who wins The Toughest Tournament in Sports will still be guaranteed a World Title fight," Rebney said. "The addition I'm making here, that I'm really excited about, is if you've won a tournament, you'll join an elite group of athletes who we can grant a world title fight to at any time."
Since these eligible few will remain outside of the tournament structure, they will likely be put against recent acquisitions and earn a title shot based on their performance.
"For example, if you win a tournament, fight for the World Title and lose, you forever remain in that elite group of fighters who can be awarded another shot at the title," Rebney explained. "We will place some fighters back into tournaments, while others may lose a world title fight, win some non-tournament fights and be awarded another shot at the title. We won't be implementing any hard and fast rule as to when a fighter will go back into a tournament and when he'll fight non-tournament fights and potentially be granted another title shot. What's great about this addition is that it allows us to stay true to our core format, where title shots can only be earned through a tournament win, while also providing us tremendous flexibility to make the great fights fans want to see. And, we can do all this while keeping our fighters busy and battling in meaningful fights on a re-occurring basis. This is another step in our constant evolution and most importantly it's a win for the fighters and the fans."
Previous tournament winners are still eligible to reenter tournaments if they chose to do so.


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Amy poehler dating adam scott
C., and sees April and I kind of thriving here and really being among the power players.It’s a really interesting contrast to being a big fish in a small pond in Pawnee,” Scott says.Although the first season received generally mixed reviews, the second season was highly praised, with some reviewers declaring it one of the best comedies of the television season.
13), it seems time to investigate how this power couple works.STORY: ' Parks and Recreation's' Adam Scott, Aubrey Plaza Name Their Dream Political Guest Stars “You would think [D. She comes here with a proposal for Pawnee, and she kind of feels very, very small when she comes.She’s in the middle of the machine of Washington, D. What about the stop-motion animation thing as a potential career path? As anyone knows, a career in stop-motion animation is a lucrative, dependable one. I think Ben thrives in number and politics and public service. But at the same time I really like it when they throw me into situations I don’t like, so — I don’t know. It doesn’t have to be — the writers on this show seem to be able to mine laughs out of just about anything, so I kind of leave all of that to them because whatever idea I might have, theirs is always better.


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I recently finished watching the third season of the H2O series, and while searching the internet for pictures of the crystal necklaces, I came across a new Swarovski bead that I had not seen before, the Galactic pendant, and upon comparing it with the crystals on the girls' necklaces, I thought it was very similar to the one in this picture of Rikki:
It is obviously not the same bead, but I thought the differences were smaller than with the De Art pendant or the Wing pendant. So, lo and behold, I purchased a 27 mm Galactic pendant from Crystals and Silver, along with a sterling silver bail. They came super fast, and I already have the pendant hanging from a chain. Although the aquamarine color is not perfect, it is very bright and pretty, and reflects the light beautifully.
Another version of the season three necklaces, for all you H2O fans out there!


FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) - The Kentucky House has given final approval to legislation that would ban abortions when a fetal heartbeat can be heard.
The Senate bill, sponsored by Sen. Matt Castlen, R-Owensboro, was presented on the House floor by Rep. Chris Fugate, R-Chavies.
“It recognizes that at the sound of a heartbeat, a child is living,” he told his colleagues. “A heartbeat is the first sign of life and is the last thing you hear when a person dies.”
Rep. Robert Goforth, R-East Bernstadt also spoke in favor of the measure. “I urge this body to pass this bill, it’s a good bill because it saves lives. A life is a gift from God to the world.”
One change to the bill was proposed by Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Louisville. It would have allowed exceptions when two doctors determine that a fetus has abnormalities that would not be compatible with life outside the womb. The amendment was defeated on a voice vote.
Rep. Chris Harris, D-Forest Hills, asked Fugate if this was the same bill declared unconstitutional in Iowa and North Dakota, and vetoed by the governor of Ohio because he felt is was unconstitutional. Fugate answered: “This is not Ohio, this is Kentucky.”
Louisville Democrat Mary Lou Marzian opposed the bill. “This is another attempt to criminalize their doctors and insert ourselves into the doctor’s office.”
She noted the American Civil Liberties Union will file suit and win, costing taxpayers state hundreds and thousands of dollars. Almost on cue, minutes after passage, the ACLU announced it will take the state to court over the measure.
ACLU attorney Brigitte Amiri told the Associated Press that such measures are "blatantly unconstitutional." She says the ACLU will ask a federal judge to strike it down.
“We’ve got a responsibility to taxpayers,” Harris said. “This is not just about coming and passing bills that male us feel good, so we can go home and tell our constituents, ‘Hey, we passed more abortion bills.’”
The legislation passed 71-19 and now heads to Gov. Matt Bevin, who is expected to sign it.
The measure is Senate Bill 9.


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LifeSiteNews.com presents below today’s Population Research Institute’s Weekly Briefing which reveals the ugly true face of America’s pro-abortionists as evidenced by their enraged response to the just passed Hyde-Weldon Conscience Protection Amendment.
PRI Weekly Briefing
24 November 2004
By Joseph A. D’Agostino
FRONT ROYAL, Virginia, November 24, 2004 (PRI.org) – Now that the state of California has forced Catholic Charities, in violation of Catholic teaching, to pay for contraceptives, a federal effort to protect Americans from having to perform abortions shouldn’t surprise anyone. Congressmen Henry Hyde (R.-Ill.) and Dave Weldon (R.-Fla.) succeeded last week by writing a conscience protection clause into a spending bill that passed Congress. The Hyde-Weldon Conscience Protection Amendment simply forbids forcing health insurance companies, hospitals, and doctors to perform, pay for, or otherwise participate in abortions by providing abortion referrals or information.
The amendment passed because a large majority of Americans—and their elected representatives—believe that abortion kills. Many think that the government should outlaw it altogether. Others, like Mario Cuomo and John Kerry, say they are personally pro-life but favour the pro-choice position legally. But without this amendment, they and millions of other Americans
who work in the health care industry and think as they do could be forced to choose between murder and losing their jobs.
The National Organization for Women (NOW), the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL), Democratic congressional leaders, and other pro-abortion figures could have used the passage of the Hyde-Weldon amendment as an opportunity to highlight their supposed belief in the primacy of personal choice and conscience. “We are happy to support this provision,” they could have said. “Just as no one has to have an abortion if she doesn’t want one, no one has to perform or participate in an abortion if they don’t want to.”
Instead, pro-abortion feminist leaders are spewing forth an amazingly vitriolic collection of rhetoric. They are bashing religion-—as if refusing to perform an abortion on religious grounds is unacceptable—while ignoring those who oppose abortion for secular reasons.“House and Senate Republicans sneaked potentially sweeping language into the House spending bill allowing health care providers to use their personal religious opinions to restrict health care services to women…,” said NOW in a November 20 press release. “HMOs and insurance companies could refuse to provide any abortion services, information or referrals to abortion services. … This gag makes women’s bodies the property of right-wing legislators and allows insurance providers’ personal and religious beliefs to dictate health care choices for women.” NOW predicted, “This is the tragic beginning of a tyrannical march to indenture girls and women as second-class citizens, slowly limiting their autonomy and authority over their basic health decisions.”
NARAL Interim President Elizabeth Cavendish insisted, “This move highlights the true agenda of the far right, which controls Congress and the White House—eliminating a woman’s right to choose.” (Consider: Does NARAL actually believe that the American people just returned control of the presidency and Congress, with an increased majority, to the “far right”?)
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.), continuing to spout the failed rhetoric that just cost her party the election, said, “The Title X family planning program provides much-needed reproductive health services that reach millions of low-income, uninsured individuals. … nder this amendment, clinics could participate in the Title X program without providing a full range of reproductive health services. Federal dollars should not be used to deny the federally-protected right to choose.” In the warped logic of the House’s top Democrat, giving federal money to
clinics that don’t provide abortions somehow constitutes the denial of a right.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Gloria Feldt weighed in as well, saying, “The vast majority of Americans oppose allowing health care entities to deny services to women, even if those entities claim their refusal is based on religious or moral grounds.”
For these and other radical abortion rights groups, “reproductive freedom” means forcing other people to perform an act that they sincerely believe is murder. “It is not enough for abortion groups that 1.3 million unborn children are violently killed every year in this country—they want to
force Catholic hospitals to do the killing,” responded Rep. Chris Smith (R.-N.J.). “This is about protecting the fundamental right of conscience for those who do not want to be forced to be involved in abortion. NARAL let the cat out of the bag on their website a few years ago when they launched a program dedicated to ‘requiring Maryland hospitals to provide abortion’—against the will of the hospitals.”
The other co-sponsor of the bill, Dave Weldon, who is himself a doctor, noted, “This policy simply states that health care entities should not be forced to provide elective abortions, a practice to which a majority of health care providers object and which they will not perform as a matter
NARAL, especially, is very displeased with the state of America’s abortion regime. Earlier this year it released a report that concluded, “The nation’s overall grade for women’s access to abortion dropped to a dismal D.” A “D”? Abortion-on-demand at any point in pregnancy is legal in every state, abortion clinics dot the landscape like human waste dumps, and abortions cost only a few hundred dollars each. Moreover, tens of millions of tax dollars flow each year to groups, like Planned Parenthood, that perform abortions. And all this generates a “D”?
Radical feminists now apparently believe that abortion-on-demand means that every medical practitioner has to perform an abortion if such is requested of him. Perhaps NARAL’s “D” stands for “Demand”: a demand that each and every pro-life American be personally complicit in the slaughter.
Joseph A. D’Agostino is Vice President for Communications at the
Population Research Institute.

domain: sociology


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The Akshaya Patra Foundation in Odisha
Plot No. 1192,/1727 ,Mouza Nuahat
The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO feeding millions of underserved children in India. It works towards eliminating two critical concerns – hunger and malnutrition in India – by implementing its school lunch programme in Government and Government-aided schools. Carrying out the world’s largest feeding programme, Akshaya Patra aims to not only fight hunger with nutritious meals but also bring children to school.
In Odisha, the Foundation reaches out to 1,80,140 children in 1,840 schools through four kitchens, based on the centralised and decentralised kitchen models.
Puri: Akshaya Patra’s first kitchen in the state, presently feeding 49,078 children in 661 schools, was established at Puri in June 2006.
Nayagarh: The decentralised kitchen at Nayagarh, currently feeding 23,976 children in 342 schools, was inaugurated in March 2007.
Rourkela: The Foundation launched its operations in Rourkela in November 2013, with a centralised kitchen that currently feeds 48,999 children in 420 schools.
Bhubaneswar: The newest addition to Akshaya Patra’s reach in Odisha is its centralised kitchen at Bhubaneswar, which at the moment feeds 58,087 children in 417 schools.
The cost of feeding a child for a whole year, thanks to Government subsidy and provision of foodgrains, is merely Rs 950. Donate now to support children’s education!


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Now I wait around just like a clown wondering what to do with a map, wondering which road leads back to you. And how do you make a bad time last? Get a camera, put it in a photograph. – Five Easy Pieces
My friend, the train enthusiast, had the blues. You could see it in her eyes, even with yours closed. I thought of what I could do, and what others had done, and the more I thought about it, the more nothing about it I did. She went home and the next time I saw her she was smiling. I asked her how her day was and she said, “I played music.”
Painting, movies, literature; nothing hits quite as hard and fast as music. Like your favorite form of art, it builds, keeps, remembers, tears, sells and forgets, but at the fastest pace. It’s almost instant.
The first time I heard the song “Five Easy Pieces” by Kevin Morby I was in a Whole Foods trying to return a bag of nuts with my brother (he’s allergic). There was a baby crying, a couple arguing about oil, and a meat slicer who had to go to the bathroom. They all stopped, and for a moment, the child no longer needed its mother, the couple forgot about which olive oil label looked better, and the meat slicer took a minute to look at his girlfriend’s Instagram. My brother and I forgot all about our nuts.
We had gone somewhere and ended up somewhere else, much like Kevin Morby when he recorded This Is a Photograph, his new album. After years living in LA he moved back to Kansas City, and during lockdown had his eyes set on Memphis, a place he calls “full of ghosts.”
He is late for our Zoom, but who cares. When he arrives, he looks like someone that has rowed over great bodies of water, though he tells me he has only been jogging. His smirk reminds me of someone who has seen much, and it is obvious when you hear the music. “A Coat of Butterflies” sounds like someone who has been to a few attics and carved Shel Silverstein’s name into the old mahogany of a covered desk. “This Is a Photograph” is spoken, not sung. “A Random Act of Kindness” begins where forgiveness begins: time. “Bittersweet, TN” has banjo and time. A harmonica says ‘I’m here’ in “Disappearing”. “Rock Bottom” believes in laughter. “Forever Inside a Picture” leads into the song that makes me think of the train enthusiast, and her eyes. She is cute, and cool. Don’t know the words. Let’s stop here. Kevin Morby is still late. Who cares? | n matsas
Aquarium Drunkard: Is that you Mr. Morby?
Kevin Morby: Yes! I’m so sorry!
AD: We’re all going to die one day.
Kevin Morby: This is true.
AD: And this will be the last thing we think about.
Kevin Morby: (Laughs) Where are you? How are you?
AD: I’m in San Pedro, CA. Where are you?
Kevin Morby: I’m in Kansas City, MO.
AD: What is Kansas City like?
Kevin Morby: You know, I often describe it as a small Austin, and a small Chicago. It’s geographically in between both of those too. There’s a big jazz history here, and barbecue. It’s a cool place. I grew up here, so I hated it for so long, and then I moved away and didn’t think about KC for so long, and then I moved back. It’s a nice place.
AD: Did you grow up on the Missouri side or the Kansas side?
Kevin Morby: The Kansas side. My girlfriend and I just bought a house together on the Missouri side, and I have a house that I bought in 2015 that we use as our studio on the Kansas side. I still have a Kansas license. I’m a proud Kansian these days after the abortion vote the other day.
AD: It passed by 20%.
Kevin Morby: Yeah! It really makes me hopeful. Roe v. Wade is going to carry over to the 2024 elections, and if this Kansas vote had just passed, I’d still be happy, but we did it by 20% which is making me feel really, really hopeful. People are speaking up. Proud Kansian at the moment.
AD: Before we linked up, I was laying down with my eyes closed, listening to “A Coat of Butterflies” and “Five Easy Pieces”off your new record, and I just want to say that those songs are gorgeous.
Kevin Morby: Thank you.
AD: Can I share with you what I saw while listening to your music?
Kevin Morby: Of course, please do.
AD: “A Coat of Butterflies”- An old row boat heading toward an island of tall grass and wind. “Five Easy Pieces”– A choir singing in a whale’s stomach. Candles everywhere.
Kevin Morby: Very cinematic and psychedelic. “A Coat of Butterflies,” I was really just trying to follow this breadcrumb trail of Jeff Buckley’s time in Memphis. The days leading up to his death. Though I was in Memphis for a handful of weeks to work on this record, this song took up about 80% of my time there. I was just hanging out by the river, listening to Jeff Buckley. I’ve never given a song that much time and effort, and I felt—because I didn’t really know Jeff Buckley—I wanted to do justice to their story. I didn’t want it to be off the cuff or something.
So when I listen to that song I really see how the Mississippi River looks and feels from downtown Memphis. I was also spending time at the Memphis Zoo. There’s a plaque dedicated to him there. He had been trying to get a job there shortly before his death.
AD: At the zoo?
Kevin Morby: In the butterfly garden. Which is sort of a peculiar thing for a famous person like him to do, but it was relatable. You tour and travel all the time and you come home kind of weightless. You really don’t know what to do. So I like that. I really was following this breadcrumb trail. I went to his house, the zoo, the river. With “A Coat of Butterflies” I wanted to incorporate all those elements. The waves you hear in the beginning are made from a wake from a boat in the Mississippi River that I captured. There’s different bird and animal sounds in the song and the song before…I wanted to make it a cinematic, three dimensional experience. I like that it conjured a boat for you.
AD: “Five Easy Pieces.”
Kevin Morby: That’s a funny song. It’s the last one I wrote for the record. In my mind the record was written and ready and existing within a certain theme. “Five Easy Pieces” is a little bit outside of that theme. I thought the record was done but I was watching the movie Five Easy Pieces on this rainy day, and at some point, I turned the movie on mute and sort of re-visualized the plot line to where it was from Karen Black’s perspective rather than Jack Nicholson’s character. Then I wrote this song about it, and while I was writing it I remembered thinking this is going to be a song that ends up on my next record. But I loved it so much I put it on this record. It’s about an old movie, and I’m singing about a lot of old stuff on this record. I think it fits, in its way. For the longest time I was calling it my favorite song on the record.
AD: It’s definitely mine.
Kevin Morby: Thank you. I really love that song. It’s one that I’m really proud of myself for writing.
AD: Was the whole record written in Memphis?
Kevin Morby: No. Memphis I was really just crossing my t’s and dotting my i’s. I had all these ideas, and I don’t think they would have come to fruition if I didn’t chase them. It was part of the process, a big part of the process. Memphis. Jeff Buckley. I think the reason his story became so relatable to me is that all the stories I explored in Memphis were usually about Memphis folk, and he was not from there. He’s from California, and then spent some time in NYC before going to Memphis, and I feel like he ended up there for similar reasons as to why I was there. He was an outsider, but he felt like there was a part of the American lexicon that he was trying to get close to, and getting close to that killed him. He just wanted to go back to American roots, and I find that very relatable.
AD: Have you swam in the Mississippi river at night?
Kevin Morby: No! Absolutely not. I would be a fool to do that. Especially knowing the story.
AD: Photography is in the title, it’s mentioned in songs, it’s on the cover. When I think of photography and Memphis, William Eggelston comes to mind.
Kevin Morby: Yes, for sure. He is definitely an inspiration for all of this.
AD: Alex Chilton, Jay Reatard…
Morby has lifted his laptop and points to two ginormous photographs.
Kevin Morby: Those are Eggelston’s right there. They’re not originals, but they’re Eggelston’s.
In the photographs, I see an empty table with all the silverware out. I see a pile of paper.
Kevin Morby: They’re really cool. It’s the kitchen. Empty sodas. Some food scenes he had taken. I’m a huge Eggleston fan. Huge Alex Chilton, Jay Reatard, all that stuff. Jay Reatard’s story is a good example of visiting Memphis and seeing where he came from and where his music came from. He’s just as powerful as all those other people. He died twelve years ago. It’s a town of a lot of ghosts. There are a lot of stories there and a lot of them are very similar. It’s very inspiring.
AD: Graceland. That’s a big ghost. You dig Elvis?
Kevin Morby: There’s a time and place in everyone’s life for Elvis. For the longest time I had no interest. Same goes for the Beatles. Stuff becomes so embedded into the fabric of everything you do, from the moment you’re born. It’s always just everywhere. Elvis kind of felt like Christmas music to me, or something. But you can’t get deep into Memphis without developing an appreciation for him. I love Elvis. I saw the movie the other night, and really enjoyed it, and yes, yes I do love Elvis. He wasn’t a big inspiration for this record, but his story began to make a lot of sense for me while recording this record.
AD: When did you begin recording this record?
Kevin Morby: First session was November 2020.
AD: When did you begin to think about this album?
Kevin Morby: The beginning of 2020, when I wrote the first song, “This Is a Photograph.”There are often these times in my writing process where something happens and I’m like, “that’s going to lead the charge.” When I wrote the music, and the phrase, ‘this is a photograph’fell out of my mouth, I was like, ‘I’m not sure what this is but I know this is the title of my next record.’ It became that clear, that fast. I knew that this is what it would sound like and that was the title. Spring 2020.
AD: Do you remember the first time you saw a guitar?
Kevin Morby: That’s a good question…No.
AD: Do you remember the first time you played guitar?
Kevin Morby: I do. My mom gave me a Sears catalog when I was ten years old. I could pick something out that I wanted for Christmas, and there was this Yamaha guitar kit, and I picked that out. It came, and didn’t even occur to me that you’d have to tune it. My Dad and I tried to tune it and we had no clue how to tune it. We kept popping strings, ‘cause we thought you just kept tuning up, and I became discouraged the first couple years. I started taking lessons when I was twelve…the first time I saw a guitar, that is a great question. Honestly, my dad was a big fan of the movie, La Bamba. Could have been that, or MTV. Whatever was on MTV.
AD: Was discovering music something you did yourself, or did you have an older sibling, parents, neighbors that sort of pointed you in a direction?
Kevin Morby: I grew up in the ’90s and my sister would buy CDs–Wallflowers, Third Eye Blind, and so a lot came from her. Those were huge hits, and you couldn’t escape them. Hearing all those songs on the radio. Even R&B stuff, literally shit like the Backstreet Boys. It was clear I liked the way music felt. I quickly became obsessed with it, and I was lucky that there was Green Day and Blink-182 on the radio. Green Day is the greatest gateway drug. You read one interview with them and they’re talking about the Ramones and the Replacements, and then the Replacements are talking about Big Star. The doors open up. I remember seeing Green Day for the first time in middle school and they were covering a lot of songs—the Ramones and Operation Ivy—and you’d go to the record shop the next day to the Ramones section. It was gold.
AD: Do you remember waiting in line to buy a CD and hoping it would be good ‘cause this was where your twelve bucks was going?
Kevin Morby: Of course! I thought about this the other day. The only time you get that feeling now is when you go see a movie, and an hour in you’re like, “man, I can’t believe I’m sitting through this.” I do have memories of putting a CD in the car on the ride home and being like, “oh man, this sucks!” And then next week you’d try again.
AD: Did you ever wait for videos on VH1?
Kevin Morby: VH1 was the real music channel. They had Behind The Music and those things blew my mind. I remember they did a Green Day Behind The Music, and they were promoting it, and it was going to come out on a Sunday night and I was so excited, and then I realized it was going to be on for another week, and I felt so defeated. But! BTM was really cool and really informal. Television was really hilarious at that time.
AD: What’s Kansas like today?
Kevin Morby: It’s very, very humid. I went for a run earlier and you feel like you’re swimming in the air.
AD: I miss thunderstorms.
Kevin Morby: Someone asked me the other day what I love most about being back and it’s that I love Spring. I love the storms.
Kevin Morby: Water. ~~ photos | chantal anderson


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While the 3D Platformer genre has been dormant for a while, 2017 saw a couple of notable entries. You’re probably familiar with Super Mario Odyssey, but I want to focus on the smaller release today: A Hat in Time—a game that, thanks to updates and DLC, is better today than ever before.
This is one of my favorite genres, and I’ve spent a lot of time playing games like Super Mario Galaxy, Sonic Generations, and De Blob. So with how dormant the genre has been, you would probably expect that I jumped on A Hat in Time the moment it released. I didn’t actually pick it up until late 2018, and just got around to playing it last week. But in a way I’m glad I waited, because with the massive amount of effort the developers, Gears for Breakfast, has put in post-launch, now is without a doubt the best time to try out this game.
Table of Contents
All too often when smaller developers make platformers, the core movement controls can feel a bit cheap, lacking the polish larger and more experienced devs can provide. But A Hat in Time bucks that trend, with controls that feel just as fine-tuned as you’d expect out of a company like Nintendo. The actual mechanics are simple: All you have is a jump, dive, and wall run. But the flexibility these abilities provide, alongside power-ups you unlock throughout the game, makes the simple act of moving an absolute delight.
Very early on you unlock a sprint cap that allows you to run faster, an ice cap that freezes your body to activate special ice panels, and a witch hat that allows you to throw explosive potions. These fairly basic power-ups might not wow you, but their potential is consistently realized in each stage, making sure none of them feel like an afterthought.
None of that would matter though if the game didn’t have some solid level design, and A Hat in Time most certainly delivers. The game has four proper worlds with six or seven “Acts” (or missions) each, alongside the final world which only has one Act. These Acts vary from exploration-based affairs to proper platforming challenges, with my preference definitely being the latter.
The developers know how to use the mechanics to create stages that are challenging, but not frustrating—all while using the different power-ups and abilities to their fullest. But the more exploration-based stages aren’t lacking either, and once you get used to the flow of the movement you can navigate the stages much faster.
So then, we’re pretty much good then right? After all, the gameplay is the core of any 3D platformer—you can tack on as much set dressing as you want, but if the movement is off the whole game will be off. However, while the controls of A Hat in Time are great, the developers didn’t stop there—they went the extra mile to make sure you would fall in love with the world of this game alongside the gameplay.
Each world in A Hat in Time has its own style, characters, and story to tell. You start on the fairly basic Mafia Town, an island solely inhabited by burly Mafia Goons, all led by the Mafia Boss. The story of overthrowing the Mafia Boss pretty much goes how you would expect, but this is relatively soft compared to the rest of the game. In one stage you’ll solve a murder on a train, film a movie, and be interrogated by crows all at the same time. Or maybe you’ll prefer the Subcon Forest where you complete various tasks set out for you by “The Snatcher” whose currently in possession of your soul.
While the creativity on display is constant and each world feels like its own thing, the one consistency is that A Hat in Time is a bit darker than you might expect. Everything on the outside is all nice and cartoony, but every world you visit is on the brink of some sort of disaster. Both Mafia Town and Subcon Forest are engulfed in flames at one point in your visit, for example. You’re also instructed on the fine art of assassinating people during your stay in Mafia Town as well.
The game keeps all of this rather tongue-in-cheek, as it knows you’re not going to take it seriously (nor it doesn’t want you to). Regardless, this mix of tones does give the story a unique flair compared to the rest of the genre. By mixing in some tangible stakes with the cartoony aesthetics and not limiting the writing to the standard “made for kids” affair, it allows you to grow more attached to the characters of A Hat in Time. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say this: Every major character you speak to has a very distinct and well-realized personality, more than you would expect going into a game like this.
Some shine brighter than others, but none of them truly disappoint—well, maybe besides one. The main antagonist is a bit undeveloped in my opinion, but I chalk that up to a lack of screentime rather than any intrinsic issues with her character. Besides, only one misstep in a cast like this is still nothing to criticize too heavily.
I play a lot of games made by smaller development studios, and when it comes to titles that I would merely call “good” there’s a common issue I have with them. Many games will have great gameplay or a great world/story, but rarely both. This makes sense, those are two very different goals that require different skill sets a small studio may not have access to. But A Hat in Time still manages both, which is what really elevates it from “just another indie game” to one of the greats.
I would be remiss not to touch on the Workshop support for this game. This is only on PC, but you can download user-created stages, abilities, and other mods from the Steam Workshop. If you’ve used the Workshop before, you know how easy this makes modding your game, so I was so glad to see the developers add support for this. Not only does it give you more stuff to do in this game, but the modding community is very impressive. Whether it’s an extremely difficult platforming challenge or adding in Cappy from Super Mario Odyssey, there’s some amazing stuff to be found on the Workshop for this game.
Besides the user-created content, there are also two DLC’s for A Hat in Time, each adding entirely new chapters to the game, alongside a bunch of other stuff (like online co-op and remixed versions of the base game’s levels). I’ve only scratched the surface of these, but from what I’ve heard these new chapters are even better than those found in the base game, so I’m definitely excited to play through them.
While 3D platformers have slipped back into dormancy, there has been a bit of a blip over the past year with Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time and Ratchet and Clack: Rift Apart—so it may not be completely dead. But even it if is, I’m glad A Hat in Time brought back this genre for a bit outside of the Mario brand. While the developers haven’t announced plans to further update the game (and are working on an entirely new game at the moment), what they’ve already done is more than most games like this get, and the user-made content will hopefully support it for years to come.
But even if this game does wind down, I’m glad I finally got around to playing it, and if you’ve read this far I’d recommend giving it a try yourself. A Hat in Time is available right now on PC, Switch, Xbox, and PS4/PS5 for $29.99—it even received a performance update for the PS5 and Series X enabling 60 FPS.
A Hat in Time
A thrilling 3D platformer with excellent mechanics, characters, and stages.

domain: game