This weekend I published a review in The Washington Post of a much discussed book about students today, The Coddling of the American Mind. Although the authors raise important issues and give us much to think about, I am skeptical about their approach to students and about what they choose to highlight as the salient issues concerning the cultivated "fragility" of the young. In my view, students do have much to be concerned about, and they are building resilience (along with creativity and courage) to face those profound concerns.
Oh things ain't what they used to be.
This is the context for Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt's expansion into book form of their popular 2015 Atlantic magazine essay, "The Coddling of the American Mind." The marketable title, assigned to them by a savvy editor at the magazine, evokes Bloom's "The Closing of the American Mind." Both books were meant to bring "wisdom and its opposite" to light through a critical appraisal of what has gone wrong in higher education. Wisdom for Bloom was contained in the questions considered by the Great Books of the Western tradition, books that he feared were no longer studied with seriousness in the age of triumphant multiculturalism and philistine social science. In a move that would have made Bloom ill, Lukianoff and Haidt find "the modern embodiment of . . . ancient wisdom" in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and its techniques for confronting cognitive distortions.
In addition to replaying the hits of classic PC campus culture, Lukianoff and Haidt diagnose the nefarious effects of the common belief that young people are fragile. It's not just the kids' fault. The authors tell a tale of overprotective parents eager to make everything safe for their offspring, leaving little room for young people to learn from their mistakes because they were shielded from ever making any. "Safetyism," as they put it, is a symptom of the "paranoid parenting" styles that the authors claim reached a peak in the 1990s. This is reminiscent of conservatives' accusation that radicals in the 1960s were a product of permissive child-rearing practices derived from Benjamin Spock. Every age seems to have its own cures for the previous generation's supposedly poor child-rearing. Our authors sing the praises of popular websites about free-range kids, and they support the current fashion of making playgrounds a little riskier.
Lukianoff and Haidt do an excellent job of reminding readers of how the assumption of fragility can be disempowering. But are students today disempowered because they've been convinced they are fragile, or do they feel vulnerable because they are facing problems like climate change and massive, nasty inequality? Is the parenting style among middle-class families really paranoid, or are parents recognizing that the middle class is being eroded by economic policies that steer more and more wealth to fewer and fewer people? Are the millions of young people suffering from opioid addiction connected to helicopter parents, too? Are historically marginalized groups feeling absurdly risk averse, or are they appropriately wary of an American population that can be energized by powerful, overtly racist demagogues willing to engage in abusive scapegoating?
Lukianoff and Haidt don't answer these questions but instead rehearse the by-now familiar list of campus demonstrations allowed to run amok. The riots in Berkeley are here, as is the ugly nonsense allowed to overrun portions of Middlebury, Claremont McKenna and Evergreen colleges. These are well-worn examples of truly bad things happening, but it is a mistake to paint them as typical of higher education or as evidence that America is much more polarized than ever before. There are certainly university employees who have been treated unfairly by protesters, but beginning their unfortunately titled chapter "Witch Hunts" with the Chinese Cultural Revolution is offensive or comical, depending on the reader's mood. Millions of people were murdered in the Cultural Revolution. Lukianoff and Haidt describe employees who suffered career disruption, sometimes softened with severance payments.
In the effort to grow "Coddling" from a popular article into a popular book, the authors engage in what they in another context label as distorted thinking: "catastrophizing." They turn their target phenomenon into something dramatic, urgent and very new. Since their article came out, celebrity psychologist Jean Twenge created "iGen," a label to diagnose a cohort of young people born after 1995 who arrived on campuses having been deprived of play, overwhelmed by anxious parents and generally deformed into isolated, nervous addicts of social media. This is a decline even from those born into the cohort that Twenge previously tarred as Generation Me, which is not to be confused with the Me Generation, an appellation used to disparage boomers. Mercy, mercy me.
It would be a mistake, though, to dismiss Lukianoff and Haidt's "Great Untruths" and "explanatory threads" as only so much hype dressed in CBT social scientism. The authors are right to push back hard against the cultivation of fragility and victimhood, and to defend free speech as essential to the mission of higher education. Professors and students shouldn't be afraid to express themselves, make mistakes, find better ways of thinking and living through passionate disputation. Lukianoff and Haidt's insights on the dangers of creating habits of "moral dependency" are timely and important, and the concluding self-help section of the book is reasonable: Keep 'em safe, but not too safe. Things may not be what they used to be, but that common-sense advice still rings true enough.
One could argue that Wesleyan subscribes to the coddling of the American mind approach each Commencement when it serves up yet another keynote speaker who echos the liberal groupthink of the faculty, administration and student body. When will Wesleyan dare to confront its students with any ideology that runs contrary to a strictly progressive agenda?


text:
<?php
namespace Picamator\NeoWsClient\Example;

/**
 * Resource: GET /rest/v1/neo/browse
 */

require_once 'app.php';
require_once __DIR__ . '/template/neo.php';

use \Picamator\NeoWsClient\Request\Data\NeoBrowseRequest;

/** @var  \Picamator\NeoWsClient\Manager\Manager $manager */
$manager = $container->get('neo_ws_manager_neo_browse_manager');

// get response
$request = new NeoBrowseRequest(['page' => 1, 'size' => 5]);
$response = $manager->find($request);

/** @var  \Picamator\NeoWsClient\Model\Api\Data\Component\NeoBrowseInterface $data */
$data = $response->getData();

echo <<<EOT
=================================
          NEO Browse
=================================

HTTP Code                       | {$response->getCode()}
Api key limit                   | {$response->getRateLimit()->getLimit()}
Api key remaining               | {$response->getRateLimit()->getRemaining()}

Page
----

Size                           | {$data->getPage()->getSize()}
Total elements                 | {$data->getPage()->getTotalElements()}
Total pages                    | {$data->getPage()->getTotalPages()}
Number                         | {$data->getPage()->getNumber()}

Links
-----
Prev                           | {$data->getLink()->getPrev()}
Self                           | {$data->getLink()->getSelf()}
Next                           | {$data->getLink()->getNext()}

EOT;

/** @var \Picamator\NeoWsClient\Model\Api\Data\Component\NeoInterface  $item */
foreach($data->getNeoList() as $item) {
    showNeoDetailed($item);
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Последовательное переключение слайдов Как прописать последовательное переключение слайдов по клику на .prev и .next? То есть, чтобы при клике на .next, всплывающее окно #popup-box-a заменялось на #popup-box-b и т.д. При клике на .prev, соответственно, в обратную сторону.
И зациклить круг, чтобы после последнего открывалось #popup-box-a. Пробовала через name.length, но я не очень дружу с jquery.
Вот кусочек кода.
$(document).ready(function() {

    $('body').append('

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    $('body').append('

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    $('body').append('

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    $('body').append('

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    $('body').append('

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    $('body').append('

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    $('body').append('

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    $('body').append('

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    $('body').append('

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    $('body').append('

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    $('body').append('

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    $('body').append('

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    $('body').append('

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    $('[class*=popup-link]').click(function(e) {

        e.preventDefault();
        e.stopPropagation();

        var name = $(this).attr('class');
        var id = name[name.length - 1];
        var scrollPos = $(window).scrollTop();

        $('#popup-box-'+id).show();
        $('#prev-'+id).show();
        $('#next-'+id).show();
        $('html,body').css('overflow', 'hidden');

        $('html').scrollTop(scrollPos);
    });

A: Ну зациклить можно как то так, если конечно я правильно понял задачу...

$(document).ready(function() {
    var imgSrcArr = [
        "../IMG/arts/ami.png", "../IMG/arts/chibi_chibi.jpg", "../IMG/arts/screaming.jpg",
        "../IMG/arts/knight.png", "../IMG/arts/nahraen.jpg", "../IMG/arts/regina.png",
        "../IMG/arts/rin.png", "../IMG/arts/luara.png", "../IMG/arts/moulin_rouge.jpg",
        "../IMG/arts/DA_contest.png", "../IMG/arts/owl.jpg", "../IMG/arts/eva.png",
        "../IMG/arts/me.jpg", "../IMG/arts/winter.jpg", "../IMG/arts/minako.jpg",
        "../IMG/arts/moon_fairy.jpg", "../IMG/arts/flower_fairy.png", "../IMG/arts/luara_and_cassandra.jpg"
    ];

    imgSrcArr.forEach(function(imgSrc, i) {
        var $domElemToAppend = $(
            '
prev
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            '

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            '
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        );
        $('body').append($domElemToAppend);
        if (i + 1 < imgSrcArr.length) {
            $domElemToAppend.hide();
        };
    });

    $('.prev,.next').on('click', function(e) {
        var index = parseInt(e.target.id.split('-')[1]);
        var direction = (e.target.className == 'next') ? 1 : -1;
        var targetIndex = index + direction;
        if (targetIndex < 0) {
            targetIndex = imgSrcArr.length - 1;
        } else if (targetIndex > imgSrcArr.length - 1) {
            targetIndex = 0;
        };
        var selector = '#prev-' + index + ',#next-' + index + ',#popup-box-' + index +
                       ',#prev-' + targetIndex + ',#next-' + targetIndex + ',#popup-box-' + targetIndex;
        $(selector).toggle();
    })
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


To provide competitors with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and knowledge of electrical tasks.
Competitors will be provided electrical drawings showing part of a residence.
The competitors will select and install materials suitable for the application shown and meeting the requirements of the Canadian electrical safety code.
The competitors will be installing lighting and convenience outlet circuits in wood stud walls from the panel board to the point of use. Circuits may include but are not limited to two and three-way switches, standard, switched and split. duplex receptacles, dryer or range receptacles.


As the mom to three kids from trauma backgrounds, I find that my therapeutic toolbox needs frequent updates! My girls are very different, and the techniques that work with one do not always work with the others. There are a number of events scheduled for the spring and summer of 2015 — I hope you can take advantage of one or more!
Conference – ATN will be there!
Speakers include Bessel van der Kolk, Daniel Siegel, Heather Forbes and more.
Chicago, IL Area – April 24-26 Parenting in SPACE – ATN will be there!


text:
Vanessa of Cairo 2020
Interested in Orient Bliss Weeklong Dance Intensive? Register NOW!
Seattle First Oriental Bliss Weeklong Dance Intensive
Sat & Sun 1 hour lunch break
Early bird before April 15, 2015
$225 entire weekend workshops ONLY or $275 entire weekend package.
Before May 30, 2015 $275 entire weekend workshops ONLY or $300 entire weekend package.
After July 1, 2014 $325 entire weekend workshop ONLY.
Advance registration ONLY!!!
All registrations are FINAL and NON-REFUNDABLE; however, you can transfer your registration to someone else.
LIMITED ENTIRE WEEKEND PACKAGE includes:
12+ hours workshops
A guarnteed dance slot in Saturday Participants Hafla
A ticket to Friday night show at Delilah's House Concert with House of Tarab, Helena Vlahos, Delilah & Roxy
FRIDAY 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
The Belly Dancer Masters Q & A at Zamani World Dance
Helena Vlahos
Tamalyn Dallal
Come with your questions or send them to Roxy by 12:00 AM July 15, 2015.
SATURDAY 10:00 AM-4:00 PM 1 hour break at the Hilton Garden Inn in Bothell
The Sensual Chiftetelli
Chiftetelli is often the first rhythm belly dancers learn to recognize, yet it holds its magnetic charm through our entire dance careers! The intricate rhythm starts to feel natural, freeing the dancer to become creative and explore new movements and different connections to the music. Helena, having danced to the Chiftetelli countless times, will open the doors to the multitudes of possibilities for creative musical interpretation within this rich, and multi-layered rhythm, bringing new life and classic beauty to your belly dance.
Vintage Cabaret with 6 Parts
1) Fast: Entrance with Traveling Steps and Turns. The veil is wrapped around your body in your favorite style to be used in your first slow piece of music which is after the entrance.
2) Slow: Bolero or Rumba will be used in your first slow part. We will manipulate the veil in artistic and tastefully sensual movements. At the end of this section you will discard the veil to prepare for the next section of your dance.
3) Medium: Maqsum, Balady or Saidi with sassy combinations to spice up your dance with these popular rhythms
4) Slow: Chiftetelli Combos using Hip Circles, Figure Eights, Mayas, Sways, Camels and their variations where each move melts into the next with graceful arms to compliment your every move with Helena's classic stylization.
5) Drum Solo: We have so many choices of drum solos. Some are fast and exciting, some slower and more playful, some have a lot of rhythm changes. This is a great part of our dance to draw our audience in. In this section we are building up to our finale.
6) Finale: A short exciting finale will follow using moves as in the Entrance. Our music can be the same as our entrance music but cut down to about 30 seconds to one minute.
SUNDAY 9:30 AM-3:30 PM 1 hour break at the Hilton Garden Inn in Bothell
Abdominal Technique
Helena Vlahos' jaw-dropping abdominal work has earned her a place in the Guinness Book of World Records, and more than a modicum of respect from anyone who's ever been lucky enough to see this incredible feat in person!
This workshop will teach you how to manipulate the abdominals. You will learn the secret of first isolating and then contracting the belly muscles, which will lead to belly rolls and flutters. This class will also include an introduction to rolling quarters and dollar bills.
Zills
Drills, Combos, A Capella & Zill pattern progression. Realizing that the "complex" patterns you hear are made up of simple patterns you already know. We can create new patterns from patterns like the single strike, the 2 pattern, the 3 pattern. When we put them together in certain combinations, we can create rhythmic sounds to accompany a complex piece of music with many rhythm changes. Or we can accompany ourselves in a zill solo or a capella. When we practice many hours, we sound like part of the orchestra or great alone with our zills.
Workshop Topics
About Helena Vlahos
Helena Vlahos is the bellydance legend and master teacher!
Helena Vlahos is a precise, energetic performer & instructor with a wealth of knowledge to share! She teaches improvisation and choreography, zills, veil, cane, arms, hip articulations, upper body, belly work (with quarters & dollars), and rhythms with zills (beledy, Maqsum, saidi, chifte telli, 9/8 & 6/8 to name a few).
She is a legendary belly dancer who is well known for her "Nine Quarter and Dollar Bill Act". She is in the Guinness Book of World Records for Unique Abdominal Dexterity.
Helena started her dance career in Los Angeles, California in the mid 1960's. She moved to Texas in 1971, where she was asked to perform at various Greek nightclubs. While there, she ran and operated two belly dance schools.
Helena moved back to Los Angeles in 1978 and was invited to perform her unique act on television shows such as "AM Los Angeles", "That's Incredible", "Spectacular World of Guinness Records" and many more.
In 1990 Helena moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where she taught classes at numerous colleges, dance studios and resorts. She also found time to perform at the Bacchanal Greek Restaurant.
She is on the Executive Panel of Judges for Tonya & Atlantis' Belly Dancer of the Universe Competition every February in Long Beach, California.
Helena has mentored dancers who have gone on to win titles in competitions including the BDUC.
Helena's finger cymbals can be heard on Damon the Gypsy's original (1969) and re-mastered (2009) album "Song of a Gypsy" and in his new re-mixed album "Gypsy Eyes". Damon has a new DVD "Dance Little Gypsy" in which Helena has a featured part.
Helena moved back to Los Angeles in the fall of 2011, where she teaches and performs when not traveling for master workshops.
Question about registration Contact Roxy!
Hilton Garden Inn in Bothell, WA
22600 Bothell Everett Highway
Bothell, WA 98021
© 2019 Oriental Bliss Productions. All Rights Reserved.
Want Roxy to sponsor your future workshops in Seattle? Contact ROXY NOW with your proposal for
2021 and beyond!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: How to avoid overwrite in query results when a where condition like: "in (23,24,22,23)" I have one such sql:
 select name from A where id in (23,24,22,23)

When I run it in Navicat, the result only have one result of 23.
 My question is, how to keep the number and order of the query results remains the same as (23,24,22,23).

A: If you want to maintain the order of the result then use order by clause like
select name from A
where id in (23,24,22)
order by id;

Again, assuming that id is a primary key column in your table A then there will be only one row with id = 23. How do you expect the same row to get repeated automatically unless you make it explicit by using a UNION ALL

A: If you really really want to fetch the records like this, you can use field function to get 23,24,22 and order by this sort:
select name from A where id in (23,24,22) order by field(id, '23,24,22')

then use union all get another 23:
(select name from A where id in (23,24,22) order by field(id, '23,24,22'))
union all
select name from A where id = 23


text:
Lab Client Response (1.0, 8:30 am-5:00 Mon-Fri)
Boone Hospital Center
Boone Hospital Center is a 394-bed full service hospital located in Columbia, MO. It is a regional referral center located in the center of the state. The hospital provides progressive healthcare programs, services, and technology to people in 26 mid-Missouri counties. Although the hospital is full service, areas in which Boone Hospital Center excels are cardiology, neurology, oncology, surgical, obstetrical services, and numerous other specialties. The hospital maintains a 24-hour emergency center with hospital-based ambulance service and a helipad for incoming emergency air transportation. Recognizing its excellence in nursing care, Boone Hospital Center has been certified as a "Magnet Hospital" by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
The laboratory department at Boone Hospital Center provides routine, emergency, and esoteric testing for patients in the community we serve. Services are available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The laboratory departments are staffed with nationally certified clinical technical specialists, medical laboratory technologists, medical laboratory technicians and histotechnicians. These positions are supported by lab technicians, lab assistants, phlebotomists, and clerical support personnel.
Responsible for providing precise and accurate ordering of laboratory tests, entering laboratory results into the computer, reporting laboratory results, answering customer inquiries in a timely manner, calling exceptions to clients, correctly directing inquiries, and following up on problems.
Processes all incoming and outgoing calls. Sorts reports; adds on tests when orders are faxed or delivered in an accurate and timely manner.
Coordinates a simultaneous series of tasks accurately, including STAT orders and fluctuation in workload. Prioritizes work to complete within scheduled hours and established turnaround times. Performs work in an organized and systematic manner.
Provides general clerical support to laboratory including insurance and requisition processing.
- Physical/Life Science/related
MLT-ASCP or equiv


A close ally of the CEO, the CFO has a complex role to play by acting as the organisation's conscience keeper as well.
I have been a CFO for over two decades. And during this time, I have wondered what it takes to be a CEO? How does my CEO look at me? With the roles having been reversed, it's nice to look at the other side of the coin.
Usually the CFO is the number two management person of an organisation. With the power of the purse strings vested in him, a CFO provides the impression of enjoying unbridled power. In the earlier days of my career, as a relatively junior finance executive, I looked at the CFO with awe – a feeling of dread and reverence.
After becoming CFO, my job description changed to advising the CEO on a day to day basis on issues ranging from strategies that needed to dovetail, financial position and productivity that that needed to improve and profit numbers that needed to sharpen.
During a job interview, the CEO of a Fortune-500 company once told me what he thinks of his dream CFO. He gave me the example of General Electric, one of the most respected companies in the world. He sighted Jack Welch, the then GE CEO, who declared growth in quarterly results, for a continuous period of over 40 quarters.
The CEO often desires his CFO to deliver incessant growth, manage shareholder expectations and protect the CEO from embarrassing results of any goof-ups.
To take the example of GE further, during 1995 and 2004, GE either met or exceeded the earnings estimate, quarter after quarter. The company was the darling of the stock market. Can you believe that a company can declare earnings growth for 10 continuous years? No wonder, Jack Welch used to eat literally from his CFO's hands.
What transpired thereafter was unnerving. GE falsified accounts to the extent of a whopping $1 billion. GE created 'accounting reserves' at good times, known as "cookie-jar reserves" and used it to top-up in quarters showing earning shortfalls. Gross accounting shenanigans at the very least!
CFOs need to cogently guard against expectations of some CEOs to generate profits out of thin-air. Accounting misdemeanours have engulfed numerous organisations and destroyed many. The Satyam, Enron, World-com or Lehman Brothers episodes are well-known. Others include Microsoft, Olympus, IBM, Coca-Cola, AOL, Reebok-India, AIG, Marriott, Vestas, Dell, just to name a few. All of them carried out deceitful accounting some time or the other, to project 'holier than thou' image.
CFOs are required to protect shareholder interests and preserve organisations from loss of assets. 'Internal controls' are like moral prophylactics. Many a times internal controls are neglected leading to severe losses. HSBC admitted to internal control weakness leading to failure to detect money-laundering activities within the bank in US.
JPMorgan Chase incurred multi-billion dollar trading losses in 2012 as it ignored internal controls. A rogue-trader piled up huge losses in Societe Generale during 2005 and 2007, due to serious lapses in internal controls in the bank.
It may be unbelievable but it's true. Globally companies lose about 5 per cent of revenue or a whopping $3.5 trillion (nearly double of India's GDP) due to frauds. Worse is that only a small proportion of frauds detected are reported, which in turn is a fraction of fraud that remains of out sight.
CFO expectations in the arena of internal controls have thus enhanced over period of time, especially when both the CEO and CFO have to certify every quarter that their accounts reflect true and fair view of business activities and there is no accounting jugglery or unreported fraud. It is a heavy burden to fulfil in the era that follows Enron and Satyam.
Which CEO does not want to have adequate money for running the business and to fund growth? Who does he go to fulfil this need? The CFO is the obvious and unchallenged answer.
In these days of high NPAs, banks are extra careful to vet funding proposals. With some banks being under CBI scanner, it is becoming increasingly difficult to convince banks to open their coffers.
The money-manager has to exhibit and demonstrate his prowess to the financiers that their money is safe and will produce sound results.
The CEO needs a business partner so that he can step away from books and concentrate on the other aspects of business. The CFO fills the gap.
The CFO typically works on accounting, budgeting, financial-analysis, banking, financing and investor-relations along with overseeing IT, M&A, insurance, procurement and legal.
When the CEO is getting distracted from critical revenue generating activities to handle financing or similar issues, it's usually the 'tipping point' for a CFO to come in. Normally, a company of size exceeding Rs 50-75 crore needs a finance head, whatever be the nomenclature used, to support organisational success.
The 'corner-office-guy' depends heavily on his CFO to act as a mentor to speed people along the learning curve. No silver-bullet theories but effective leadership to help the daily running of the organisation. Make no mistake – leadership is all about getting results. It's about getting people excited to perform and to make a difference to organisational performance.
The CFO role, hence, is shifting with the changing times. From the traditional role of a 'steward' to minimise risk, and an 'operator' to run a tight finance organisation, the role has shifted to being a 'strategist' and a 'catalyst'. The core competencies thus go beyond controlling cash, cost and capital.
Investors value a company by projecting future cash flows and then discounting them to present value. Ultimately, it's all about the future.
The CFO too needs to continuously rediscover himself to convert investor-hope into reality. I almost view the CFO to be the next step to the CEO. It has happened to me. And it should happen to most. They understand everything, they look at an organisation with a helicopter view and yet scan the details through a magnifying glass. There is hardly anyone else better suited to be the future boss of any organisation.


text:
MAIN : Diagnostic Imaging : MRI of Musculoskeletal System
Back to Diagnostic ImagingDiagnostic Imaging
MRI of the Musculoskeletal System
Johann Lang, Dr.med.vet., DECVDI; Martin Konar, Dr.med.vet.
Division of Clinical Radiology, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty Bern, Bern
In human medicine examination of musculoskeletal abnormalities of the appendicular skeleton is the most common non-neurologic application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The knee (menisci, ligaments), shoulder (rotator cuff), and hip joints (avascular necrosis) are the joints most often examined, but other joints and soft tissues also are assessed with MRI. In veterinary medicine there is an increasing number of reports describing normal MRI anatomy and pathology of the distal limbs in clinically normal and lame horses. In small animals reports using MRI as a diagnostic tool in orthopedic diseases are still sparse. They are concentrating on technical aspects including contrast procedures, specific regions such as the knee joint, assessment of specific diseases such as bone tumors and research on pathophysiology and treatment of osteoarthritis using the dog as model (e.g., Pond Nuki model for the development of osteoarthritis).
The following paragraphs will give a short review on applications of MRI in orthopedic diseases in small animals and discuss possible indications, benefits and limitations. Radiography is still the single most important diagnostic tool for the detection and diagnosis of musculoskeletal diseases, and Ultrasonography is an excellent method for soft tissue pathologies. Computed tomography (CT) and MRI are used as complementary techniques in selected cases. It is widely accepted that computed tomography has advantages over MRI in imaging the morphology of normal bone and in traumatology, whereas MRI is the method of choice in imaging soft tissues such as the muscles, tendons, ligaments, joint capsule and menisci, but also diseases of the bones leading to alteration in the bone marrow composition. The examination time of MRI is longer than for CT especially if helical CT scanners are used. This has consequences for the anesthesia and increases the costs.
Properties of MRI:
Very high soft tissue (contrast) resolution
Individual sequences and contrast media allow differentiation of different types of soft tissues and pathologies
Imaging in any desired plane facilitates three-dimensional understanding of morphology
STIR or other fat saturation sequences: high contrast, low spatial resolution--screening for lesions in general, bone marrow, menisci, muscles
FE T2*: good contrast and moderate spatial resolution--ligaments in general, menisci
FE 3D MPR or SPGR (T1)--native/+C : high spatial resolution--contrast sensitive, cartilage
Completely balanced sequences (BASG; True FISP, B-FFE3D; other)--ligaments/cartilage
FSE T2: high contrast moderate spatial resolution--tendons; trouble shooting for high SI in ligaments (cranial cruciate ligament)
SE T1 in combination with post contrast studies
MRI is an excellent tool for screening for bone metastases with a compared to scintigraphy higher sensitivity for specific soft issue tumors. However, assessment of bone marrow pathology requires knowledge of the MRI features of the normal bone marrow in different age groups. The different patterns are associated with the different composition of the bone marrow in growing, adult and aging bones. Fat suppression sequences such as the STIR (Short TI Inversion Recovery) will exhibit a bright signal in the diaphysis of long bones in 3 to 6 month old dogs because of the "red" bone marrow. In adult dogs, this will be replaced by fatty marrow and will be dark in the same sequence. However, reconversion to hematopoietic marrow is also described in older individuals.
In a series of 10 dogs with osteosarcoma of long bones, radiographic examination underestimated tumor length substantially in 1 limb and slightly in another limb. CT and MRI were least accurate but did not underestimate tumor length in any of the limbs. Obviously, MRI is overestimating the extent of osteosarcoma because it is very sensitive for any change in the adjacent bone marrow such as inflammatory reaction or hyperemia.
Most joints including the shoulder joints are rare indications to perform an MRI in dogs. Unlike as in humans where rotator cuff tear is the most typical indication for MRI of the shoulder, bicipital injuries are far more common in the dog. However, the supra- and infraspinatus muscle and tendon insertion, the bicipital tendon and tendon sheath, and the shoulder are readily assessed using ultrasonography and are rare indications for MRI.
As in humans, the knee joint is also the joint with the highest number of MRI reports in the dog. The primary indication for MRI of the knee is evaluation of internal derangement. MRI is helpful when physical examination findings and the results of other imaging modalities are equivocal or for assessing the entire joint with all its components. MRI primarily assesses the menisci and ligaments, but the joint capsule, the integrity of the osseous structures and muscles also can be evaluated. MRI is a sensitive method for assessing the menisci non-invasively. MRI of meniscal injuries of the knee in the dog is not fully understood yet and there are differences in the appearance depending on the field strength of the magnet. However, a meniscal tear usually appears as increased signal that reaches the articular surface within the normally dark menisci. Ligamentous injuries of the knee typically present as abnormally high signal and lack of a normal course for the ligament in question. MRI therefore is an excellent method for evaluation of cranial cruciate ligament tears and associated pathologies of the menisci and underlying bone of the tibial plateau and femoral condyles including for the presence of osteophytes. Bone marrow edema like lesions ("bone bruise") will appear dark on a STIR sequence, is usually masked by the fat in T2 sequences und will appear dark on T1 sequences. They may or may not take up contrast.
Due to its small thickness being in the range of the achievable resolution of the applied MR-sequences, cartilage imaging is still a challenge in veterinary MRI. Whereas in human medicine very high resolution sequences with fat suppression pulses are of great value, the best sequence for cartilage evaluation in veterinary MRI still has to be determined. However, because of its high sensitivity for bone marrow changes, a cartilage lesion can be suspected due to changes of the subchondral bone.
Muscular lesions are readily identified using fat suppression techniques (e.g., STIR). They are preferred to normal SE or FSE T2 sequences because hyperintense lesions may be masked by the hyperintense surrounding fat. In a STIR sequence, the normal muscle will appear dark, a lesion usually will present with high SI. They may or may not take up contrast material; if contrast medium is used, fat-water separation techniques will highlight contrast enhanced lesions. Fat suppression techniques are also helpful in distinguishing fatty degeneration of muscles from other lesion. Fatty degeneration (atrophy) will present with volume loss (usually) and relatively high SI in T1 and T2 sequences. These areas will present with low SI using fat suppression techniques.
1. Baird, D. K., J. T. Hathcock, P. F. Rumph, S. A. Kincaid, and D. M. Visco. 1998. Low-field magnetic resonance imaging of the canine stifle joint: normal anatomy. Vet. Radiol. Ultrasound 39: 87-97.
2. Baird, D. K., J. T. Hathcock, S. A. Kincaid, P. F. Rumph, J. Kammermann, W. R. Widmer, D. Visco, and D. Sweet. 1998. Low-field magnetic resonance imaging of early subchondral cyst-like lesions in induced cranial cruciate ligament deficient dogs. Vet. Radiol. Ultrasound 39: 167-173.
3. Banfield CM, Morrison WB. Magnetic resonance arthrography of the canine stifle joint: technique and applications in eleven military dogs. Vet Radiol & Ultrasound 2000; 41: 200-213.
4. Carrig, C. B. 1997. Diagnostic imaging of osteoarthritis. Vet. Clin. North Am. Small Anim Pract. 27: 777-814.
5. Davis, G. J., A. S. Kapatkin, L. E. Craig, G. S. Heins, and J. A. Wortman. 2002. Comparison of radiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of appendicular osteosarcoma in dogs. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 220: 1171-1176.
6. Gonzalo-Orden JM, Altonaga JR, Gonzalo-Cordero JM et al. Magnetic resonance imaging in 50 dogs with stifle lameness. Eur J Comp An Pract 2001; 11: 115-118.
7. Hoskinson, J. J. and R. L. Tucker. 2001. Diagnostic imaging of lameness in small animals. Vet. Clin. North Am. Small Anim Pract. 31: 165-80, vii.
8. Konar, M., Kneissl, S., Vidoni, B., Lang, J., Mayrhofer E. Niederfeld-Magnetresonanztomographie am Kniegelenk des Hundes Teil 1: Untersuchungsprotokolle und Sequenzen. Tierärztl. Prax. 2005; 33 (K); 5-14
9. Konar, M.,Vidoni B., Kneissl, S., Doherr, M., Mayrhofer, E., Lang, J. Niederfeld-Magnetresonanztomographie am Kniegelenk des Hundes Teil 2: Verteilung pathologischer Veränderungen und Korrelation mit Operationsbefunden. Tierärztl. Prax. 2005; 33 (K); 73-82
10. Nolte Ernsting CC, Adam G, Buhne M et al. MRI of degenerative bone marrow lesions in experimental osteoarthritis of canine knee joints. Skeletal Radiol 1996; 25: 413-420.
11. Ohlerth S, Lang J, Scheidegger J et al. Magnetic resonance imaging and arthroscopy of a discoid lateral meniscus in a dog. Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology 2001; 14: 90-94.
12. Sanders TG, Medynski MA, Feller JF et al. Bone contusion patterns of the knee at MR imaging: footprint of the mechanism of injury. Radiographics 2000; 20: 135-151.
13. Snaps, F. R., J. H. Saunders, R. D. Park, B. Daenen, M. H. Balligand, and R. F. Dondelinger. 1998. Comparison of spin echo, gradient echo and fat saturation magnetic resonance imaging sequences for imaging the canine elbow. Vet. Radiol. Ultrasound 39: 518-523.
14. Snaps, F. R., M. H. Balligand, J. H. Saunders, R. D. Park, and R. F. Dondelinger. 1997. Comparison of radiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and surgical findings in dogs with elbow dysplasia. Am. J. Vet. Res. 58: 1367-1370.
15. Snaps, F. R., R. D. Park, J. H. Saunders, M. H. Balligand, and R. F. Dondelinger. 1999. Magnetic resonance arthrography of the cubital joint in dogs affected with fragmented medial coronoid processes. Am. J. Vet. Res. 60: 190-193.
16. van Bree, H., B. Van Ryssen, H. Degryse, and F. Ramon. 1995. Magnetic resonance arthrography of the scapulohumeral joint in dogs, using gadopentetate dimeglumine. Am. J. Vet. Res. 56: 286-288.
17. van Bree, H., H. Degryse, B. Van Ryssen, F. Ramon, and M. Desmidt. 1993. Pathologic correlations with magnetic resonance images of osteochondrosis lesions in canine shoulders. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 202: 1099-1105.
18. Wallack ST., Wisner ER., Werner JA., Walsh PJ., Kent MS., Fairley RA., Hornof WJ: Accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging for estimating intramedullary osteosarcoma extent in pre-operative planning of canine limb-salvage procedures; Vet Radiol Ultrasound. 2002 43(5): 432-41.
19. Widmer WR, Buckwalter KA, Braunstein EM et al. Radiographic and magnetic resonance imaging of the stifle joint in experimental osteoarthritis of dogs. Vet Radiol & Ultrasound 1994; 35: 371-383.
20. Widmer, W. R., K. A. Buckwalter, E. M. Braunstein, D. M. Visco, and B. L. O'Connor. 1991. Principles of magnetic resonance imaging and application to the stifle joint in dogs. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 198: 1914-1922.
21. Yabe, K., K. Yoshida, N. Yamamoto, S. Nishida, C. Ohshima, M. Sekiguchi, K. Yamada, and K. Furuhama. 1997. Diagnosis of quinolone-induced arthropathy in juvenile dogs by use of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. J. Vet. Med. Sci. 59: 597-599.
24bb2905-eb41-4951-8c9d-9d9e2a6205b9.1674999563
Martin Konar, Dr.med.vet.
Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine
Vetsuisse Faculty Bern
Johann Lang, Dr.med.vet., DECVDI


Perfect Parallel is pleased to provide an open Alpha of our physics engine in operation on our purposely built practice range.
Perfect Parallel is pleased to provide an open Alpha of our physics engine in operation on our purposely built practice range. We have decided to provide this as an open alpha test as a thank you to everyone who has supported us as we have tried to move closer to seeing our own vision and reality come true. In future we will be providing much more alpha and beta content and we may make this content available through a mini kickstarter we will launch on this site.
In this build there is no golfer and there is no swingmeter, but you can change all the values that are core to our physics engine within the game environment and you can also save your settings and load them again when you play.
For now this is available as a windows executable but we hope to release in MAC format and maybe even web format very soon.
Instructions can be found on the initial splash screen. As always we welcome your feedback.
That was good fun! Well done.
First - at the risk of sounding a bit dense (a risk I'm willing to take) - how do you quit?
-let's race carts on that long path!
Really nice start. Really looking forward to creation tools.
You have to register an account to see the download- just a heads up to other lurkers.
After just 45 minutes of playing around I am blown away- xbox controls are amazing (once you lock into the xbox- look up and down control interface). Ball flights and rolls were great, bounces back to bunkers, hitting trees- gave real life performance. Will test it some more tomorrow night- just can't wait for this game.
Having problem running the program. I enter my username and password that I am registered here with, but nothing happens when I click OK. What am I missing?
This is great fun! Once I figured out how to rotate the ball launch I was launching balls like missles! haha.
I had the graphics on "fastest" and it looks unbeleivable! I'm so excited for this game.
The only issue I had was the ball camera ("F" key on my PC?) didn't seem to load.
I had the same problem with entering my username and password didnt want to launch.
I have a somewhat different issue...the icon is clicked & goes to the sign in screen, I do that successfully & it goes to the screen size screen gives me the option a 1280 x 720 size @ full screen. I click ok it fizzles out, acts like it is trying to load but doesn't & crashes. Use win7 64 bit, athlon X3 2.9 ghz, 8 gb ram & ati 7770 pci card. Running avast 8.0 free & comodo 6.2 firewall. Any help is appreciated.
When I click ok I get a full blank screen with a blank mini-screen centered that is labeled pga...NOT MUCH FUN LOOKING AT THAT. Any clues anyone?
Es funktioniert nicht. Nur ein schwarzes Fenster mit Meldung "pga range", egal bei welcher Auflösung.
Had a good look at this today. Took some playing around to get the feel of it and it plays great.
Good start guys. Well done.
I also get a username /pasword prompt thta does not accept my ID from here.
Several people are having this issue now, has anyone solved It?
Played around with it for about 30 minutes. Love the graphics on max. Good start to the development. Putting seems weak as if full power putts dont go far without changing green physics but hey its an alpha test of a driving range so cant expect much just yet. Excited to see this get developed into a released game.
I got to play with it a bit this past Saturday. I like what I'm seeing so far, although it would be nice to have a downrange cut camera to get a better look at how the ball is reacting on the other end of the shot. I like the direction this is taking so far though. I'm really curious to see how this could take root on consoles, especially next-gen, but I'd take it on current-gen XBox 360 or PS3.
Don't forget you can use the w,a,s,d keys and your mouse to move around the practice area to look at shots from different perspectives including close to the ball's landing spot.
I REALLY LOVE THIS, great work devs. I haven't had much time with this with work and all.
I'll do that the next time I have a chance to sit down with it (tomorrow), and thanks for the reminder of how to do that Mike. I really didn't have much time when I ran the Alpha, and obviously, I didn't read the notes completely, or I would have known this. It's a really good sign that you guys are already giving this much attention to the camera production in the presentation of the game!
I had the problem also. i finally had to create another account with a new username and it went off without a hitch. The site recognized my original username, but it was like I was not an authorized user. I clicked on the "resend validation" link several times over the course of a week and never got a validation e-mail. When I entered the new account, everything was done in less than 10 minutes.
Man oh man, can't wait for the real game.
Played with it for about 30 mins. Hit a ball that rolls into water and it took about 20sec to sink/roll to the bottom. If game play is for ball to come to rest before next shot, then it could seem to be a long wait. Will paly with it over the few days.
We're hoping to get the physics to the point where we can skip the ball off the water under certain circumstances much like they do in practice at Augusta's 16th hole.
You must register AND be signed in - in order to see this downloadable content in the downloadable section.
Attention all Golfers, Caddys, golf balls and groupies in the event you download and use this "Physics Test Alpha Build" perhaps, for those of you that did not, give constructive and MANY comments regarding the build in order to help out the mission. Thank you .... just a thought that at some point we should give lots of info to the Parallel People so that they can have many more ideas and understanding of how the community is relating to the game.
The way to exit the program is to ALT - TAB then Right Mouse Click this program on your taskbar and select Close program or exit.
I ran the program the Insane graphics setting and choose the resolution of 1680 x 1050 which is the same as my desktops resolution. I am using a SyncMaster 2233 that has a 20000:1 Dynamic Contrast this is an older monitor and I do not believe it is made anymore but it is or at least was at the time a decent monitor. It is a widescreen.
ok so at the Welcome Screen maybe have a statement saying something like you can access this screen at anytime by pressing F1 once you are in the Alpha Build. (I eneded up using Fraps to get a screen shot of the controls but then when finally started the game I realized I could just hit F1 at anytime .. anyway.) Also, maybe tell people how to get back out of it once they want to exit.
Ok so with Insane graphics on and using Full Screen with resolution of 1680 x 1050 everything looked great and ran fine. When I was in free mouse move and panned around it was slightly blurry as I spun right and left but that is because my monitor speed is not real fast. When I flew around using the keyboard W, S, A, or D keys or the Q or E to go up and down everything was fine no blurring .
Shots into the sand had no visible sand flying but with the Epic beauty and graphics and physics who cares but it might be something your going to fix in the future .... no sand flying out when hits out of sand either. Twice my ball was never shown though it hit and I guess stopped on the green but when I shot from a different spot onto the green they always showed up.
When on the green putter at even full power only lets us hit it a few feet perhaps this will be tweaked later but we will need to be able to easily hit it from one side of the green to the other right or from the fringe close to the hole. ??? (because people like me don't knock it next to the hole every shot.) Regarding the Fringe it looks cool but seems no different than being on the green but perhaps this has not been tweaked yet.
Had lots of roll I mean lots of roll and roll and roll whilst hitting into the slope of the fairway had to bump the friction up to .88 or higher.
Water shots we fine I even swam down into the water and hit it out of there. The water looks absolutelly fantastic.
The wild flowers look great too.
And the Waterfall and all the sounds are so welcome.
Even the bird moves a little.
The light green bush where one initially starts at .. this bush kind of like shudders rather than blows in the wind. But if i was actually playing a hole I would probably not even notice it.
The distance background looks fantastic too.
The PGA flag and colors is a nice touch with such attention to detail.
The clouds look like I'm outside looking up.
I hope at some point consideration will be given to the concept that some of us may want total realism and therefore may want this to be very hard to ever hit under par this is perhaps realistic but often in golf games it can make many of us be convinced that there is no point in figuring out the wind, lie of ball, distance, slope because unless the game has like an arcade mode we will never hit a good shot or if we do it was an accident. I just hope it is not going to be frustrating like many golf games are it seems one has to play on either arcade setting or aggravation mode there is no inbetween. I hope attention will be given to this area too. The graphics is going to set the new standard hopefully the overall expierience will too. There is a golf game out there that is somewhat remotelly like this one in that compared to the franchises that produce the yearly golf game this other one had a much better course creator, and much more realistic physics except that you could only play against a computer component that looked graphically as pathetic as you did but they always hit great shots and like 5 to 8 under par whereas your person even on an easier setting always go a ways over par. When one choose better accuracy vs distance it game much less distance but no better accuracy the darn thing was to frustrating. I mean ya had to hold a piece of wood in your left hand and with the right hand on the mouse using true swing slide the mouse on this straight edge to get an decent shot and this was on the "arcade setting" so to speak .. it was to much of a pain to enjoy it. It is a had balance to make so I figure just make the hardness of the swing vs the easiest of the swing very tweakable give the user many options maybe even a choice of a random errant shot that occurs no matter how well they hit the ball but then have it too to where they can set it to where they can often hit the ball well even though they don't move there mouse pefectly. Ultimatelly I think this is what will sell the most games if it is enjoyable for everyone meaning it will need a lot of different difficulty settings.
one other thing the tops of the pine trees have a white color like they have been cut off like a white dot at the tops of each pine tree.


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Community Stuff (199)
In The Works (5)
Out Now (194)
DMLCompetition Game Changers People's Choice Awards 2010 (Voting Ends June 4th)
gevurah22
Hey LBPCentral, remember that competition where people could win around $50,000 for creating an educational project in LBP? Well, help us vote for what you think is the best LBP educational project!
The public voting for the Game Changers People's Choice Awards 2010 has opened and it would be great if we could help get your votes for the following project winners. This whole competition, sponsored by Sony, the HASTAC Foundation, and the University of California, was held to help foster education through gaming. These levels are going be coupled with 1000 PS3s donated by Sony to libraries in low income communities, on top of being available to the rest of the PSN community.
The following six projects were chosen as award winners a few days ago and now your vote can determine which one is the best overall by the people! =P
It's on: Mm vs. Harmonix in the Developer Showdown.
Voting for the first round of the Escapist's March Mayhem Developer's Showdown 2010 begins today. It's a chance for the public to vote for their favourite developers. A chance to show the world who truly has the biggest and most persuadable fan base. A chance for The Escapist to treble their readership. But most of all, it's an all out horrible teeth-gnashing bloody battle to the death to see who will actually bother voting, and who is the BEST DEVELOPER EVAR.
We are committed to victory. There is a very slim chance of achieving that victory, it's basically a suicide mission, and that is why we have chosen YOU to fight for us whilst we hang out behind the lines drinking tea.
Now is the time people! Sign up and vote for us, the true underdogs of this war. Do your duty and vote, vote, vote for Molecule! I'll lead the charge! The 900 billion people who own Rock Band won't even know what's hit 'em!
Vote Molecule!
Note that you need to sign up for an account at The Escapist to vote.
We might be snowed in, but we've still got Hadaway!
OK it's really snowing now....
Are you snowed in? England is currently a wintery wonderland, and as the snow storms drift ever closer, we will soon be joining our friends at Sony Liverpool; snowed into the office, and forced to work harder ...
Happy Christmas!
This morning we all crept downstairs to see what Father Christmas had left for us in our stockings. We got an orange, and some chocolate, a doodad, some wotchamacallems and that neat little toy we'd been coveting all year long, what a haul! We hope Father Christmas brought you all nice things too!
Now it's time to feast upon roasted foods, watch the Queen's Speech, have a bit of a family tiff, make up with some chocolates, and settle down for some classic Christmas ...
LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition - Review by LBPCentral
Watermill Valley by jump_button
LittleBigPlanet is both evolutionary and revolutionary. It set a completely new standard for community-created content on the console, and won countless awards in the process. It's gathered the attention of gamers and developers alike, impressing all who are lucky enough to play it. Now that the PS3 has dropped in price, this Game of the Year edition of LittleBigPlanet couldn't make more sense. This is essentially a re-release of LittleBigPlanet - a way for the newcomers to the world of Playstation to dive in to the deep community that LittleBigPlanet offers in a way that just isn't possible with the original LittleBigPlanet. For $60.00, you get the original LittleBigPlanet, every major DLC pack that has been released thus far, "over a dozen" costumes, and bonus community-created levels. Lets go over each of these extras in more detail, shall we? (click through for the rest!)


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Posted on January 4, 2017 by Community Common
State agencies partner to give 2,000 teddy bears to foster children
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Dec. 28, 2016) – A gift of teddy bears is helping to make winter a bit warmer for some children in need. The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services' (CHFS) Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) has 2,000 handmade teddy bears that social services staff can use to help comfort children during crisis situations.
"These cuddly teddy bears are such a comfort to children who are facing trauma because they have been removed from their birth family," CHFS Secretary Vickie Yates Brown Glisson said. "Our DCBS case managers are so appreciative of efforts like this that help our children cope during a difficult time."
The bears were sewn by male inmates at the Luther Luckett Correctional Complex in LaGrange and were offered to DCBS through a partnership with the Kentucky Department of Corrections. Luther Luckett started the program in 2014, providing inmates with a way to give back to the community, and seven inmates are currently participating.
"This program serves the dual purpose of helping children in need while teaching our inmates about empathy, kindness and the importance of community," said Kentucky Justice Secretary John Tilley. "Many of these inmates endured similar experiences as children, and I want to commend the Department of Corrections and DCBS on this innovative partnership."
Each of the state's nine DCBS regions received 222 bears and regional leadership distributed them to county offices. Staff is using the bears where they will make the most difference – by giving to all children in care, having available in family visitation rooms, sending to families having financial struggles during the holidays or providing to children just coming into care because of abuse or neglect that is no fault of their own.
Two Rivers Service Region Administrator (SRA) Joey Minor, whose region includes Daviess and Warren counties, said the bears will make a great impact on many grateful children, though the success may be hard to immediately see. "Sometimes seeds of kindness sown today may not produce fruit for years. We are hoping for smiles and hugs all around with these bears."
April Davis, SRA for the 10-county Southern Bluegrass Region, which includes Fayette, said that her staff hopes the children receiving the bears will see them as something special and intended just for them when they are experiencing the emotional impact of neglect or abuse.
"Very often when children come into foster care, they have limited items to call their own," Davis said. "We hope that the bears will offer comfort in times of need and be a treasure they can keep. Projects like this one offer a resource for workers to help children in potential times of crisis. It is our mission to provide children with a safe and caring environment that includes the comforts of childhood, such as these little bears."
Secretary Glisson said that the state is not able to purchase items like the bears with state funds, and that makes them even more appreciated.
"This time of year, we see community organizations and the general public giving gifts to our children in foster care, and we greatly appreciate that generosity" she said. "One of the greatest gifts we can give Kentucky's children is permanency through a loving, safe home – they all deserve that. We hope that more families will choose to open their hearts and homes to our children in foster care."
Secretary Glisson said there are about 8,100 children in out of home care, which is meant to be transitional until children can safely return home or be adopted.
Northern Bluegrass Region SRA Kathleen Mullins said that some of her region's bears are going in "Angel Bags" that staff pack for children who move from one foster home to another. The bags may include necessities like personal hygiene items, diapers, blankets, rattles, and now a soft bear.
Mullins said children of all ages come into foster care, and they are often scared and confused by the transition.
"I hope these bears bring comfort to these kids as a way of helping them adjust to their new home environment," Mullins said. "This project may also highlight our need for more foster parents – not only for young kids, but also our teenage population, sibling groups and medically complex children."
Mullins said that the need for loving foster families is continual, and that families who do not want to be full-time foster parents can consider becoming a respite provider.
Families interested in fostering can log on to http://adopt.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx for more information or call 800-232-KIDS to request an information packet.
Watch Secretary Glisson describe the project giving 2,000 teddy bears to foster children at https://youtu.be/9G582eGFkgI
Hi! A visitor to our site felt the following article might be of interest to you: State agencies partner to give 2,000 teddy bears to foster children. Here is a link to that story: http://www.communitycommon.com/news/2778/state-agencies-partner-to-give-2000-teddy-bears-to-foster-children


Because of their weight saving design, the factory window tracks, motors and door panels are not to be used with these doors, although some customers have made them work with some customization and ingenuity.
This is a special order item; please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.
Shipping will be calculated by our staff after your order is placed and you will be contacted for confirmation.


Ditto, though Opera seems to be the only browser handling it properly (for me), it still looks neat.
My email notifier must be broken, I completely missed these comments! Glad people like the new site.
SeekerVI - I'd be interested to know what browsers and versions are looking broken. I'm going to try to fix a few things this weekend.
Time to start a new chapter.


A Nonprofit's Guide to Online Security: So You Want to Learn the Lingo?
. For many of us, this is a reminder of just how much the Internet has transformed our daily lives. This rings true for nonprofits too: The Internet has revolutionized the way that nonprofits communicate, fundraise, and recruit volunteers. It has enabled nonprofits like yours to share their mission with a global audience. To raise awareness. And to change the world.
But the power of the Internet also comes with great responsibility -- namely the need to keep information safe and secure. As a nonprofit, it can be difficult to keep up with online security, especially when terminology seems complicated. Yes, you might have heard of terms like "phishing" or "cookies," but what do they mean?
Today, you can find the answers to your questions with our quick & easy to guide to online security terminology. In less than five minutes, you'll be well on the way to helping keep your nonprofit safe on the Internet.
Let's get started! Here's a quick guide to familiarize yourself with common lingo and learn how to distinguish terms that are friends vs foes in the online security realm.
Advanced Fee Fraud (419 scams): A technique which tricks users into sending or paying money to fraudsters on the promise of receiving greater rewards afterwards. It is most commonly associated with Nigeria, and 419 is the section of the Nigerian legal code that covers this fraud.
Botnet: A network of computers that are infected with malicious software without users' knowledge, used to send viruses and spam to other computers.
Malware: Malicious software with the purpose of infecting devices and systems, gathering personal information, gaining access to systems or disrupting the operations of the device or systems. Essentially, any software that maliciously alters or compromises the system or device.
Phishing / Social Engineering Attack: An attempt by hackers who pose as trustworthy individuals or businesses in order to get your personal information such as usernames, passwords, and financial information.
Trojans: Malicious programs posing as or bundled with legitimate ones, which are designed to compromise your system. They are usually installed on computers from opening attachments in scam emails or by visiting infected websites. The term comes from the Trojan Horse in Greek mythology.
[Internet] Cookie: A piece of data from a visited website and stored in the user's web browser in order to remember information that the user has entered or engaged with such as items in a shopping basket on an e-commerce site.
Encryption: The process of encoding data, messages, or information, such that only authorized parties can read it.
Firewall: A security system used to block hackers, viruses, and other malicious threats to your computer. It does this by acting as a barrier, acting on predetermined rules, which allows trusted traffic but blocks untrusted or non-secure traffic.
HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol): is the protocol for secure communications over a computer network used on the Internet. It essentially provides authentication of the website and the web servers associated with it.
Transport Layer Security (TLS): TLS is a protocol that encrypts and delivers mail securely, both for inbound and outbound mail traffic. It helps prevent eavesdropping between mail servers – keeping your messages private while they're moving between email providers.
Two Factor Authentication / Two Step Verification: A method of using an additional process to verify your identity online. It combines both 'something you know' (like a password) and 'something you have' (like your phone or security key) - similar to withdrawing money from an ATM/cash machine, where you need both your PIN and your bank card.
That's a wrap for now! Pass on these tips to your nonprofit partners to stay safe and secure online, so you can focus on what matters most: changing the world.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the World Wide Web becoming publicly available. For many of us, this is a reminder of just how much the Internet has transformed our daily lives. This rings true for nonprofits too: The Internet has revolutionized the way that nonprofits communicate, fundraise, and recruit volunteers. It has enabled nonprofits like yours to share their mission with a global audience. To raise awareness. And to change the world.
To address these questions, Google created the Chromebook, a series of laptops built with ChromeOS. The vision behind Chromebooks is simple -- to create a safe, accessible, and affordable laptop. To improve user privacy and security, Chromebooks automatically update to provide virus protection, encryption and safe browsing. For easy access and collaboration, they're outfitted with Gmail, Google Docs, Hangouts (and nonprofits receive the full Google Apps bundle with 30GB of space per user at no charge). What's more, they start at $169 USD & that's for a laptop that has up to 10+ hours of battery life!
Like many other businesses, it's critical for nonprofits to translate clicks on ads into a meaningful action on their nonprofit's website. These actions could be donations, event registrations, file downloads, volunteer sign-ups or form completions—whatever it is that you're compelling users to do.
Great question! Our answer is simple, yet we hope it's powerful too: Google Analytics.
The takeaway here is that the more you optimize, the better chance you have of improving your quality score - a key metric in an Ad Grants account! And more importantly, the better chance you have of authentically connecting with users who are trying to change the world along with with your nonprofit and you.
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she is an adopted outcast-turned-it-girl played by candy, pre-makeover, and jaquline, post-makeover. she mentions a past "incident" in which one of her dolls nearly strangled her mom, who is in psychosis due to it. at he wedding, she does not harm the guests, but scare them by making a doll come to life, and on the way home nearly got stabbed by kristil, but she did not get hurt. at home, her dad tried to stab her with a cross, but the cross misses and she survives. she also implies she is pregnant. she is assumed dead, but she narrates and reveals she did not die.
jaquline frost as carrie lee ray.
she is played by jasmine and heather during the wedding kills. there is no past incident, and her mom is her biological one, but she is specifically abusive with her beleifs, as she, similar to Margaret white, makes her go to the closet. this time, during the wedding, she kills the guests, unlike the previous one, and the survivor goes to her house after her dissapearence. this remake stars her friend makenzie.
jasmine vorhees(right) as carrie lee ray.


The LOFT is located on the second floor on the backside of the Tiki House and has a private balcony. It has 2 bedrooms with queen size "Heavenly" beds and 1 bathroom. It also has a small living room and kitchen with refrigerator and microwave.
All weekends require 2 nights stay @ weekend rate. Rates are per night & do not include taxes &/or fees. 8/28 @ weekend rate.


text:
Molecular precision
Sensors on a nanometric scale detect and differentiate tastes, smells, and pollutants
eduardo cesar Adjustments for producing and controlling nanofilms with thicknesses of between 1 and 2 nanometerseduardo cesar
A new generation of ultrasensitive sensors, capable of detecting nuances in the composition of liquids and gases should invade the market in the near future, in the wake of the advances of nanoscience and nanotechnology. These are areas that investigate the properties of materials on the scale of 1 to tens of nanometers, equivalent to the atomic or molecular level (1 nanometer corresponds to 1 millimeter divided by 1 million). At the heart of these devices are extremely thin films, called nanostructured films, with just a few molecules of protein, for example.
They are products that are the focus of study of a group of researchers from the São Carlos Physics Institute of the University of São Paulo (IFSC-USP). "There are ample prospects for the use of these devices, ranging from analyzing tastes , gas, and liquids, to electroluminescent devices like computer and television screens, optical memories, holographic materials and nanoreactors, miniature equipment ideal for chemical reactions in highly controlled environments, with a few molecules, and which can be used, for example, in the production of cell phone batteries", explains physicist Osvaldo Novais de Oliveira Júnior, the coordinator of the Polymers Group at IFSC, who has several projects in this area, many in cooperation with institutions from Brazil and from abroad.
The field for sensors fitted with these nanometric films is extensive, but basically the way they work involves immobilizing a given protein (on a solid material, without the losses of its properties) used for detecting substances that react to it specifically. The solid material in this case is a polymer called dendrimer, which has globular structures and pores which encapsulate the proteins with any loss of their activities.
With this technique, one of the researches of the group, in association with USP's Chemistry Institute, led to the production of biosensors for detecting glucose in the blood – the study was accepted for publication in the Biosensors and Bioelectronics magazine, from the Dutch publishing house Elsevier. Another innovation from the team, carried out in conjunction with the Biophysics Group from the Physics Institute, may serve to be used in controlling pollutants. It is a sensor based on the Cl-catechol 1,2 dioxygenase, which can interact specifically with catechol, an organochloride substance frequently associated with insecticides, present in polluted waters.
The group has also made headway in the manufacture of a sensor for detecting paraoxon, a toxic substance that can be used in chemical weapons. "The relevance of this research lies in the high sensitivity of the sensor, which was only possible thanks to the successful immobilization of an enzyme called organophosphate hydrolase. The work enjoyed the participation of researchers from the University of Miami and from the Chemistry Department of the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar). An article about this study was published in February last year in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, one of the most important international chemistry magazines.
The sensors developed at São Carlos also work in another way, without the cellular recognition between the molecules of the film and of the substances to be detected. In this manner, the sensor works on the basis of a change in the properties of the film, following a physical interaction with the substance analyzed, and not on the specific interaction between given molecules. The properties that change with the interaction may be optical or electrical. This is the case of the electronic tongue, one of the most notable technological innovations to have come up from these studies. In this equipment, the molecules of the substance to be detected do not necessarily need to react with the molecules of the film.
All that is needed is to alter the electrical properties of the surface of the sensor, which is extremely sensitive, due to the ultrathin nature of the film. The electronic tongue is a sensor with a palate built with a nanostructured film with just one layer of polymeric molecules (see Pesquisa FAPESP Nos. 3 and 90). The equipment performs a function similar to the taste buds, but with a far greater degree of sensitivity than the human tongue. Produced by the Agricultural Instrumentation unit of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), in São Carlos, the invention received collaboration from the USP's Polymers Group and is being tested at the Brazilian Coffee Industry Association (Abic) to differentiate flavors of this beverage.
If the electronic tongue is now in existence, the researchers are now planning nanofilms for a future electronic nose, capable of detecting and differentiating smells.Produced from organic materials, nanostructured films are not self sustainable, which means that they cannot be handled. This is why they are deposited on a solid substrate, like a polymer, or a glass, metal, or semiconductor slide. The thickness of these films is highly controlled and depends on the number of molecular layers that make it up, besides the size of each molecule – in general, they measure from 1 to 2 nanometers in thickness.
According to Oliveira Junior, the focus of his team is carrying out the development of these nanofilms, always with a concern for possible applications and technology transfers. "We have already made contact with companies interested in applying the methods of nanoscience and nanotechnology for perfecting the production of materials, but up until now we have not signed any agreement", says the researcher. The quest for innovation, though, has already yielded good results. The group has a patent request under way on optical data storage, in which a nanometric film can be appliedto a credit card, for example, making robbery and fraud difficult.
In the data storage industry, the researchers from IFSC want to go further. They are committed to the development of a polymer capable of storing digital data in three dimensions. The work is being done with the cooperation of the Photonics Group of USP's São Carlos Physics Institute. The researchers' idea is to develop a block that receives data in different layers, expanding storage capacity. "This is the great dream of the scientists. The main advantage of this technology over what exists today is that it increases the capacity of the memory", says Oliveira Júnior. "Today, this storage is done in just two dimensions. We now know how to produce this polymer, and we are ready to submit an article to an international magazine."
In spite of this breadth of application, nanostructured films are still not employed on a large scale. "The films are very expensive, and, for the time being, there is no system of industrial production at an accessible cost." In part, this problem is due to the large number of raw materials used in the production of these films. Oliveira Júnior's group is working mainly with electronic and luminescent conducting polymers and photoreactive molecules like azo-polymers (substances synthesized from benzene, from aniline, and from other compounds derived from petroleum). It is also worth pointing out the importance of the group's studies with chitosan, a substance extracted from the shells of crustaceans, like shrimps and crabs. These molecules have a high fungicidal and bactericidal power, and a great capacity for binding to metals and other substances, which potentializes their use as a sensor.
Techniques for manufacturing
There are two main techniques for producing nanofilms: the Langmuir-Blodgett technique, known simply as LB, and self-assembly, of layer-by-layer (LBL). The former was developed in the 1930's, and it bears this name in honor of two American scientists who worked at General Electric, in the United States, at the beginning of the beginning of the 20th century, Irving Langmuir and Katharine Blodgett. The LB films are produced inside an appropriate container, called a Langmuir Trough. At the beginning of the process, the material that is to originate the film is dissolved in a volatile solvent, like chloroform, and spread in the Langmuir trough, which contains water.
After the solvent evaporates, movable barriers are used to form, on the surface of the water, a molecular layer called Langmuir film. It is compressed until reaching a condensed state. Next, the film is transferred to a solid substrate, forming the Langmuir-Blodgett film.The self-assembly (layer-by-layer) technique, proposed by German researcher Gero Decher at the beginning of the last decade, uses the principle of physical adsorption (sticking), in which the molecules stick to the substrate by the attraction of opposite electrical charges.
The main difference between the LB films and the self-assembled ones is that the latter are produced from materials that are soluble in water, while the LB films are made with materials that are insoluble in water. "The advantage of the self-assembly technique over LB is its experimental simplicity, since it does not require any sophisticated equipment to produce the films", the physicist from USP explains.
Network of collaboration
The researcher makes a point of stressing that the advances obtained by his team are due, in great measure, to cooperative work with other institutions. "Our researches are carried out within a network of collaboration in Brazil and abroad, which makes it possible for us to take advantage of the experience of other researchers, besides using several experimental techniques for making and studying nanofilms", he says. Amongst the institutions that are working with the Polymers Group, the chief ones are the São Paulo State University (Unesp), Unicamp, Coppe (UFRJ), the Federal University of Uberlândia, and the State University of Ponta Grossa, amongst others. On the international plane, the researches enjoy the support of the universities of Leipzig, in Germany, of Bangor, in the United Kingdom, of Krakow, in Poland, of Windsor, in Canada, New Lisbon, in Portugal, and of Miami and of Massachusetts, in the United States.
According to Oliveira Júnior, FAPESP financed a good part of the structure for manufacturing the films, including a clean room (an environment with a minimal quantity of unwanted particles in the air), of the laboratory where they are processed. "My estimate is that since 1991, FAPESP has invested around US$ 500,000 in our group, specifically for nanostructured films", says the physicist. The support has been rewarded with the training of specialized professionals and with a vast scientific production. The Polymers Group has already formed over 20 researchers in nanofilms, and, in the last four years, about a hundred articles have been produced for publication in indexed international magazines.
1. Ultrathin Langmuir-Blodgett and Self-Assembled Films (nº 98/10026-5); Modality Regular Line of Research Grants; Coordinator Osvaldo Novais de Oliveira Júnior – IFSC-USP; Investment R$ 49,310.00 and US$ 56,050.00
2. Langmuir-Blodgett and Self–Assembled Films (nº 01/03734-8); Modality Regular Line of Research Grants; Coordinator Osvaldo Novais de Oliveira Júnior – IFSC-USP; Investment R$ 82,621.70 and US$ 70,822.75

This work first appeared on Pesquisa FAPESP under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. Read the original here.

eduardo cesar Adjustments for producing and controlling nanofilms with thicknesses of between 1 and 2 nanometerseduardo cesar A new generation of ultrasensitive sensors, capable of detecting nuances in the composition of liquids and gases should invade the market in the near future, in the wake of the advances of nanoscience and nanotechnology. These are areas that investigate the properties of materials on the scale of 1 to tens of nanometers, equivalent to the atomic or molecular level (1 nanometer corresponds to 1 millimeter divided by 1 million). At the heart of these devices are extremely thin films, called nanostructured films, with just a few molecules of protein, for example. They are products that are the focus of study of a group of researchers from the São Carlos Physics Institute of the University of São Paulo (IFSC-USP). "There are ample prospects for the use of these devices, ranging from analyzing tastes , gas, and liquids, to electroluminescent devices like computer and television screens, optical memories, holographic materials and nanoreactors, miniature equipment ideal for chemical reactions in highly controlled environments, with a few molecules, and which can be used, for example, in the production of cell phone batteries", explains physicist Osvaldo Novais de Oliveira Júnior, the coordinator of the Polymers Group at IFSC, who has several projects in this area, many in cooperation with institutions from Brazil and from abroad. The field for sensors fitted with these nanometric films is extensive, but basically the way they work involves immobilizing a given protein (on a solid material, without the losses of its properties) used for detecting substances that react to it specifically. The solid material in this case is a polymer called dendrimer, which has globular structures and pores which encapsulate the proteins with any loss of their activities. With this technique, one of the researches of the group, in association with USP's Chemistry Institute, led to the production of biosensors for detecting glucose in the blood – the study was accepted for publication in the Biosensors and Bioelectronics magazine, from the Dutch publishing house Elsevier. Another innovation from the team, carried out in conjunction with the Biophysics Group from the Physics Institute, may serve to be used in controlling pollutants. It is a sensor based on the Cl-catechol 1,2 dioxygenase, which can interact specifically with catechol, an organochloride substance frequently associated with insecticides, present in polluted waters. The group has also made headway in the manufacture of a sensor for detecting paraoxon, a toxic substance that can be used in chemical weapons. "The relevance of this research lies in the high sensitivity of the sensor, which was only possible thanks to the successful immobilization of an enzyme called organophosphate hydrolase. The work enjoyed the participation of researchers from the University of Miami and from the Chemistry Department of the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar). An article about this study was published in February last year in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, one of the most important international chemistry magazines. The sensors developed at São Carlos also work in another way, without the cellular recognition between the molecules of the film and of the substances to be detected. In this manner, the sensor works on the basis of a change in the properties of the film, following a physical interaction with the substance analyzed, and not on the specific interaction between given molecules. The properties that change with the interaction may be optical or electrical. This is the case of the electronic tongue, one of the most notable technological innovations to have come up from these studies. In this equipment, the molecules of the substance to be detected do not necessarily need to react with the molecules of the film. All that is needed is to alter the electrical properties of the surface of the sensor, which is extremely sensitive, due to the ultrathin nature of the film. The electronic tongue is a sensor with a palate built with a nanostructured film with just one layer of polymeric molecules (see Pesquisa FAPESP Nos. 3 and 90). The equipment performs a function similar to the taste buds, but with a far greater degree of sensitivity than the human tongue. Produced by the Agricultural Instrumentation unit of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), in São Carlos, the invention received collaboration from the USP's Polymers Group and is being tested at the Brazilian Coffee Industry Association (Abic) to differentiate flavors of this beverage. If the electronic tongue is now in existence, the researchers are now planning nanofilms for a future electronic nose, capable of detecting and differentiating smells.Produced from organic materials, nanostructured films are not self sustainable, which means that they cannot be handled. This is why they are deposited on a solid substrate, like a polymer, or a glass, metal, or semiconductor slide. The thickness of these films is highly controlled and depends on the number of molecular layers that make it up, besides the size of each molecule – in general, they measure from 1 to 2 nanometers in thickness. According to Oliveira Junior, the focus of his team is carrying out the development of these nanofilms, always with a concern for possible applications and technology transfers. "We have already made contact with companies interested in applying the methods of nanoscience and nanotechnology for perfecting the production of materials, but up until now we have not signed any agreement", says the researcher. The quest for innovation, though, has already yielded good results. The group has a patent request under way on optical data storage, in which a nanometric film can be appliedto a credit card, for example, making robbery and fraud difficult. In the data storage industry, the researchers from IFSC want to go further. They are committed to the development of a polymer capable of storing digital data in three dimensions. The work is being done with the cooperation of the Photonics Group of USP's São Carlos Physics Institute. The researchers' idea is to develop a block that receives data in different layers, expanding storage capacity. "This is the great dream of the scientists. The main advantage of this technology over what exists today is that it increases the capacity of the memory", says Oliveira Júnior. "Today, this storage is done in just two dimensions. We now know how to produce this polymer, and we are ready to submit an article to an international magazine." In spite of this breadth of application, nanostructured films are still not employed on a large scale. "The films are very expensive, and, for the time being, there is no system of industrial production at an accessible cost." In part, this problem is due to the large number of raw materials used in the production of these films. Oliveira Júnior's group is working mainly with electronic and luminescent conducting polymers and photoreactive molecules like azo-polymers (substances synthesized from benzene, from aniline, and from other compounds derived from petroleum). It is also worth pointing out the importance of the group's studies with chitosan, a substance extracted from the shells of crustaceans, like shrimps and crabs. These molecules have a high fungicidal and bactericidal power, and a great capacity for binding to metals and other substances, which potentializes their use as a sensor. Techniques for manufacturing There are two main techniques for producing nanofilms: the Langmuir-Blodgett technique, known simply as LB, and self-assembly, of layer-by-layer (LBL). The former was developed in the 1930's, and it bears this name in honor of two American scientists who worked at General Electric, in the United States, at the beginning of the beginning of the 20th century, Irving Langmuir and Katharine Blodgett. The LB films are produced inside an appropriate container, called a Langmuir Trough. At the beginning of the process, the material that is to originate the film is dissolved in a volatile solvent, like chloroform, and spread in the Langmuir trough, which contains water. After the solvent evaporates, movable barriers are used to form, on the surface of the water, a molecular layer called Langmuir film. It is compressed until reaching a condensed state. Next, the film is transferred to a solid substrate, forming the Langmuir-Blodgett film.The self-assembly (layer-by-layer) technique, proposed by German researcher Gero Decher at the beginning of the last decade, uses the principle of physical adsorption (sticking), in which the molecules stick to the substrate by the attraction of opposite electrical charges. The main difference between the LB films and the self-assembled ones is that the latter are produced from materials that are soluble in water, while the LB films are made with materials that are insoluble in water. "The advantage of the self-assembly technique over LB is its experimental simplicity, since it does not require any sophisticated equipment to produce the films", the physicist from USP explains. Network of collaboration The researcher makes a point of stressing that the advances obtained by his team are due, in great measure, to cooperative work with other institutions. "Our researches are carried out within a network of collaboration in Brazil and abroad, which makes it possible for us to take advantage of the experience of other researchers, besides using several experimental techniques for making and studying nanofilms", he says. Amongst the institutions that are working with the Polymers Group, the chief ones are the São Paulo State University (Unesp), Unicamp, Coppe (UFRJ), the Federal University of Uberlândia, and the State University of Ponta Grossa, amongst others. On the international plane, the researches enjoy the support of the universities of Leipzig, in Germany, of Bangor, in the United Kingdom, of Krakow, in Poland, of Windsor, in Canada, New Lisbon, in Portugal, and of Miami and of Massachusetts, in the United States. According to Oliveira Júnior, FAPESP financed a good part of the structure for manufacturing the films, including a clean room (an environment with a minimal quantity of unwanted particles in the air), of the laboratory where they are processed. "My estimate is that since 1991, FAPESP has invested around US$ 500,000 in our group, specifically for nanostructured films", says the physicist. The support has been rewarded with the training of specialized professionals and with a vast scientific production. The Polymers Group has already formed over 20 researchers in nanofilms, and, in the last four years, about a hundred articles have been produced for publication in indexed international magazines. The projects 1. Ultrathin Langmuir-Blodgett and Self-Assembled Films (nº 98/10026-5); Modality Regular Line of Research Grants; Coordinator Osvaldo Novais de Oliveira Júnior – IFSC-USP; Investment R$ 49,310.00 and US$ 56,050.00 2. Langmuir-Blodgett and Self–Assembled Films (nº 01/03734-8); Modality Regular Line of Research Grants; Coordinator Osvaldo Novais de Oliveira Júnior – IFSC-USP; Investment R$ 82,621.70 and US$ 70,822.75


text:
Buffalo Bisons Hot Stove Luncheon A Hit With Fans
"This isn't just any other minor league Triple-A affiliation, this is a big deal," Anthopoulos said. "I know it's a Triple-A affiliate but it's as Major League as it gets. From the management team to the way they run it."
By Jared Macdonald Jan 18, 2013, 6:46pm EST
Share All sharing options for: Buffalo Bisons Hot Stove Luncheon A Hit With Fans
Jared Macdonald
Two months after showcasing their new team logo, the Buffalo Bisons revealed their highly-anticipated new uniforms on Friday afternoon at the club's annual Hot Stove Luncheon at the Adam's Mark hotel in downtown Buffalo. In front of a packed house of over 200 guests that included a nice mix of new and longtime fans, Bisons general manager Mike Buczkowski revealed his team's new home, road and alternate jerseys along with their on-field hats, reiterating the club's desire to go back to their roots with a red, white and blue color scheme.
Much like the star-studded group that made the trip to the logo unveiling in November, another impressive group of Blue Jays personnel came to support this afternoon's luncheon, as team president and CEO Paul Beeston, vice president and general manager Alex Anthopoulos, director of minor league operations Charlie Wilson, outfielder Anthony Gose, and former Blue Jay George Bell were all in attendance.
Also on hand was Jays area scout Randy Kramer, a former right-handed pitcher who spent parts of three seasons with the Bisons from 1988-90. It was another nice, local touch between the Blue Jays and Bisons, as Kramer was a familiar face to many of the older fans and season ticket holders in attendance. Back at the logo unveiling, the Blue Jays pleasantly surprised the local media by inviting Buffalo native Jim Negrych to sign a minor league deal with the team at the press conference.
Bisons play-by-play announcer Ben Wagner (read Minor Leaguer's prior interview with him here) emceed the event, and kicked things off by interviewing Bell as the audience partook in the buffet lunch. Bell reminisced about his playing days, from passing through Buffalo's old War Memorial stadium in the early 80's to playing at Exhibition Stadium with the Blue Jays and eventually at the SkyDome, which he thought could have very well been called something else.
"When they built the SkyDome--that was the name--it was supposed to be George Bell Centre," he joked, which drew a light-hearted laugh from the audience.
Up next with Wagner was Gose, who talked about being called up to the big leagues, what it was like being in the majors, and the feeling of hitting his first major league home run. Given the current state of the Blue Jays' roster, Gose also added that he's mentally prepared to open the 2013 season in Buffalo and looking forward to getting things rolling.
"I couldn't stop smiling, I know that; it was a really good feeling," Gose said of his home run. "I felt like it took forever, though."
After Wilson and Buczkowski added a few words on the affiliation between Toronto and Buffalo, Beeston stepped up to the podium and added words of his own on the topic, mentioning that an affiliation runs two ways and how the Jays wanted to be in Buffalo for years. Beeston also mentioned the talk earlier in the offseason about how Travis d'Arnaud and Adeiny Hechavarria were supposed to be high profile additions to the Bisons' Opening Day roster but were traded, setting the stage for Anthopoulos to take the mic.
Today was obviously a busy day for Anthopoulos with the arbitration deadline looming, as nearly every time Minor Leaguer and I looked over at him his head was down and his fingers were furiously texting. Upon taking the podium, Anthopoulos apologized for having to multitask so much and made the announcement that he had come to contract agreements with all three of the Jays' remaining arbitration-eligible players in J.A. Happ, Emilio Bonifacio and Josh Thole.
Referencing the departures of d'Arnaud and Hechavarria to improve the big league club, Anthopoulos dialed up the hype machine on Gose, as he spoke very highly of the center fielder, saying that he's "right there" with Jose Reyes in terms of everything he does and that "you may not see a better defensive center fielder in the game" than him.
Once again, Anthopoulos also spoke very highly of the partnership between the Blue Jays and Bisons, stressing its importance.
"It's great. This isn't just any other minor league Triple-A affiliation, this is a big deal. I know it's a Triple-A affiliate but it's as Major League as it gets, from the management team to the way they run it," Anthopoulos told me. "This team means a lot to this city, it means a lot to this community, it means a lot to us. From that standpoint it's as good as it gets."
Judging by what the Blue Jays have done over the last few months, they're doing a great job of showing the Bisons how much this affiliation means to them, with even more opportunities coming in just 77 days, when the Bisons face the Rochester Red Wings in their season opener at home on Thursday, April 4.
Please welcome our newest writer Jared Macdonald to Bluebird Banter! Jared has written about the Blue Jays and baseball for three years and has contributed to Jays Journal, Jays Prospects and The Good Point.
Also, Minor Leaguer's piece on the new Buffalo Bisons uniforms can be found here.


WOODLAND HILLS , 91367. The USPTO has given the WELLA BALSAM trademark serial number of 74060438.
WELLA BALSAM sells goods and services of hair care products, namely, hair conditioners. This logo and TradeMark was filed on May 18, 1990 and was first used on August 05, 1963.