Eye exams aren't incredibly expensive, usually only costing between $50 and $100. But why pay for something when you can get it for free? And there are a surprising number of places to turn to get a free eye exam. If you are experiencing a problem with your vision, you shouldn't let the cost of an eye exam hold you back from having good eyesight. Well, now you don't have to.
For most of us experiencing a vision problem, paying for the eye exam is going to be the first drop in the bucket. Getting your vision corrected will cost around $200 if you go with eyeglasses and maintaining a supply of contact lenses runs a bit more. If you have a more serious condition that requires LASIK or cataract surgery, this is going to cost $4,000 or so.
Now if you are actually covered for vision care under your health insurance plan, an eye exam will only set you back a small copay. This is usually around $5 to $35. But around 40% of Americans have no form of vision care coverage. I know. I'm one of them. For the rest of us, we are forced to come out-of-pocket for the cost of an eye exam. Since it is recommended that we have one at least once every two years, this can be a significant cost over our lifetime.
The Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology offers this program to provide free eye exams and some follow-up care to seniors and people with an increased risk of glaucoma. Patients who have vision insurance have all copays covered. Those without coverage are given eye exams at no cost. To find out if you qualify, visit EyeCare America's website and take a quick quiz to get your free eye exam.
Johnson and Johnson's Vision Care Institute and the American Optometric Association offer the InfantSEE Program to help new moms by providing eye exams to their toddlers. Doctors recommend that an infant has its first eye exam at 6 months. This program takes care of that first exam at absolutely no cost through a network of 7,000 optometrists from coast to coast. There are no income requirements or anything else. Use this search to find a participating doctor in your area and schedule an appointment while your child is 6 to 12 months old. It's as simple as that.
The Lions have long had a history of providing services for those with vision problems and support for the blind. Their sight programs include vision events that provide eye exams for children, free cataract surgery and eyeglass recycling efforts. Local clubs accept assistance requests for grants that pay for eye care including eyeglasses and surgery. If you need help, use this club locator and contact the club nearest you.
Vision USA is part of Optometry Cares, a program provided by the American Optometric Association Foundation. It conducts free eye exams for low-income patients through its network of volunteer optometrists nationwide. Currently the program is offered in 39 states and in a few of them you might even receive free or low-cost eyeglasses. To participate, you must have no medical insurance. You must provide proof of U.S. citizenship and have not had an eye exam in the last 2 years. For more information, contact them at visionusa@aoa.org.
Our hospital is called Advanced Eyecare Hospital anyone can email me at advancedeyecarehospital@gmail.com . We provide free eye exam grants and complimentary vision testing we also have very low cost surgery with a few people getting free surgery every month.


Despite the rainy and blustery weather Skidmore has been facing this week, there is an oasis to be found with skidMORE MINDFULness. Wilson Chapel, right behind Tisch, is a calm space where students can take a break from the stresses that haunt the campus. Kim Beekman, Skidmore's Coordinator of Spiritual Programs, runs this program, and also teaches some of the courses. There are student-lead classes as well, with students who have been certified to teach Yoga, and are prepared with their own routines and perfect playlists that create that relaxing atmosphere.
On Wednesday, Daphne Feller ('17) instructed the class to let go of anything that we might be thinking of that had happened before, or what was to come after the class, so that we might be present and focus on how the air felt as we inhaled and exhaled. Although students are constantly balancing all of their schoolwork, social obligations, as well as their mental and physical health, the only balancing that this class focused on was warrior and downward dog. Daphne constantly had us in positions that opened out hearts, and released any tensions that had been adding stress, and get fresh air into our lungs.
For those tests and stresses that always come too soon and in plenty, these courses range from an hour to an hour and a half, and off students reprieves from the storms outside. Yoga and meditation classes are offered multiple times throughout the week, and the schedules are available at the Chapel. When you go from week to week, class to class, essay to essay, test to test, and never stop for air, Wilson Chapel is right on campus and is a great place to stop and breathe, and do some killer yoga.


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By Jakealoo on January 24, 2017 • ( 7 Comments )
Digitized Canadian Trench Newspapers: Part 3 of 3
One of two digitized issues of "Canadian Base Depot Magazine". Source: Library & Archives Canada
This is the final article in my three-part series on digitized Canadian Trench newspapers. In the first post I featured newspapers published by numbered infantry and artillery units while the second focused on publications by Canadian Medical units. The final instalment includes newspapers published by a variety of units including the Canadian Army Service Corps and the Canadian Engineers as well as publications from a variety of Military Camps, Training Schools and Headquarter's units located in Canada, Britain and the field.
The Library and Archives Canada (LAC) collection also includes four digitized trench newspapers from the Middlesex Regiment and the Machine Gun Corps, both British units, and I've included links to those as well.
LAC is my 'go-to' resource due to their large collection and the fact that you can download PDFs of each issue. The British Library (BL) is another helpful resource and I've provided links to their collection when a digitized issue was unavailable at LAC.
One of 23 digitized issues of "C.R.O. Bulletin" published by the Canadian Records Office. Source: Library & Archives Canada
There are other resources too, such as Early Canadiana Online and the Canadian War Museum (CWM), although as far as I know they do not include digitized issues that are not already available at LAC. The CWM Military History Research Centre compiled a list of Trench Newspapers of the First World War which can be viewed in person and in some cases photocopied for a fee.
If you find a broken link or if you know of other resources for digitized Canadian trench newspapers please contact me or leave a comment below and I will update my list accordingly. Thanks in advance.
Publication Name
Legion of Frontiersmen The Frontiersman LAC:(1) No. 57 (War Number 1918)
Canadian Machine Gun Service The Canadian Machine Gunner LAC:(18) No. 1 (Jan 1917) to No. 18 (Jan 1919)
Canadian Engineers The Canadian Sapper LAC:(15) No. 1 (Feb 1918) to No. 15 (Apr 1919)
Army Troops Coy, Canadian Engineers The Busy Beaver LAC:(1) No. 7 (Xmas 1916)
Canadian Army Service Corps The Canadian Army Service Corps News LAC:(7) No. 1 (Dec 1916) to No. 7 (Jun 1916)
GHQ, 3rd Echelon La Vie Canadienne LAC:(15) No. 1 (Dec 1915) to No. 15 (Xmas 1918)
Canadian General Base Depot Canadian General Base Depot Magazine LAC links not currently working so I'm temporarily hosting them myself: No. 1 (Jun 1916), No. 3 (Apr 1917), No. 4 (Sep 1918)
Canadian Postal Corps Mail Slingers Gazette LAC:(6) No. 1 (May 21, 1916), No. 4 (June 11, 1916), No. 5 (June 18, 1916), No. 7 (July 2, 1916), No. 8 (July 15, 1916) and No. 9 (July 29, 1916)
Canadian Postal Corps Mail Slingers Gazette LAC:(3) No. 2, 3 and 6 not currently digitized
Khaki University The Beaver LAC:(26) No. 1 (Dec 1918) to No. 26 (Jun 1919)
Canadian Records Office C.R.O. Bulletin LAC:(22) No. 1 (Jun 1918) to No. 22 (Mar 1919)
Canadian Records Office C.R.O. Bulletin BL:(1) War Souvenir Xmas 1918
Canadian Army Pay Corps Maple Leaf Magazine BL:(4) No. 5 (1916) to No. 8 (1917)
Canadian Field Comforts Commission Field Comforts LAC:(3) No. 1 (Oct 1915) to No. 3 (Oct 1916)
Canadian Discharge Depot, Buxton Souvenir LAC:(1) Souvenir
Canadian Reserve Artillery The Barrage LAC:(1) No. 1 (Nov 1917)
Canadian Training School, Bexhill Chevrons to Stars LAC:(1) April 1917
Camp Borden Khaki Life LAC:(1) Vol. 3 (Aug 1916)
Canadian Corps Training School, France Tchun! LAC:(5) No. 1 (Dec 1916) to No. 5 (Dec 1917)
Bramshott Camp Bramshott Souvenir Magazine LAC:(1) not currently digitized
Various Social Event Programmes LAC:(4) 1917 to 1918
Middlesex Regiment (British) Fall In LAC:(3) No. 9 (Apr 1916), No. 15 and No. 16 (Jul 1916)
Machine Gun Corps (British) Machine Gun Corps Magazine LAC:(1) Vol. 2 (Oct 1918)
========================= ========================= ==============================
Categories: Dataset, Library and Archives Canada, Military & Family History Research, Researching, Trench Newspapers
Tagged as: Bexhill, Bramshott, British Library, Buxton, Camp Borden, Canadian Army Pay Corps, Canadian Army Service Corps, Canadian Engineers, Canadian Postal Corps, Canadian Records Office, GHQ, Khaki University, Library and Archives Canada, Machine Gun Corps, Middlesex Regiment, Research, Trench Journals, Trench newspapers
List of Flyers at Toronto Reunion in 1970: Part 1 of 2
phugoid says:
Great work as always but please be advised that the links to the two articles related to the Canadian General Base Depot linked to two completely unrelated PDF files. One was the "The Canadian Home and School & Parent-Teacher Federation Book of Reports 1986" and the other was "Weekly Punjabi Edition of 'Indian and Canada' Monthly". I would like to report this but will have to research how to do so.
Hi Eric … good grief, you're right. The links worked when I first put together my list last fall. It's too bad they don't have a "report a problem" feature on these pages. They do have an email link on the top of the page but it doesn't refer directly to the page with the issue.
Fortunately I downloaded both PDFs so I will temporarily host them on my blog until LAC can sort it out. I have a third copy as well. Thanks for pointing out the bad link, if you notice any others please let me know.
I'll post a reply to your comment once my PDFs are online.
Hi Eric … I've updated the list to link to my copies for now. Let me know if you have any problems. Cheers, Steve.
Thanks so much. So much work to have the source site be wrong. Much appreciated!
You're very welcome Eric. Cheers!
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


With Spring in the air for most of the Australian southern cities, it's time to look at let your hair down and get ready for the warmer weather and there no easier way to do that than by adding some waves into your look.
The loose wave is quick and easy to do and is soft, wispy and romantic - perfect for the longer days as well as evenings for a bit of socialisation with friends. This looks works best with hair just past the shoulders as those loose curls will just fall softly around the face to delicately frame it.
Today I have expert tips from Wella Styling Ambassador Travis Balcke to walk us through how to achieve the look in next to no time.
Start with freshly shampooed and conditioned towel dried hair haired. If you are like me and have coloured your hair, make sure to use a colour-saving product (try Wella Care's Brilliance Shampoo and conditioner or if you feel you need extra conditioning powers, up the treatment level with the Brillaince Mask).
Apply a good amount of styling primer to prepare hair (use Wella Professional's Velvet Amplifer to coat and prime hair to give it more manageability and improve structure and hold during styling). Then mist with Perfect Setting lotion at the roots to get hair more volume and shine. (If you don't have these products you can try working some light hold mousse through the roots of hair for similar results).
Proceed to crank up the hair dryer and blast hair dry upside down- to give maximum volume at the roots.
Take a 4cm section of hair from the top of head and using a hot roller, start to roll hair up in a brick pattern and secure hair to roller with a bobby pin. A brick pattern rolling technique is basically a technique used to roll or perm hair. Rather than straight rows, the sections are offset from the rods in the row above like how a brick layer would lay their bricks to minimise any gaps in hair and false lines and parties created for a more natural-looking wave pattern.
Work your way down and roll the rest of the hair. Don't worry about being too perfect as the the curls will be brushed out later.
When the rollers are cool, take the rollers out and brush with a wide bristled hairbrush to tease the hair into soft loose waves. Spray some hairspray to set the style and if required and finish off with some shine serum.
What hair looks do you feel like rocking this spring season?
Wella Care and Professional products are available at selected salons nationally. Call 1300 885 002 for your nearest stocklist.


Government Investigations litigation partner Jacob Frenkel was quoted in The Jakarta June 4 article "US agencies probe big banks on China nepotism." The article discusses US investigations of large banks hiring children of powerful Chinese officials in exchange for other business in China.
Jacob Frenkel, a former government prosecutor now at the firm Shulman Rogers, said the recruit's qualifications would indeed be very important.
"If the purpose of the hiring was for the sole purpose of obtaining business, particularly if the sons and daughters are showing up for work merely as a charade, then there is a compelling argument for why the US government is considering bribery charges," Frenkel said.
"For the US to prove an anti-corruption violation, it must demonstrate a corrupt payment with an intent to influence a decision by a government official in order to obtain or retain business.


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Parents' Choice Awards : Software : Software
Pet Pals: Animal Doctor
Spring 2007 Software
Ages: 10 & Up
Publisher: Legacy Interactive
Platform: Windows/MAC
A Hollywood adage warns never work with animals 'cause they'll steal the show. Fortunately that's true in this charming educational game in which players role-play as veterinarians. Working with animals, of course. And the animals do steal the show.
The graphics and animation are sort of soft-edged, almost slow motion by today's videogaming standards. But the value and fun of this software is in the doing: Players diagnose and treat sickly cats, turtles, exotic birds, fish, rabbits, dogs—35 different species in all.
Our first case was Anna, a yearling turtle that showed up with no appetite or energy—and with a worried owner. The game teaches players to start off by asking the right questions, followed by conducting a thorough physical examination of the pet using many of the same veterinary instruments real-life vets use. In Anna's case, her too-soft shell turned out to be a symptom of malnutrition-but nothing a couple vitamins A and D injections couldn't start fixing.
Players choose from a variety of possible treatments which they narrow based on symptoms, tests (stool tests, temperature, blood tests, heart rate, etc.) and diagnosis. A magnifier function enables virtual vets to exam animals close up anywhere on the body. That came in especially handy in diagnosing a comatose pet tarantula. It had been suffering from weakness and seizures, according to its owner. A thorough exam found the cause to be hookworms.
The program provides three levels of difficulty—the easiest with lots of hints and guidance. Cases range from grooming to urgent emergency care and even surgery. Mini-games full of information about animals and the veterinary profession add to the learning. After each case, players are scored on how well they handled the case. Those who progress successfully receive promotions, awards and new game features. But the real winners are animal lovers and wanna-be vets who will love the challenge.
Don Oldenburg ©2007 Parents' Choice
A former feature writer and consumer columnist at The Washington Post for 22 years, Don Oldenburg is the Director of Publications and Editor of the National Italian American Foundation, in Washington, D.C. He regularly reviews books for USA Today and is the coauthor of "The Washington DC-Baltimore Dog Lovers Companion" (Avalon Travel). The proud father of three sons, he lives with his journalist-author wife, Ann Oldenburg, in McLean, VA.
Legacy Interactive
http://www.legacyinteractive.com
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000QYLGEY/parentschoice-20


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Category Archives: Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp
Operation Paperclips-Evil deeds rewarded.
Operation Paperclip (also Project Paperclip) was the code name for the O.S.S.–U.S. Military rescue of scientists from Nazi Germany, during the terminus and aftermath of World War II. In 1945, the Joint Intelligence Objectives Agency was established with direct responsibility for effecting Operation Paperclip.
The primary purpose for Operation Paperclip was for the U.S. to gain a military advantage in the burgeoning Cold War, and later Space Race, between the U.S. and Soviet Union.
By comparison, the Soviet Union were even more aggressive in recruiting Germans: during Operation Osoaviakhim, Soviet military units forcibly (at gunpoint) recruited 2,000+ German specialists to the Soviet Union during one night.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) established the first secret recruitment program, called Operation Overcast, on July 20, 1945, initially "to assist in shortening the Japanese war and to aid our postwar military research." The term "Overcast" was the name first given by the German scientists' family members for the housing camp where they were held in Bavaria.[4] In late summer 1945, the JCS established the Joint Intelligence Objectives Agency (JIOA), a subcommmittee of the Joint Intelligence Community, to directly oversee Operation Overcast and later Operation Paperclip.
The JIOA had one representative of each member agency of the Joint Intelligence Committee: the army's director of intelligence, the chief of naval intelligence, the assistant chief of Air Staff-2 (air force intelligence), and a representative from the State Department.In November 1945, Operation Overcast was renamed Operation Paperclip by Ordnance Corps (United States Army) officers, who would attach a paperclip to the folders of those rocket experts whom they wished to employ in America. President Truman formally approved Operation Paperclip and expanded it to include one thousand German scientists in a secret directive, circulated on September 3, 1946.
One of the most well-known recruits was Werner von Braun, the technical director at the Peenemunde Army Research Center in Germany.(dresses as civilian in the picture below)
who was instrumental in developing the lethal V-2 rocket that devastated England during the war.
Von Braun and other rocket scientists were brought to Fort Bliss, Texas, and White Sands Proving Grounds, New Mexico, as "War Department Special Employees" to assist the U.S. Army with rocket experimentation. Von Braun later became director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the chief architect of the Saturn V launch vehicle, which eventually propelled two dozen American astronauts to the Moon.
SS General Hans Kammler, who as an engineer had constructed several concentration camps, including Auschwitz, had a reputation for brutality and had originated the idea of using concentration camp prisoners as slave laborers in the rocket program. Arthur Rudolph, chief engineer of the V-2 rocket factory at Peenemünde, endorsed this idea in April 1943 when a labor shortage developed. More people died building the V-2 rockets than were killed by it as a weapon. Von Braun admitted visiting the plant at Mittelwerk on many occasions, and called conditions at the plant "repulsive", but claimed never to have witnessed any deaths or beatings, although it had become clear to him by 1944 that deaths had occurred.He denied ever having visited the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp itself, where 20,000 died from illness, beatings, hangings, and intolerable working conditions.
Some prisoners claim von Braun engaged in brutal treatment or approved of it. Guy Morand, a French resistance fighter who was a prisoner in Dora, testified in 1995 that after an apparent sabotage attempt, von Braun ordered a prisoner to be flogged, while Robert Cazabonne, another French prisoner, claimed von Braun stood by as prisoners were hanged by chains suspended by cranes.However, these accounts may have been a case of mistaken identity.Former Buchenwald inmate Adam Cabala claims that von Braun went to the concentration camp to pick slave laborers: "[…] also the German scientists led by Prof. Wernher von Braun were aware of everything daily. As they went along the corridors, they saw the exhaustion of the inmates, their arduous work and their pain. Not one single time did Prof. Wernher von Braun protest against this cruelty and bestiality during his frequent stays at Dora. Even the aspect of corpses did not touch him: On a small area near the ambulance shed, inmates tortured to death by slave labor and the terror of the overseers were piling up daily. But, Prof. Wernher von Braun passed them so close that he was almost touching the corpses.
Von Braun was not the only one who had actively taken a part in the genocide. Many more of the Operation Paperclip scientist had committed awful crimes, but yet they were rewarded with a comfortable job working for
Every year since 1963, the Space Medicine Association has given out the Hubertus Strughold Award to a top scientist or clinician for outstanding work in aviation medicine.
In April 1935 the government of Nazi Germany appointed Strughold to serve as the director of the Berlin-based Research Institute for Aviation Medicine, a medical think tank that operated under the auspices of Hermann Göring's Ministry of Aviation
In October 1942, Strughold attended a medical conference in Nuremberg at which SS physician Sigmund Rascher delivered a presentation outlining various medical experiments he had conducted, in conjunction with the Luftwaffe, in which prisoners from the Dachau concentration camp were used as human test subjects.
These experiments included physiological tests during which camp inmates were immersed in freezing water, placed in air pressure chambers and made to endure invasive surgical procedures without anesthetic. Many of the inmates forced to participate died as a result. Various Luftwaffe physicians had participated in the experiments and several of them had close ties to Strughold, both through the Institute for Aviation Medicine and the Luftwaffe Medical Service.
Posted bydirkdeklein June 21, 2017 June 9, 2018 Posted inDachau, History, Holocaust, Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp, NASA, Nazi experiments, Nazis, Post WWII, USA, V2, World War 2Tags:Dachau, History, Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp, NASA, Nazis, Operation Paperclip, Post WWII, Space travel, US Government, V2, World War 21 Comment on Operation Paperclips-Evil deeds rewarded.


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Duca Funeral Home
Plant a Tree for Victor "Vic"
Victor "Vic" J. Rovansek
April 26, 1939 ~ May 24, 2020 (age 81)
Victor "Vic" J. Rovansek, 81, of Westmont, passed away on May 24, 2020 at Laurel View Village in the company of his wife and children.
Born on April 26, 1939 in Johnstown, son of the late Victor and Frances (Yeager) Rovansek.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Stephanie; his children Shawn (Lynn), Kim, Brett (Janette); his sister Shirley Mutch (Joe) and brother Ron (Nancy); granddaughters Hope, Isabella, Mia, and Delaney. His Rays of Sunshine include Bill and Flo Tomaskovich, Nicole and Travis Czyrnik and especially Gavin and Riley, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Vic enjoyed golfing with the Duffers at Windber Country Club. He volunteered as an usher at Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church for 50 years. He served on the Board of Directors of the Johnstown Free Medical Clinic and the Distinguished Young Women Program of Cambria and Somerset Counties. Vic retired after 38 years of service as a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative for 3M Pharmaceuticals. At the time of his retirement, he had the distinction of being named to the company's Top Producers Club more times than any other employee.
We wish to extend our deepest gratitude to the entire Laurel View Village Family. Special thanks to the Reflections staff and the "Arborites" for their tender loving care.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Laurel View Village Caring Fund (https://www.laurelviewvillage.com/donations/).
Friends received from 10 AM until 12 PM on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 at Frank Duca Funeral Home, Westmont Chapel, 1622 Menoher Blvd. Johnstown PA 15905.
Funeral Services will be private. Private entombment, Grandview Cemetery.
To plant a tree in memory of Victor "Vic" J. Rovansek, please click here.
Friends Received
Duca Funeral Home - Westmont Chapel
1622 Menoher Blvd.
Johnstown, PA 15905
Laurel View Village Caring Fund
2000 Cambridge Drive, Davidsville PA 15928
Web: https://www.laurelviewvillage.com/donations/
© 2021 Duca Funeral Home. All Rights Reserved. Funeral Home website by CFS & TA | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy


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HomeNHLNHL Trades – 4 March 14 (Updated)
NHL Trades – 4 March 14 (Updated)
March 4, 2014 Trade NHL, Uncategorized Comments Off on NHL Trades – 4 March 14 (Updated)
The latest flurry of trades have now started with teams looking to add depth to their respective roster. Below are some of the trades that just occurred today.
Luongo returning to South Florida (Updated)
In a blockbuster deal and unexpected move, the Florida Panthers acquired elite goaltender, Roberto Luongo from the Vancouver Canucks. For Luongo it is a return to the Panthers eight years after being traded to the Vancouver Canucks. Dale Tallon who already have a goaltender in Tim Thomas put goaltender Scott Clemmensen on waivers earlier today to make a roster spot for Roberto Luongo.
Going back the other way, the panthers are sending to the Canucks, prospect goalie Jacob Markstrom and centre Shawn Matthias. In the off-season, last year, Luongo requested a trade when left as the backup to Cory Schneider but surprisingly, it was Schneider who was traded to the New Jersey Devils during the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Luongo who was not happy to be the starting goalie at the Heritage Classic against the Senators inadvertently started his own rumors on Sunday.
"I was not expecting it," Luongo told reporters shortly after the trade. "Go figure, right? I'm happy for myself and my family and a little bit sad to be leaving Vancouver." Luongo will rejoin Stanley Cup champions Tim Thomas who was with the Boston Bruins when they won the Stanley Cup in 2011. When asked about being teammates with Thomas, Luongo stated: "I don't know, we'll see how it goes when I get there."
When asked about his time in Vancouver, Luongo stated: "All in all it was a great run. There was a lot of stuff that happened in between but I have nothing but good things to say about the fans that were really supportive especially towards the end. This organization brought my game to another level. It's all positive stuff."
Luongo this season had a .917 save percentage and a goal against average of 2.38. Luongo was awarded the gold medal in Sotch when Canada beat Sweden in the finals. When asked about Luongo, Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon declared this: "Roberto is one of the game's elite goaltenders and we are happy to welcome him back to South Florida," "With this acquisition, we have solidified our goaltending depth with a top-tiered netminder for the next several seasons." Of note, the Vancouver Canucks will assume 15% of Luongo's salary for the remainder of his contract.
Flyers get Andrew MacDonald from Islanders (Updated)
Today is not the deadline but a flurry of trades has begun today and the trades continued when the New York Islanders traded highly coveted defenceman Andrew MacDonald to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a second round pick in 2015 and a third round draft pick in 2014. MacDonald, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1st is having a breakout year with the Islanders and general manager wasn't able to sign the defenceman earlier in the season.
This year MacDonald mainly employed on the powerplay for the New York Islanders has recorded four goals and 20 assists in 63 games. MacDonald is currently in the final year of a four-year deal he signed with the Islanders prior to the 2010-11 season worth an average annual value of $550,000. Drafted in the NHL Entry Draft of 2006, MacDonald has spent his entire career with the Islanders scoring 17 goals and 72 assists in 295 career games.
Oilers acquire goalie Viktor Fasth
According to TSN.ca, the Edmonton Oilers have traded goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov to the Minnesota Wild for a fourth round draft pick in the 2014 Draft. Then, the Oilers have acquired from the Anaheim Ducks prospect goalie Viktor Fasth in exchange for a fifth round pick in 2014 and a third round pick in 2015. Fasth who was rumored to be on the trading block by the Anaheim Ducks will bring along with Ben Scrivens, signed yesterday much stability in the Oilers net. The 31 years-old signed a two-year contract last summer worth 5.8 million dollars. In 2013-14, Fasth participated in 5 games while compiling a save percentage of .885 and a 2.95 goals against average. Career wise, Fasth has a .915 save percentage and a 2.32 goals against average.
As for Bryzgalov, he was acquired earlier this year by the Oilers and his move to the Wild seems somewhat surprising with Martin Brodeur still available and rumored to head to Minnesota. Bryzgalov, compiled a 5 wins, 8 losses and 5 overtime losses with a .908 save percentage with a 3.02 goals against average since his acquisition 8 November, 2014. bryzgalov will be an unrestricted free agent July 1st.
In a separate move, the Anaheim Ducks have sent forward Dustin Penner to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a fourth round draft pick. Penner, this season had 13 goals, 19 assists for 32 points in 49 games and is plus -22. Dustin Penner was acquired by the Ducks in the off-seasonas a free agent by the Ducks on July 16th.
Martin Erat to the Phoenix Coyotes (Updated)
The Washington Capitals have finally realized Martin Erat's wish by trading him yesterday to the Phoenix Coyotes along with forward John Mitchell in exchange for forward Chris Brown, defenseman Rostislav Klesla and a fourth round draft pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Erat who requested a trade earlier in November could never get along with head coach Adam Oates about his playing time. Erat's statistics at the time of the trade were 1 goal and 23 assists for 24 points in 53 games played. As for John Mitchell, the Coyotes are looking at adding size and grit. Mitchell who's in the minor, had 10 goals 4 assists for Norfolk last year in 61 games played.
Going to Washington is defenseman Rotislav Klesla and forward Chris Brown. There is movement for depth as far as the Capitals are concerned. In Klesla, they get a veteran defenceman capable to solidify their defense corps. Klesla had 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 points in 25 games while Chris Brown only played in 6 games for the Coyotes and was coreless.
Stephane Robidas sent to the Ducks
Yesterday, veteran defenceman Stephane Robidas was rumored to be on the trading block despite recovering from a broken leg last November. Today the Dallas Stars confirmed the fact, when Robidas was sent to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a fourth-round pick the Ducks acquired from the Washington Capitals for Dustin Penner.
Robidas who is 37 years-old may be the defenseman the Ducks were looking for. The defenceman is in the final year of a four-year, $13.2 million contract and will become an unrestricted free agent July 1st. This year Robidas played in 24 games and scored on four occasions while recording one assists. Stephane Robidas commenced his career with the Montreal Canadiens when he was drafted in the seventh round (164th overall) of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft.
Mullen acquired by the Senators (Updated)
In a minor deal this morning, the Senators have obtained defenseman Patrick Mullen from the Vancouver Canucks and in exchange for Mullen the Senators sent to the Canucks forward Jeff Costello. Costello a Notre-Dame (CCHA) player in the Senators system was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 5th round (146th overall) in 2009 while Patrick Mullen who currentl plays in Utica – their AHL affiliate team was signed as an unrestricted free agent by the Vancouver Canucks in July 2012.
Andrew MacDonald
draft pick
Dustin Penner
fifth round
fourth round
Ilya Bryzgalov
Roberto Luongo
Stephane Robidas
Viktor Fasth
NHL Trade Rumors – 4 March 14 (Updated)
NHL Teams Signings – 5 March 14
NHL Trade Rumors – 7 Feb 15
February 7, 2015 Trade Edmonton Oilers, HOME, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators Comments Off on NHL Trade Rumors – 7 Feb 15
Evander Kane to be traded but not now. In the latest events surrounding the power forward from the Winnipeg Jets, Evander Kane; it appears that he will not likely be traded before the 2 March […]
Tokarski traded to Ducks
January 8, 2016 Trade Anaheim Ducks, HOME, Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals Comments Off on Tokarski traded to Ducks
It appears the trading movements are starting increase more and more as many teams are jotting to get the player they need earlier than waiting at the trade deadline. Although not as big as yesterday, a minor […]
Buyouts – Who are they?
June 13, 2015 Trade FEATURED, HOME Comments Off on Buyouts – Who are they?
The window of opportunity for buy-outs in the NHL is from the 15th to the 30th Jun 15. During this period, teams can buy out contracts of players they want to cut off their roster […]


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Q: Firebase initialization returning "Uncaught ReferenceError: firebase is not defined" I have the following setup:
<button type="button" name="button" class="btn btn-danger" onclick="signIn()">
  <i class="fa fa-google"></i>  Login With Google
</button>
<script src="js/firebase.js" type="module"></script>
<script src="js/custom.js"></script>

firebase.js
// FIREBASE INITIALIZATION
import { initializeApp } from "https://www.gstatic.com/firebasejs/9.3.0/firebase-app.js";
import { getAnalytics } from "https://www.gstatic.com/firebasejs/9.3.0/firebase-analytics.js";
const firebaseConfig = {
  apiKey: "XXXXXXXX",
  authDomain: "fir-chat-application-3e442.firebaseapp.com",
  projectId: "fir-chat-application-3e442",
  storageBucket: "fir-chat-application-3e442.appspot.com",
  messagingSenderId: "264006913204",
  appId: "XXXXXXXX",
  measurementId: "XXXXXXXX"
};
const app = initializeApp(firebaseConfig);
const analytics = getAnalytics(app);

custom.js
function signIn(){
  var provider = new firebase.auth.GoogleAuthProvider();
}

When I click on the Login With Google button I am getting the following error in the console:
Uncaught ReferenceError: firebase is not defined

I checked everything again and again but I don't seem to catch the error. What mistake am I making here?

A: You're mixing api v8 and v9.
import { GoogleAuthProvider } from "https://www.gstatic.com/firebasejs/9.3.0/firebase-auth.js"

const provider = new GoogleAuthProvider();

Edit to demostrate that firebase scripts includes GoogleAuthProvider:

<script type="module">

import { GoogleAuthProvider } from "https://www.gstatic.com/firebasejs/9.3.0/firebase-auth.js"

console.info(GoogleAuthProvider)
</script>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Plenty of Fish (POF) is a great online dating platform for people who currently looking for the love of their life. Plenty of Fish free dating site is packed with features that distinguish it with the other online dating platforms. Some of the features this website provides include match algorithms, personality assessments, Meet Me, Search engine, Viewed me, local events, favorites, flirts, call, email updates and top prospects. Furthermore, Plenty of Fish also can be accessed via PC, laptop or smartphone with different operating systems. So, if you are a Mac user, you don't have to worry because Plenty of Fish app for Mac is available.
Once you have Plenty of Fish app for Mac, you can start your online dating journey. First of all, you need to make a Plenty of Fish account first. To register, please visit Plenty of Fish official webpage, www.pof.com. After that, simply fill some information about yourself and you can start using Plenty of Fish app for Mac to use the features the dating platform has provided. If you think the free features are not enough to help you find your soul mate, you can upgrade to premium membership. Even though you have to pay, it is not as expensive as other dating platforms. You can choose to pay for three, six or twelve months. The price you have to pay is USD 39,99, USD 64.99 and USD 89.99 respectively. Furthermore, there are plenty of additional features you can enjoy. Firstly, your profile will be shown first on the Meet Me section. Furthermore, you also can view the extended profile of every user from your Plenty of Fish app for Mac. In addition, you also can find out the status of the messages you have sent, whether they have been read or deleted, you can send up to three virtual gifts per day, upload up to 16 pictures and also enjoy ad free page.
Conversation Tips. This part will help you creating the best profile that can spark conversations from people who visit your profile.
Super Yes Notification. This new feature will send a notification when someone sends you a Super Yes so you can respond immediately.
Spark. You can now use Spark feature when visiting a profile and use it to engage in a conversation.
If you are a Mac user, Plenty of Fish app for Mac will make your online dating experience in this platform more fun. Make sure to find out the functions of all the features and use them to your advantage. Furthermore, you also need to make sure that you keep your app updated so you don't miss any new features the new app might bring.


A defensive lapse that gave away a goal, a couple of golden chances wasted and two chances denied by questionable refereeing cost the Ottawa Fury in their debut at TD Place Sunday in front of a North American Soccer League record-breaking crowd.
Despite having a majority of the possession against the New York Cosmos, the Fury let opportunity slip through their hands on a goal by Sebastian Guenzatti that came 37 minutes into the game. The tally held up as New York won the contest 1-0.
What made it more frustrating for coach Marc Dos Santos and his men was that they had taken control of the game at this stage only to be undone by a breakaway as the Fury lost composure for a moment. That was all it took.
Ottawa had looked a trifle out of sorts in the opening 20 minutes of Sunday's game but, once their midfield had settled in, they started to control the pace and even after the Cosmos goal, they were the dominant side.
Sinisa Ubiparipovic held his head in his hands after slicing wide a driving shot from just outside penalty area during a stretch of four Fury corner kicks in quick succession.
Tom Heinemann reacted in much the same way twice when he failed to convert golden chances after being sent clear. They were chances he would normally have buried but Cosmos goalkeeper Jimmy Mauer snuffed out the danger.
Then there were the two decisions that could have turned the game. Coach Dos Santos does not comment on officiating, believing it to be a pointless exercise. But even he must have wondered at the failure of referee David Barrie to even consider a penalty claim when Ubiparipovic was brought down inside the Cosmos box.
Then he did make a call following a corner, judging that Mauer had been knocked over by a Fury shoulder. The call came as the loose ball was being chipped into an empty net. It was another questionable moment and the only chance for the 14,593 fans to cheer a "goal". They followed it with jeers when the decision came down.
From the point of view of the fans, though, it was an exciting NASL debut at TD Place and one that gave them a clear indication of the quality of the soccer on display.
Certainly NASL commissioner Bill Peterson was bubbling over the show and quick to offer condolences.
And what was coach Dos Santos's verdict?
"It's tough to create so many chances against New York," he said after the game." They only conceded three goals the whole spring season. Normally, teams don't create that much, and today we created.
Maybe the return of Nikki Paterson will add more flair. He had played only half a game at the beginning of the spring season before injury laid him low. We can expect to see him back in action – even if for only 30 minutes or so – in the friendly against the visiting Glasgow Rangers at TD Place on Wednesday evening.
Dos Santos sees Paterson almost as new recruit, even if he was the club's first signing, because injuries have kept him on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, the most important trick for Fury FC is to maintain its confidence. Certainly, there is no denying they were at least equal to the side many consider the cream of the NASL crop.
Ottawa Fury women have booked themselves a trip to Florida next weekend to challenge for the W-League championship. They strode smoothly past Kitchener-Waterloo United Saturday, scoring four times without reply to clinch the Central Conference title.
That completed an unbeaten regular season with only one draw.
The only unhappy blemish came three minutes before half time when goalkeeper Jill McVicker raced out to foil a K-W breakaway that would have tied the game at 1-1.
The consequent collision sent McVicker to hospital for diagnosis on a knee injury. Early indication was a torn ligament that could keep her out for 10 months.
The opening half of the game was not to coach Dom Oliveri's liking, even though the Fury went in at the break leading on a Terese Rynier tap-in following a mad goalmouth scramble.
Some stern halftime words worked well. The Fury came out with far more purpose and four minutes into the second half, a Annie Steinlage shot edged over the line in the air before being clawed out.
The visitors began to wilt after that and Rynier, with her second and Kristy Moore sealed the 4-0 win that will take the Fury to Florida for playoffs with the L.A. Strikers, Washington Spirits and Charlotte Lady Eagles.


The custom of trick-or-treating dates back to Medieval times, according to this Wikipedia article. Originally the poor begged at homes in connection with All Saints Day. Food was given in exchange for prayers for the dead.
By the late 1950s, the practice was common throughout the U.S. Over the years, trick-or-treating became a children's activity, where revelers dressed in various types of costumes. Instead of buying prayers, homeowners were threatened with pranks if they failed to give some treats. But nowadays the kind of pranks that were common years ago would land a child in the juvenile justice system. Instead, the trick part of trick-or-treating has become something much more benign.
While the general concept of trick-or-treating remains the same throughout the U.S., the actual practice differs from community to community. My brother's kids grew up engaging in "trunk-or-treat." Parents parked cars around a local church parking lot. Children went from car to car getting treats while adults handed out treats from their car trunks. They had fun and then everyone went home.
Every neighborhood I have lived in has held a traditional trick-or-treat event each year. I have always lived in neighborhoods with plenty of young families where the houses are relatively close. Consequently we have always had lots of trick-or-treaters come to our house.
We decided early in our marriage that we weren't going to distribute candy for Halloween. Instead, we have bought cheap toys from outlets like the Oriental Trading Company. Some items cost less than a penny each. Many kids think that getting a small toy is a novelty, so they enjoy coming to our house.
Every year that Halloween lands on Sunday, there are always a few that get upset that our community does its trick-or-treating on Saturday, October 30 instead of Sunday, October 31. Each is free to celebrate the holiday whenever they wish. But if they want to enjoy their community's trick-or-treating event, they will participate on whatever night their community does it.
If someone feels strongly that trick-or-treating should happen on Sunday when their neighbors are doing it on Saturday, they are free to seek to influence their neighbors. Halloween is not an official holiday. So it is unlikely that trying to use the authority of the state to get their way would be a successful tactic.
I have noticed that the top age for trick-or-treaters in my neighborhood has increased over the years. When I was a kid, we pretty much topped out at age 11. It was a huge social faux pas to go trick-or-treating at age 12 or older. Now I see high school seniors and even college age people — technically adults — on my doorstep every Halloween.
Halloween is kind of an odd holiday, in my thinking. Pretty much every other official and unofficial holiday is intended to celebrate something more or less ennobling. Halloween celebrates the dark and macabre. While some religious folks will disagree, I think it's still possible to enjoy the tradition without catering to evil.
Dressing up in costumes, for example, is fine. It can be done in a fun way without going against my religion's tenets. I have encouraged my family members to steer away from costumes that emulate evil or gore, or that are immodest. Comedian Jim Gaffigan quips that some women use Halloween as an excuse to dress up like prostitutes.
It has been a long time since I dressed in a costume for Halloween. I tell my kids that I am dressing as myself. I still enjoy the fun of the holiday. It's great to see the kids have fun. Our neighborhood will hold its trick-or-treating on Saturday night this year. Many of us will end up at church the next day with sugared up kids.
A number of news sites carried an AP article yesterday about a Mormon couple in Raleigh, NC that was kicked out of their local Boy Scout volunteer positions when the sponsoring institution, a Presbyterian congregation, discovered that the couple belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). The Mormon couple's young sons were welcome to continue attending, but the adults were not permitted to serve in scouting leadership positions.
A spokesperson for the Presbyterian congregation cited as the reason for the couple's dismissal from their scouting positions irreconcilable differences between the congregation's doctrine and forms of worship and those of the LDS Church. Mormons are not considered by many evangelical Christians to be Christian. They would no more allow a Mormon to represent their faith than they would allow a Muslim, Hindu, or Jew to do so. The Mormon couple, on the other hand, considers themselves to be very strong believers in and followers of Jesus Christ.
It is important to understand that the BSA permits organizations that sponsor scouting units wide latitude in developing rules for admittance to those units. Sponsoring organizations are free to add additional qualifications to BSA volunteer requirements. This is part of the BSA policy that permits these organizations a fair amount of leeway in their implementation of BSA programs.
This BSA feature is one that the LDS Church actively helped to craft and has worked for many years to keep in place because it is beneficial to the church. Not only does this policy let the church determine how to run scouting programs, it permits LDS congregations to control who serves in adult volunteer positions in scouting units sponsored by the church.
While it is not unheard of for non-LDS people to serve in such positions, they do so at the behest of local LDS congregational leaders. They may also be "released" from their "calling" at any time by these same religious leaders.
The parameters for scouting service in BSA units sponsored by Mormon congregations are pretty clear. It is a calling, not a strictly volunteer position. A person's service only begins after being formally called to the position by congregational leaders and after that calling is sustained by a vote of the entire congregation. Technically, no one is permitted by the church to serve in a scouting position until they have passed a BSA background check. That process usually takes about two weeks following the submission of a BSA application form to a scout service center.
It appears that the Presbyterian congregation, which apparently has more than 2,000 members, has been less rigorous in filling adult scout volunteer positions. The congregation's spokesperson said that requirements for service will soon be clarified so that problems like this can be avoided in the future.
The entire predicament could have been nipped in the bud had the Presbyterian congregation required the couple to turn in an application and pass a BSA background check before beginning service, as required by the BSA. Congregational leaders would have become aware of the couple's religious affiliation in time to handle the matter privately. It likely would not have become a public problem for the congregation.
While I understand that the Mormon couple felt that the Presbyterian congregation's actions put them in an awkward social position, I do not believe that the couple has grounds for grievance. BSA policy permits sponsoring organizations to specify additional qualifications for serving in a scout leadership position. This policy is fully supported by the couple's own church. Doing away with the policy would mean that Mormon congregations would have little control over who serves their young men.
The BSA policy is fine. The Presbyterian congregation created an embarrassing social situation when it failed to strictly follow the BSA policy that requires adult volunteers to pass a background check before beginning service. The congregation should follow the rules in the future.
It seems to me that one that claims to follow Jesus Christ ought to consider His counsel to "turn the other cheek" (Matthew 5:39), to love and pray for those that they feel have mistreated them (Matthew 5:44), and to "forgive all men" (D&C 64:10). I may be wrong, but turning the matter into national news appears to violate the spirit of that counsel. The couple's feelings were hurt. They — and everyone else — should get over it.
One of the most common questions I get from adults during election season is why online voting is so scarce. It makes no sense to most adults. They've been buying things online with relative security for years. Why can't we do that with voting?
It all comes down to trustworthiness. The simple fact is that we do not yet have systems with sufficiently sophisticated security to safely pass your vote from your computer, through a series of private (and probably public) servers to a secure destination server.
Maybe someday we will have those kinds of secure systems. But we're not there yet. One expert quoted in this Time article suggests that we're a decade or more away from that technology.
Voting differs from online purchases in the verifiability of the outcome. When you use your credit card to make an online purchase, you can verify the outcome of the purchase. You get the product and see the charge on your statement. You know fairly quickly if you get no shipment or get the wrong product. If someone else makes a purchase using your credit card, you see the charge on your statement.
There's no feedback mechanism like that in voting. You have no way to verify that the vote you cast on your computer actually gets counted the way you sent it in. If you try to vote and get told that you have already voted, you know that someone else has fraudulently cast a vote in your behalf. But if you're like lots of people that don't bother to vote, you'll never know that someone used your ID to commit voter fraud.
A problem that also exists with mail-in ballots is how to know that the person submitting the ballot is actually who they claim to be, and how to know that the ballot is submitted secretly and without coercion. That's a problem you face with any kind of remote balloting. We may never overcome this problem regardless of how sophisticated our technology gets.
That's really only the tip of the iceberg. As the Time article notes, public servers that gather and calculate election data are readily hackable. Don't believe for a minute that there aren't people out there that have sufficient motive to engage in this kind of hacking. With enough talent, a hacker can make sure that no one else even knows that fraud has been committed. With the right kind of attack, there may be no way to know it occurred, let alone track it down.
The cumbersomeness of physical balloting systems turns out to be a security feature. Hand marked ballots placed in locked boxes in front of election judges from different parties currently provides a more secure system than any system that uses higher technology.
We will probably get to the point where we can have reasonably secure Internet based remote voting systems. But we don't have that today.
I watch him wobbling down the road on that old bike — going too fast, I think. (Older kids have grown out of that bike.) "Why can't he just keep the handlebars straight?" I ask myself aloud. By sheer will and by cocking my head, I try to hold him upright from a distance.
It's obvious that coordinating the management of the pedals, handlebars, brakes, and balance all at the same time is a bit of a challenge for him. There's no way I can do any of that for him.
He's going too fast as he nears the corner where the stop sign is. Just in the nick of time, he slams on his brakes and skids to a complete stop in a very short distance. I watch as he struggles in vain to keep the bike from slowly tipping over. As he picks it up, I make a mental note to train him on the basics of gradually stopping and putting one foot down.
Because he hasn't yet learned how to turn while riding, he physically picks the bike up and faces it the opposite direction. I bite my lip as I see that he's about to try starting up the slope. Our road doesn't have much of a slope, but there is a definite steady slope along its one-block stretch.
I am anxious for my son because the first time he ever rode a bicycle without training wheels was about 24 hours earlier. And that was in an empty parking lot that was nearly as flat as any sizeable paved surface can be. He had discovered that the slightest decline could help him get going from a standstill, but that the slightest incline presented a challenge.
It was with surprise I learned that he had been practicing bike riding in our neighborhood on his own. He had nearly been ready to give up the previous day. Maybe he believed me I told him that everybody is awful at cycling at first. Even the world's greatest cyclists were once frustrated beginners.
It takes him three or four tries, but I am quite pleased to see him get the bike going up the slope. He's not very stable. It's a good thing there's not much traffic on our road because he wanders all over the place.
As he nears the spot where I am standing in the end of the driveway, he looks at me. His face beams with pride as he says, "Look at me Dad! I'm riding!" I think he's going to stop, but he rides on by. He wants to ride up to where the silver car is parked on the side of the road.
Upon his request, I get my bike out and don my helmet. I ride with him up and down our road, taking a few moments to demonstrate and explain how to make controlled turns and how to come to a controlled stop. He's pretty rough at first, but before long he's making decent turns and stops.
Soon it becomes clear that the only reason he still needs me there is for validation. He wants his daddy to share in his moment of triumph.
From the daddy perspective, my thoughts and emotions are beyond the mere earthly. Pride? Yes, I'm very proud of my boy. Who wouldn't be? But the sheer joy of watching him learn, stumble, and conquer seems divine.
I try to keep him upright.
And turns the bike around.
Is enough for my boy.
My wife and I started out our marriage with a car payment and a house payment. We were flush with cash from wedding gifts. I was trained in accounting and had a decent job working with taxes. My wife was in the final term of earning a bachelor degree. She had a promising temporary position that looked like it could turn into something permanent.
We seemed to have a lot going for us financially. I had managed a checkbook since age 12. I figured that I knew how to successfully run our fledgling family's finances. Our earnings were acceptable. We had some cash. We should have no problems.
Then we bumped into reality. My wife's temporary position turned out to actually be temporary. She finished her degree, but finding a new job was more difficult and took longer than we had anticipated. We had spent a lot of our cash surplus on things we figured we needed and/or would improve life quality. In retrospect, it would have been much better to put a lot of that money in savings instead of spending it so quickly (and frivolously).
Only a few months into our marriage, I was chagrined that I had mismanaged our family finances despite my training. With bitterness for my own folly, I swallowed my pride and asked my parents for a few hundred dollars to help us make ends meet. They graciously provided the subsidy along with some mild but firm advice.
About this same time, friends of ours that lived nearby asked if they could come to our home and spend an hour or so sharing something with us. I figured that they were going to pitch some multilevel marketing scheme at us, but out of friendship we scheduled the appointment anyway.
Instead of a marketing scheme, our friends shared with us a thin book titled Rich on Any Income. (See About.com review.) They had been married for a few years and had two beautiful daughters. They explained how they had gotten into financial difficulties early in their marriage and how following the principles in the book had pulled them out of those problems.
The book is so small that it can easily be read in one session. The principles in the book are really quite simple and flexible. They're common sense, really. Oddly enough, many families — including families where principles are reasonably financially literate — fail to implement these very basic rules for successfully managing family finances.
Develop and stick to a plan that your family can live with that helps you achieve rule #1. That means budgeting.
While it seems like nothing could be simpler, the book goes on to show you how to set up and maintain a simple family budget. The book is outlined around a monthly budget system, but I suppose you could use any period that works best for your family. Still, I'd caution against too long of a period because it might be difficult to maintain focus.
Set up budget categories. This is where the money goes. Your categories can be as broad or as granular as works for you. Too few categories can make the system meaningless, but too many categories makes the system cumbersome.
Determine your anticipated income for the month.
Determine fixed and unavoidable monthly expenses. Don't forget to split out a monthly portion of costs that come up annually (e.g. property tax, car tax & license), semi-annually (e.g. auto insurance), quarterly, or seasonally.
Split out the remaining income across more flexible categories. Include a category for savings, even if you're only saving a small amount.
Anytime you spend anything for any purpose, subtract it from the appropriate category. When you run out of money in a category, you are done spending from that category for the month. Or you have to steal from another category.
At the end of the month, create a budget for the next month. Carry over amounts left in any category.
The book was written in 1986, before home computers and debit cards were common. It includes a small budget matrix that can be kept in a checkbook so that it can be updated in live time and can provide you with current budget status at a glance.
Discipline is key to making a monthly budget work because it can be tedious and tends to temper 'fun' spending. But the tedium pays off in financial peace of mind.
My friends would immediately convert each paycheck to cash. They split the cash among labeled envelopes in a drawer. The envelopes were their budget categories. Anytime they spent anything — even to make a house payment — they physically pulled cash from the appropriate envelope and made the payment. If they ran short in a category, they literally had to take cash from another envelope. This methodology instilled discipline that helped them stabilize their finances once and for all.
For a number of years, we calculated our monthly budget on old time accounting ledgers. We kept a monthly budget matrix in our checkbook. This worked fairly well. We rarely used debit or credit cards back in those days. We mostly wrote checks and tried to rarely spend cash.
For years we avoided using credit cards. I had worked in the collection department of a bank and had seen many sad situations that resulted from credit card misuse. In time we discovered that credit cards used wisely could pay a small return instead of causing pain. From the outset, we decided to never make a charge on a card for which we did not already have money in the bank (and in our budget). That way, there's always money to pay the full balance when the credit card bill comes due. We never pay interest.
Technology eventually caught up with us. We started tracking everything in Quicken, a popular financial management software package. That has worked fairly well for us. We track every bit of income and every expenditure, no matter whether it's cash, check, or credit. It's easy to quickly show where we've spent every penny for many years past. We know our financial status at any given moment.
While you can't tote your PC with you everywhere you go, remotely accessible data and mobile solutions are making it easier to know and track your budget anytime and anywhere. Modern financial tools are helpful, but they do not change the fact that running a monthly budget requires discipline.
Our monthly budget is now an ingrained part of our family culture. For years, I was the family's primary budget manager. In recent years my wife has taken over that role. Our finances are not perfect. We still run into situations for which we feel insufficiently prepared. We sometimes end up overspending in budget categories. This results in occasionally employing uncomfortable strategies to get things back in balance. Nobody enjoys spending cutbacks. But we are fortunately in pretty good shape.
I could not have known those years ago when I suspected that my friends were trying to hawk a multilevel marketing plan that the evening they spent with us would permanently improve our family's finances. I'm grateful that my friends went out of their comfort zone to share that little book with us. How is it possible to adequately thank someone for that kind of service?
Who could have predicted back in the days of Soylent Green and alarmists loudly prophesying that billions would starve to death in the upcoming food shortages that 3½ decades later we'd instead be alarmed about ever increasing obesity in every age, income, and race demographic? Somehow even the "poor" and "hungry" are too fat nowadays.
The KSL article cited is a fine example of the fat news fare that is now part of our everyday news diet. It is reported that researchers found that Americans "think they're thinner or healthier than they actually are." Oh, horror of horrors. How did researchers reach this earth shattering conclusion?
Well, they started out by calling people on the phone. My college statistics professor told us to always be suspicious of telephone surveys because they have a very low verification factor and easily employ manipulative methodologies. Today you could add that it's difficult to get a representative sample, given that most respondents to telephone surveys still use land lines, apparently have no caller ID, and have time to waste answering some stranger's insipid questions.
Researchers had respondents tell their height and weight so that Body Mass Index score and category could be calculated. Then they asked respondents which weight category they thought they fell into.
Lots of people that ranked above normal on the BMI scale put themselves in a lower category than the one they actually fell into. 30% of those in the overweight category said they were normal. 70% of those in the obese category said they were normal. 60% of those in the morbidly obese category said they were merely obese.
It's time to call the fat police. We've got an epidemic of people being unable to accurately state where they fall on the BMI scale. (At least among people that are willing to give out personal information to strangers over the phone.) Isn't this a lot like missing a question on those cleverly worded quizzes we used to hate in school?
This all raises a few questions in my mind. What is the BMI? How did they come up with the BMI categories? How useful is it for people to know which BMI category they fall into?
BMI is mainly applicable to relatively sedentary middle age Caucasians of approximately average height. This is what accounted for the bulk of the study group that was the basis for BMI. Those that vary from these controlling factors are likely to produce a less accurate BMI measurement. If you're tall, short, lean, black, or Asian for example, your BMI measurement less accurate.
Having followed a bodybuilding regimen for years, I am particularly critical of the inability of BMI to delineate between lean body mass and fat. While I do rank in the "normal" BMI category, I know people that are very lean and muscular that rank as obese. Conversely, BMI also tends to under represent body fat among a large segment of the population.
The categories above normal were somewhat arbitrarily defined. What does it really matter if your BMI is 29 (overweight) or 30 (obese class 1)? How much does it matter in real life if your BMI is 30 and you incorrectly put yourself in the overweight class?
So far we have established that BMI is flawed and is not useful for individual health interpretations. Yet the whole basis of the KSL article and the study it reports on is that people are bad if they don't use — or rather, they don't abuse — BMI in this way.
The study does show that people can look at their rolls of fat in the mirror and think that they're relatively normal. Well, heck, just wander around anywhere in America and you'll see that these folks aren't far off the mark. They are normal!
As Americans have gotten fatter, fatter Americans are the norm. (See study on changing BMI distribution.) When 34% of American adults are "overweight", 34% are "obese," and another 3% are morbidly obese, how can you say that the 29% that rank below being overweight represents normal? You can't if you're a statistician. I guess you can if you're an activist.
Besides, wasn't it recently reported that Americans actually have a more realistic view of their weight problem than used to be the case? What we have here is a case of somebody wasting money on a relatively useless telephone survey. Who footed the bill for the silly survey anyway? I went to the Harris Interactive website, but it wasn't immediately clear where all of the funds came from; although, the medical news service HealthDay is presumably the main source of the cash.
It would seem that Americans are getting tired of the overabundance of fat news. Or maybe it's just that they've noticed how utterly ineffective this overweening moralistic nag-a-thon is. While this constant pestering and supercilious preaching has succeeded in increased bigotry toward the non-slender among us, it has done little to actually stem the trend of our expanding waistlines.
But that's just the point. There are those among us that will never be satisfied with minding their own business. When it comes to obesity, they do not see it as an individual issue. To them it is a matter of "public health." How so?
It is claimed that nowadays we have some kind of collective right to grieve over what we view to be the premature death of any individual. It is further asserted that the collective has some kind of right not to be subjected to this kind of grief. Therefore, the collective — the ruling class and their bureaucratic minions — have a right to force people to refrain from engaging in unapproved activities that might reduce their lifespans, including the consumption of junk foods, for example.
Even this argument doesn't wash with most people. Those that would rule over others need something more. Enter the tool of ever increasing socialization of medical expenses. Now that donut you are eating not only causes us grief as it cuts off 20 seconds of your life, that donut is going to increase the government and its crony businesses $1 in future medical expenses.
Now the ruling class has a financial argument to regulate what you eat. And while nothing they do is likely to have much impact on our waistlines, this reality will not stop them from making life less enjoyable for everyone. I suspect that Americans are starting to tune out the professional fat grievance industry already.
Huge percentages of American adults have tried some form of weight loss. The vast majority of these have achieved little or no permanent weight loss. Speaking from experience — I weigh 65 lbs less than I weighed 22 years ago — it is extremely difficult to lose significant amounts of weight. Once lost, it takes continual vigilance to keep the weight off. It requires a level of near fanaticism that few can maintain over the long haul. Or even over the short haul, for that matter.
To most Americans that exceed ideal weight, the constant harangue about their condition is superfluous. Nothing seems to really work, so why bother? Why pay attention to those loudly and repeatedly declaring that being fat is evil when you feel powerless to do anything about it?
Mark Twain once said, "The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not." Even a century ago, people didn't like eating "healthy" foods or exercising.
Most people know that they might be able to achieve a healthy weight if they turned their diet and spare time into miserable but physically healthy activities. They're just not sure the tradeoff would be worth it. There's more to life than being the perfect weight. Amazing to some folks is the fact that many think there's more to life than living a long time.
So for all of their exposure, many of the intended targets of the anti-fat industry are likely to ignore the activists' nagging. In fact, like loud TV commercials and ubiquitous Internet ads, the sheer volume of the messages might result in people developing a mental defense mechanism that allows them to block out the messages.
As long as there are people willing to throw cash at the fat harassment industry, I suspect we'll continue to be treated to a steady diet of fat-is-bad nagging. It's just that nobody may be paying attention.
My first scoutmaster was Bob Porter. He had a son close to my age with whom I was friends. Bob took over the scoutmaster job from Vern Hadley when he was called to a different position.
Scouting ran deep in Vern's veins. He was my oldest brother's scoutmaster. The summer my brother turned 12, Vern had the troop make their own lightweight backpacking tents and food. Stuff like that wasn't much available commercially at the time — at least at reasonable prices. Then Vern took the large troop of boys on a 50-mile hike in the High Uintas. I had assumed that Vern would be my scoutmaster too, but it was not to be.
Bob was a great guy. He worked in law enforcement for a federal agency. I severely over-packed for my first overnight hike to Malan's Basin. I thought I was going to die hiking up the Taylor Canyon switchbacks. The rest of the troop went on ahead. Bob stayed back and trudged along with me mile after mile until we trundled into camp after dark, long after the others had their tents pitched for the night. Bob somehow kept me going without taking my pack. He never complained.
A few months after I came into the troop, Bob was transferred out to the West Coast with his job. His family visited a couple of times after that, but I eventually lost track of them. When Bob left, Al Parks was tapped to be our scoutmaster. We called him "Big Al," because he was very tall. He always wore leather shoes. He quipped that his shoe size was 2½: two cow hides and half a keg of nails. I didn't know much about Al at the time except that he had a perpetual project trying to keep a Triumph Spitfire running.
Big Al didn't know much about the Boy Scout program when he became our scoutmaster. He hadn't been much involved as a youth. But he had taken a turn in the military. How different could the scouts be from the Navy? A friend of mine that retired from the military jokingly tells me that the main difference is that the Boy Scouts have adult supervision.
But Big Al was willing to learn. He threw himself into adult scout leader training. Before long it seemed like he was running troop meetings with 24+ boys present with ease. In reality he was simply implementing the patrol method first taught by Scouting founder Robert Baden-Powell.
Many scoutmasters never learn to implement the magic of the patrol method. They end up working much harder than is necessary to produce relatively substandard results. Good scoutmasters understand that scouting isn't really about rank advancements, merit badges, and awards. It is about learning leadership through the patrol method.
When I advanced to the ranks of troop leadership, our leadership corps found itself meeting weekly at Big Al's house to nail down the weekly meeting and to extend future planning. Big Al focused on doing what a scoutmaster needs to do while the youth leaders led the meetings and kept the boys in line.
It is difficult to describe the intense sense of camaraderie that developed from our involvement in our troop with Big Al as scoutmaster. Being a youth, I never focused on the sacrifices Big Al was making for us boys. He had a wife and kids. The troop's youth leaders became very familiar with them. But they gave up a lot of time with Al so that he could serve us.
Back in the days when I served a mission for the LDS Church, it was common to dedicate the program portion of an entire weekly congregational worship service to the departing missionary. Big Al had made such a difference in my life that he was one of the key speakers at my 'farewell,' although, he had since moved from our congregation.
A few years ago, I got to thinking about Big Al. I see one of his sons fairly often because he works in one of the more prominent businesses in our community. But it had been years since I had seen Al. Having gained some maturity and some appreciation for the sacrifices scouting leaders make to run a decent program, I started to realize what it must have cost Al and his family for him to be our scoutmaster. So I wrote him a letter thanking him for all he did for me when I was an obscure boy trying to find his place in the world.
I suppose that the greatest teachers in our lives never cease to teach us, although, our association with them may diminish or cease.
Big Al came to my Dad's funeral. When he came through the line, he said, "You wrote me a letter a couple of years ago. It made me cry." There was a look of gratitude in Al's eyes. My small act could in no way repay the sacrifices Al had made for me and the other boys. As he expressed appreciation for my letter, Big Al taught me once again.


text:
Biochem J. 2002 Aug 1;365(Pt 3):561-75.
CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins: structure, function and regulation.
Ramji DP1, Foka P.
Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, P.O. Box 911, Cardiff CF10 3US, Wales, U.K. ramji@cardiff.ac.uk
CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins (C/EBPs) are a family of transcription factors that all contain a highly conserved, basic-leucine zipper domain at the C-terminus that is involved in dimerization and DNA binding. At least six members of the family have been isolated and characterized to date (C/EBP alpha[bond]C/EBP zeta), with further diversity produced by the generation of different sized polypeptides, predominantly by differential use of translation initiation sites, and extensive protein-protein interactions both within the family and with other transcription factors. The function of the C/EBPs has recently been investigated by a number of approaches, including studies on mice that lack specific members, and has identified pivotal roles of the family in the control of cellular proliferation and differentiation, metabolism, inflammation and numerous other responses, particularly in hepatocytes, adipocytes and haematopoietic cells. The expression of the C/EBPs is regulated at multiple levels during several physiological and pathophysiological conditions through the action of a range of factors, including hormones, mitogens, cytokines, nutrients and certain toxins. The mechanisms through which the C/EBP members are regulated during such conditions have also been the focus of several recent studies and have revealed an immense complexity with the potential existence of cell/tissue- and species-specific differences. This review deals with the structure, biological function and the regulation of the C/EBP family.
10.1042/BJ20020508
Adipocytes/physiology
CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins/chemistry
CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins/genetics*
CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins/metabolism*
Cell Differentiation/physiology
Cell Division/physiology
Inflammation/metabolism
Models, Molecular
Protein Structure, Secondary
CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins
DDIT3 - BioCyc


" 'Imagine if a president had stood before the first graduating class of this academy five decades ago and told the Cadet Wing that by the end of the 20th century, the Soviet Union would be no more, communism would stand discredited and the vast majority of the world's nations would be democracies,' Bush urged graduates at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs nearly two weeks ago."-quoted in today's Washington Post.
If Dwight Eisenhower had stood up in front of the Air Force's most recent graduates in 1958 and told them that the Soviet Union would not exist in 50 years, one of two things would have happened. Khrushchev would have taken this statement by the leader of the Allied forces in World War II to be a declaration of war and possibly started hurling atomic bombs aross the ocean, or the Air Force's own generals would have thought that they were suddenly going to start dropping atomic bombs on Russia in a couple hours. There are probably other possibilities, but those are the two that spring to mind.
This was also the year that Martin Luther King, Jr., published his first book and the NAACP began sitting in at lunch counters, so it's possible that Eisenhower may have had, you know, the present on his mind, and not what may or may happen around the Berlin Wall (which hadn't been built yet) in 1989. 1989 is, of course, 31 years after 1958, and the nuclear escalation may have been even swifter had Eisenhower used that number. So while I can imagine what would have happened had Eisenhower said it, I'm glad he didn't, because the result is the stuff of nightmares.


Calculated driving distance between	Ukiah, Oregon and	Milton Freewater, Oregon is miles, this equals kilometres. Estimated driving time is in current traffic conditions. With an average car, this trip would cost around $ in gasoline, since you would need about gallons of fuel.(Based on current US Gas prices and average mileage of 3.6 gallons gas per mile).
Leaving from Ukiah, Oregon located in Oregon - United States you would reach Milton Freewater, Oregon (Oregon - United States) in about driving an average speed of miles per hour to cover the miles, assuming traffic conditions stay unchanged and you don't take any breaks.
The map overview below shows the best driving route from Ukiah, Oregon to Milton Freewater, Oregon as a blue line on the map, with starting point (Ukiah) marked A, and destination point (Milton-Freewater) marked B. You can zoom in on the map to view road numbers, street names and other details both in Ukiah, Oregon and Milton Freewater, Oregon as well as every other town near or on your route.
The starting point's Ukiah elevation is 1021.654114 m (3351.88 feet) from sea level. Destination point Milton-Freewater elevation is 318.390686 m (1044.59 feet) relative to sea level.
Geographic coordinates for starting point Ukiah, Oregon in Decimal Degrees are: Latitude: 45.134030 and Longitude: -118.932482. Coordinates for destination location Milton Freewater, Oregon are: Latitude: 45.932635 and Longitude: -118.387744.
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Depending on the fuel efficiency level of your car, driving from Ukiah, Oregon to Milton Freewater, Oregon will cost you between $ and $ approximately. An average car makes this trip for approximately $. Driving costs are calculated based on average gas prices in the US - Toll and other costs are not included in this calculation.


text:
Canada, allies demand Iran submit to binding arbitration for downing of Flight PS752
Canada is among four countries calling on Iran to agree to binding arbitration for shooting down Flight PS752 nearly three years ago.
The group of nations — which also includes Britain, Sweden and Ukraine — made the request today through a United Nations convention designed to protect commercial aircraft from attack.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down the Ukrainian Airlines flight just minutes after takeoff on Jan. 8, 2020, killing all 176 people on board.
The passengers included 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents, along with others with ties to Canada.
The call for binding arbitration follows years of unsuccessful negotiations with the Iranian government in terms of reparations and holding those responsible to account.
If Iran does not agree to the demand for binding arbitration within six months, the case can be referred to the International Court of Justice.
Long power outages expose Quebec's lack of readiness for energy transition: expert
China to resume issuing passports, visas as virus curbs ease


Upon a motion by Gathman; seconded by McMillan, the minutes of September 6, 2011 were unanimously approved.
Koch explained that the proposed Industrial and Engineering Technology Entrepreneurship minor has the same required business courses as other entrepreneurship minors, but has six hours from one of seven option areas. Rosati added that all of the entrepreneurship minors have been well received and are all built on the same model. After discussion, Lilly moved approval of the new minor; seconded by Gathman. Motion passed unanimously.
Rosati explained that there is a proposal to restructure the School of Polytechnic Studies.
i. Moving the Department of Computer Science from the College of Science and Mathematics to the School of Polytechnic Studies.
ii. Changing the School of Polytechnic Studies to a college.
iii. Changing the name of the School of Polytechnic Studies to the College of Integrated Technology and Agriculture.
Rosati explained that the procedures for academic restructuring state that if any written objections to a proposal are filed, the objections and proposal are to be submitted to Academic Council for deliberation. The comments that were received are in the handout given to the Council. The only negative comments to the proposal are regarding the proposed name. Koch stated that he served on the committee that Interim Dean McGowan set up, which had two representatives from each department (Agriculture, Computer Science, and Polytech); the committee's most popular choice of name was "College of Polytechnic and Agricultural Studies." The committee felt that Polytechnic Studies has been a branded name and does encompass all technologies. Eddleman questioned one of the comments that referred to lab relocations; Koch explained there were no lab relocations mentioned in the proposal. Eddleman also addressed a question in one of the comments and pointed out that per the Faculty Handbook, the Computer Science department chair position will have to be filled by doing an internal search. Rosati asked the Council if they would be in favor of passing a resolution to support the proposal. Koch moved approval of a resolution to support the proposal, with the amended name change to "College of Polytechnic and Agricultural Studies"; seconded by Gathman. Motion passed unanimously. Rosati explained that the resolution will go forward to the President, and possibly to the Board of Regents, as there is a time sensitivity for the wording for the Dean's search.
Rosati explained that last year, there were questions raised on the voting members of the College of Education College Council. Faculty Senate passed a resolution to specify the voting members, and the non-voting advisors; the resolution is an information item for now and does not change the current Faculty Handbook language. The current Faculty Handbook language regarding the College of Education College Council was approved by the Academic Council in 1989. Rosati explained that if the language changes, Academic Council will have input in, and will approve it.


It's day seven of National Blog Posting Month. And a freewriting day at that. You know how much I dislike "free" writing, so I'll just post a little pat on the back about my getting through 7 days of writing... seems like all the topics and all my post have been about writing itself. I'm hoping to change that a bit for the next week coming up! Unless I find one of the prompts particularly compelling.
But I do have some memoir items I'd love to post, some poetry from past workshops, and some notes from a writer's conference I went to. So I'm hoping to give this month a little more variety!


John 12:26 - (Jesus said) "If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor Him."; John 10:27 - (Jesus said) "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."
CES stands for Computer Electronics Show. This year, like many years, CES was held in Las Vegas.
The CES gives companies the opportunity to showcase their products to the entire world. Success at CES can translate into a truckload of sales and gives a product a head-start in the marketplace. Last year, it was generally conceded that Amazon's Alexa walked away with the blue ribbon. Today, that company has an estimated 70 percent of the voice-controlled electronics market.
This year it is still too early to say which product will capture the imagination of John and Jane Doe. That being said, there were two items which generated a fair amount of interest and were a lot of fun to play with. Unbelievably, both of those electronic items were suitcases. Yes, suitcases.
1. The first suitcase is from a Chinese company and is called Puppy 1. Puppy 1 uses Segway's self-balancing technology to keep the suitcase upright and a special computer program which forces the suitcase to follow you wherever you go.
You can use a joystick to set the suitcase's direction, or you can just tell Puppy to follow you. It's amazing to see. The only drawback to the case is this: most of the interior is taken up by the motor and everything necessary to make things work.
2. The second suitcase which commanded attention at CES was the Modobag. The first feature of the Modobag which people liked was it enabled them, via USB ports on the case, to recharge their phones, computers, tablets, and anything else they might need.
But if recharging was all this suitcase did, it would soon have been overshadowed by the big electronics manufacturers. Truth is, this suitcase has and does more. The Modobag comes equipped with hidden handlebars and stirrups. When they are put into position, a person can sit down on his suitcase and the let the motorized case zip you around the airport at speeds up to 8 mph.
Now it is quite possible you are wondering what all this suitcase talk has to do with religion and our Daily Devotions. The answer is not a thing -- until you realize both these inventions are designed to keep important things close. Travelers know the importance of keeping important things close.
So does the Savior. He entered this world for the purpose of rescuing us from the clutches of sin, the devil, and death. He gave His life to bring sinners home, and the Holy Spirit remains intent on keeping us there.
Although our Lord had neither suitcase nor electricity to illustrate the point, He taught the same thing when He spoke of His sheep recognizing Him and following His voice. He knew the greater the distance which separates us, the greater the danger of us wandering away or being stolen. Conversely, the closer we are kept to the Redeemer, the safer and more secure we will be.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, in this world both sheep and suitcases ... and souls ... can get lost. Almost always such lostness has disastrous consequences. We pray, dear Lord, that You will keep us close to You and away from anyone or anything that would try to steal us away. This we ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.
The above devotion was inspired by a number of sources, including one written by Cheyenne MacDonald for the Daily Mail on January 9, 2018. Those who wish to reference that article may do so at the following link, which was fully functional at the time this devotion was written: click here.


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Looking back on 2018, I realised how much I accomplished in the space of 12 months. With our busy lives, we often do not have time to reflect on our accomplishments and sometimes our failures. 2018 was really a hard year for me and I imagine for some people too, but I am grateful to God for seeing me through it. I pray for more blessings, happiness and good health in 2019.
My Bear and I welcomed 2019 at home. We both dislike loud parties and sweaty crowds. Midnight found us on our couch with glasses of champagne and chocolates ready to toast to the New Year. We watched the fireworks display on screen live from London. I enjoyed it, but my favourite fireworks display to date was Sydney welcoming 2016.
Happy New Year! My husband and I celebrated the same way. We don't enjoy crowds, either!


We often tell people that after 30 years in the business, we've seen just about everything.
What we don't say is that some things… We see more than once.
For instance, every few years or so, someone else publishes an article about powder-coating MDF, and we start to get requests again. "We'd love to move away from liquid. How much would it take to set us up?"
Simple question—but the trouble is, it's a complicated answer.
Over the past 50 years, powder coating has turned the finishing industry on its head. Powder-coated finishes are durable, environmentally friendly, and easy to apply on metal.
But on wood, however, powder coating has proven to be anything but simple.
Wood warps. It cracks. It doesn't conduct heat well—or uniformly. At one time, it was a living thing—and when you try to paint it, it shows. The finish ends up uneven and not properly cured.
And MDF, being simply wood particles held together with resin, acts the same way.
But there's yet another problem with MDF. Think about how it's typically used, and you'll quickly realize that people who want to powder-coat it aren't interested in painting flat boards. They're more often looking to finish delicately turned or detailed cabinet doors, routered table tops, and so on.
Does this mean all is lost if you're bound and determined to powder-coat MDF?
No, not at all. But you will likely have to do more work than you thought.
For starters, you'll need to use a higher grade of MDF, rather than trying to save on input costs by using a lower grade.
You'll also need to make sure the wood stays humid enough; without humidity, the wood won't properly maintain a charge. Which means, of course, the powder won't adhere properly. You can get around this by applying an adhesion promoter to the board (either automatically or manually)—but of course that takes extra time and still more money.
Finally, temperature plays a role. This is wood, after all, so you can't subject it to the same temperature levels you could if it were metal. That means you'll need to use a powder with a lower-bake temperature, or a UV-curable powder.
And remember how MDF is made of wood particles bonded by resin? What happens to that resin when you subject it to heat?
You got it. So there's another reason to explore higher-quality MDF—better resins will likely mean more heat tolerance.
The takeaway here is that powder-coated MDF certainly isn't unachievable. But it definitely takes more time and effort than those magazine stories may lead you to believe.
You may need to change products and change processes. That's less of an issue if you're running 20 feet of board a minute. But if you're a small shop where every dollar of margin counts, then yes… Powder-coated MDF may be out of reach.
All of that said, one of the reasons we've been in business for three decades is we never say never. If you'd like to explore what it might take to powder-coat MDF in your facility, contact us and we'll take a closer look.
Powder-coated MDF takes more time and effort than those magazine stories may lead you to believe.
Is Powder-Coated MDF affordable for you?


text:
Day Care Worker Convicted of Running "Baby Fight Club"
She forced toddlers to punch each other, as well as subjecting them to other abuses.
By Asher Fogle
Former daycare worker Sarah Jordan has been found guilty of a dozen abuse charges, including child cruelty and assault, two years after she was arrested for running an alleged "baby fight club."
A Virginia judge convicted the 31-year-old daycare teacher, who was initially charged in September 2013, for traumatizing her class of toddlers. The children, ranging in ages from 16 months to 2 years, were encouraged to fight at the Minnieland Academy in Woodbridge, Virginia. She faces 41 years in prison.
An investigation by the Virginia Department of Social Services reported a harrowing tale of abuse. For at least six months, Jordan and fellow teacher Kierra Spriggs would not only pressure the kids to battle one another, but they would also physically harm the tots themselves — including stomping on children's toes when they weren't wearing shoes, a witness alleged.
In the summer, toddlers who were afraid of the water were dunked into a kiddie pool while their teachers laughed. Jordan and Spriggs also sprayed them in the face with powerful hoses and dumped buckets of water on them.
Jordan denied all accusations during her trial, except for playing in the water with the children. "I used it to get the children wet, like a sprinkler," she said.
Parents testified at the trial that some of the children started being afraid of water, getting violent at home, and stomping on their parents' toes, NBC Washington reported. And the kids would almost always cry before being brought to the day care center.
[via NY Daily News
Asher Fogle Writer When she's not hunting for compelling personal stories or justifying her love for dessert, Asher can likely be found watching early-2000s TV on Netflix with her husband.
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