<!DOCTYPE html>

    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="../inclusive-menu-button.css" />

    <title>
      Inclusive Menu Button | menuitemradio example
    </title>

     <button data-inclusive-menu-opens="difficulty">
       Difficulty
       ▾
     </button>

       <button>Easy</button>
       <button>Medium</button>
       <button>Very Tricky</button>
       <button>Incredibly Hard</button>
       <button>Impossible</button>


There are so many disturbing aspects to the special election happening in Georgia’s sixth congressional district, it’s hard to know where to begin.

For starters, the election runs on Microsoft Server 2000. That is not a typo. “That’s a crap system,” said Douglas Jones, a computer science professor at the University of Iowa in a phone interview, adding that the database in use, Microsoft Access is a “toy database” that should never be used for industrial applications.

Fulton County elections director Richard Barron acknowledged in testimony on the troubled first round of the election that the system is “inflexible.” But delving into his testimony further, and speaking to both local and national computer experts it’s evident that the results of the first round of the election on April 18 are legitimately suspect and that no election running on this type of computer system can be verified as accurate.

The April contest was conducted following multiple hacks on various offices, stolen electronic poll books that included a copy of Georgia’s statewide voter file, and a software system with such gaping security holes that the author of one report questioned if the gaps were a deliberate back door left open for potential manipulation. This is not the first time the question of software back doors on voting equipment has arisen. In a February 2017 article in the New Republic, Steve Friess wrote, “The machines are prone to malfunctions and miscounts, and many have back doors that can enable attackers to alter the outcome by infecting them with malware.”

The race is being widely viewed as a barometer of the Democrats 2018 midterm prospects. But unless Georgia heeds the advice of over 20 national and international computer experts and implements paper ballots and post-election audits in its upcoming June 20 race, the face off between Democratic newcomer Jon Ossoff and former Republican Secretary of State Karen Handel is likely to produce results that many voters will question.

Could they use paper ballots? Yes, they could. The counties print paper ballots that are used for absentee voting. Those ballots are counted on optical scan machines. Virginia Martin, the Democratic Commissioner in Columbia County, New York oversees a ballot-counting process that uses optical scan machines followed by a 100 percent hand-count audit. Because the June ballot will have just one race, she suggests, “Perhaps this is the opportunity for the state of Georgia to experiment with hand counts of paper ballots.” If the counties did a combination of optical scan and hand counts she estimates “the state would have full unofficial results certainly within 24 hours, and probably within 12.”

Meanwhile, money for the race is pouring into the district. It is now the most expensive congressional race in U.S. history with close to $30 million scheduled to be spent on T.V. advertising alone. Martin has calculated previously that the hand-count audits they do in Columbia County cost 14 cents per ballot per race or 1 percent of the county’s election budget. At that rate, for a small fraction of what is being spent on the race, the county could produce confirmation that the results are accurate.

The problem of unverifiable election results transcends Georgia’s state lines. Georgia is one of five states that use primarily touch screen machines (also known as DREs for direct record electronic) with no paper trail. New Jersey (a swing state), Delaware, Louisiana, and South Carolina all use voting equipment that relies 100 percent on computer totals and keep no paper record of how the voter actually voted.

Bizarre results get reported and certified in these situations. In 2010, Alvin Green, an unknown unemployed candidate facing felony obscenity charges won the South Carolina Democratic primary causing Don Fowler, a former Democratic National Committee chairman to speculate that, “someone tampered with the voting machines.”

In 15 states, including the swing states of Florida, Pennsylvania and Virginia there are counties that, like Georgia, use touch screen machines with no paper ballots. If these counties were to be targeted by hackers in an election, the shifting of a few votes per precinct could change the results of a race. Outcomes in these counties have the potential to affect not only local races, but governors’ races, the balance of power in Congress and, if the race is close, even the presidency. For example, in the 2016 presidential contest Trump won Wisconsin by less than 23,000 votes. There are more than 3,700 precincts in Wisconsin, so a difference of seven votes per precinct could have changed the outcome of that state’s results.

Manipulating the vote count is only one of a multitude of ways to gain partisan advantage in an election, and other strategies seem to be at play in the sixth district. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law sued the state over its attempt to close voter registration roughly 90 days before the June 20 run-off, saying, "States like Georgia must stop taking actions that suppress the rights of voters."

Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp's office defended the early cut-off date as non-partisan, pointing out that the law has been in place since Democrat Cathy Cox was secretary of state. U.S. District Judge Timothy Batten disagreed with Kemp and ordered registration to be reopened immediately until May 21. Julie Houk, one of the committee’s attorneys, says that since the Supreme Court struck down protections that were in place from the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina and Texas have gone “whole hog” altering laws, eliminating precincts, purging voter rolls and changing district boundaries.

Kemp came under more fire recently when Voter GA, an elections watch-dog group released a video showing a link from the official Georgia secretary of state website to Kemp’s own campaign Facebook page, where he is promoting his run for governor of Georgia.

'Critical' Security Flaws

Earlier this month, the advocacy group Voter GA released a report on the problems that plagued the April 19 election in Fulton County. The report details how Ossoff was maintaining totals above 50 percent, the level necessary to prevent a run-off election. Then Fulton County experienced a “rare error.” Following that error Ossoff’s totals ended up below 50% requiring him to compete in the run-off. The next top candidate Karen Handel ended up with 19.8 percent of the vote, but will now have the opportunity to compete against him one-on-one.

In his testimony before the Fulton County Board of Commissioners on the following day, Elections Director Rick Barron explained how the error occurred. Due to the late scheduling of a number of local races, Fulton County had to administer three separate ballots for the election, with different memory cards and different machines for each. In some precincts voters had to sign in twice and received two separate memory cards allowing them to vote for different races on different machines. At the end of the night, one of the memory cards for a local race was accidentally inserted into the results of the congressional sixth district race, and this caused the error. The authors of the Voter GA report say that this series of events unmasked two “critical” security flaws that would make it simple for anyone with a modicum of knowledge about the system to change the results.

Their conclusions center around the following statement from Barron’s testimony: “There’s no way for the software to recognize that an incorrect card has been sent in the data packet.” The report points out that, “This critical software flaw allows memory cards for a foreign election to be loaded and transmitted into results of a different election.”

It goes on to describe what it calls “another security flaw that is even more critical than the first.” Even if false results were inserted on a memory card, a system with good security would have a feature that alerts the central database that unauthorized data has entered the system. However the report indicates that no such safety measure exists. It concludes that, “The GEMS databases … will accept invalid election data from a remote or local source and inject the invalid data into live election results for totaling and publishing.”

The report further states it is likely that these flaws have been present since the system was implemented in 2002, and were not repaired when the machines were upgraded in 2011.

People Who 'Don’t Understand Security'

Georgia’s election technical support and testing is provided by the Center for Election Systems at Kennesaw State University. The KSU Elections Center was itself the object of a hack in early March that was investigated by the FBI. As many as 7.5 million voters may have had their personal information compromised.

The data breach was reportedly from a security researcher “who is believed to have contacted the center at least twice – including once prior to last year’s presidential election – to notify them of the server’s vulnerabilities and apparently draw attention to them.” Professor Jones, who served on the Election Assistance Commission’s Technical Guidelines Development Committee for four years, commented that the KSU hack indicates there are "people at the top level who don’t understand security.”

The machine in use in Georgia is the AccuVote TS. In 2006 two Princeton grad students designed a computer virus on this machine that can steal votes from one candidate and move them to another candidate. The virus passes from machine to machine in the course of normal election procedures. It does not require access to the Internet to work. Jones said he did not know if that security issue had been repaired, but that he would not trust assurances from the vendor that it had.

Does Jones believe the results of the election? He says they probably reflect reality, but adds, “I have no confidence that that’s the case.” If he was a hacker he would change the results by creating exactly the type of scenario that unfolded on election night. “I would slip the wrong memory cartridge in and cause them to have to back track, and while they were backtracking and fumbling and rescanning cartridges, I would slip in a ringer.” He summarizes by saying of the machines, “It’s time to retire them. It was time to retire them ten years ago.”


Evidence and clinical judgement.
Widespread acceptance of the neologism 'evidence-based medicine' (EBM) has had the consequences of obscuring what evidence really is, and of eroding the importance of judgement in clinical situations. In this essay I seek to correct this lack of balance in the view of clinical encounters as portrayed by EBM. A better understanding of what evidence is can be obtained by looking beyond medicine to the way in which scientists and detectives view evidence. In both spheres, the importance of judgement is emphasized, even if it is a technical type of judgement. Clinicians also employ a technical kind of judgement, similar to that in science and detective work, when assessing the evidence relating to the truth of a diagnosis for an individual patient; but judgements relating to the ongoing care and treatment of that patient are based on what Aristotle calls phronesis or 'practical wisdom'.


2012 National Day Theme Song

Happy Birthday Singapore! 47 years of independence. Our Country has grown stronger and more beautiful day by day.

All because, we are hardworking, thrifty, competent, honest and keep upgrading our skills (not material expenses), in tune with this harsh competitive world. Once slacken, we are left behind. Who will pity us, take care of us? Instead, we will be trampled on.

Remember the common saying: God will take care of those who take care of themselves. So, we have to take care of ourselves.

If you want the sky, you have to work sky-high to reach the sky. If you want the grass, then work grass-low to enjoy the grass. So, stop being a complaint king or queen. There is no free lunch in this world. Sooner, no free air too, haha!

Buying branded goods and keeping up with the Joneses only temporarily make you feel ‘superior’ and thus boost your ‘self-esteem and confidence”. You have to keep ‘re-fuelling’ it.

Does being practical and buying basic necessities make you feel inferior and lost your self-confidence?

We don’t need to feign. You should be aware who you are! You are capable, indeed you are!. You are rich, so you are!. You are poor, so what’s wrong!

Only the right frame of mind and the right attitude in life will help you to gain the everlasting respect and confidence. With this, you will lead a peaceful mind and an enriched happy life!

Live within your means! Be Yourself!

The richness in me, in my heart and in my head, not in my pockets! – Gac Filipaj

2012 National Day Theme Song – Love at First Light

Verse 1:
First light
Rolls across my peaceful isle
Mornings, I wake up, refreshed, renewed
Ready to meet the bright new day
So much to look forward to

Verse 2:
Daylight
The city has stirred to life
Your smiles
Put a spring in my step
There’s a feeling that binds us one and all
Different stories, shared memories

Chorus:
I love my city’s lively ways
Warm sunny days
Sights and sounds, special tastes
That add up to this place
I love my friends, my closest ties
Now I finally realize
When it feels this right
You know that it’s love at first light

Verse 3:
Night fall, stars twinkling on the bay
My dreams can take flight if I dare
There’s a feeling that binds us one and all
We look forward to a brighter day

REPEAT CHORUS

Bridge:
Hand in hand, we’ll find new strength
And see our dreams take flight in Singapore

REPEAT CHORUS
Descant:
Where ever we roam, there’s no place like home
Come what may, we’ll be here to stay
When it feels this right
You know that it’s
Love at first light


Our doc history from coast to coast

In late May, when crops have been sown and winter is almost a distant memory, a small agricultural community becomes a focal point for Canadian broadcasters and independent filmmakers. If you happened to be driving along the Yellowhead Highway near Saskatchewan’s eastern border, stopping to fill up at the local Co-op gas station, you would likely have no idea you were near a rural town that hosts North America’s longest-running film festival and is the birthplace of two seminal figures in the establishment of the National Film Board’s documentary legacy. Saskatchewan has never been a place to boast about its achievements or make a fuss of its homegrown talent. It’s not in the spirit of a place founded on socialist values and often overlooked for its cultural contributions.

Evelyn Spice Cherry was the first woman at the NFB and made over 100 films.

For over six decades, the Yorkton Film Festival has recognised the achievements of Canada’s best filmmakers with their iconic Golden Sheaf Award, a symbol of the festival’s prairie roots. But this farming town’s connection to Canada’s documentary history predates the 70-year-old festival. Born in Yorkton in 1906, a year after Saskatchewan became a province, Evelyn Spice Cherry forged a strong connection to the prairies that remained evident throughout the more than 100 films she made between 1929 and 1979. Her work with John Grierson at the British GPO film unit in the 1930s eventually brought her back to Canada at the outset of the Second World War. When Grierson was charged with developing the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), he invited her to assist with the effort. As the first female and Canadian within the organisation, her contributions in developing the Agricultural Unit with her husband Lawrence Cherry (also from Saskatchewan) made her a cinematic pioneer in the province. She helped establish social documentary form using a prairie lens that didn’t shy away from political ideologies that would be shared on a national stage.

The Board benefitted from another Saskatchewan export, coincidentally also born in Yorkton. Roman Kroitor’s film career developed away from his home province, like many artists whose careers and creative aspirations draw them to larger centres with greater resources, but one can imagine that the endless prairie sky might have inspired the scale of the IMAX format he helped develop.

Paper Wheat (dir. Albert Kish, 1979)
Courtesy of the NFB

Despite having benefitted from Saskatchewan-born filmmakers, the NFB never established a permanent studio presence in the province. Over the years, production offices in Winnipeg and Edmonton provided intermittent support, often with outsiders commissioned to create films about those who live here. (Paper Wheat being the best-known example.) A recent shift, however, has fostered new production with local filmmakers. Tasha Hubbard’s Gemini and Golden Sheaf Award-winning Two Worlds Colliding (2005) illustrates the importance of Indigenous voices sharing stories of national relevance, and the NFB’s capacity to provide a platform for socially engaged and auteur-driven documentary. Hubbard remains in Saskatchewan despite the draw of larger centres. “I briefly considered basing myself out of Toronto or Winnipeg, but the stories that I wish to tell are based here,” she explains. “I’m a Cree woman who was adopted as a baby by a homesteading family, and I feel deeply connected to this place. I want to tell stories of resilience. And because Indigenous filmmaking mentors supported my career, I wish to do the same for emerging Indigenous filmmakers based here so more of our stories can be told.” In 2017, Hubbard will release Birth of a Family with the NFB, which will hopefully herald an era of continuous NFB production focusing on a new generation of filmmakers, who will be able to remain in Saskatchewan with the support they need to share their vision.

On the other hand, a bitter blow struck the filmmaking community when Premier Bradley Wall rescinded the provincial tax credit in 2013, inciting an exodus of skilled production crew to Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto. Hubbard acknowledges that the replacement system is underfunded and “there are many stories waiting to be told by both experienced and emerging filmmakers in this province and I wish the provincial government would be more supportive of that.”

But the relative isolation from broadcasters and industry networks provided independent documentary filmmakers in this province the freedom to develop their projects without the limitations and interference that traditional support might impose. To overcome production obstacles, alternative modes flourished over the decades and encouraged artist collectives to develop and champion personal filmmaking. This voice became a hallmark of documentary in Saskatchewan.

As the Saskatchewan Filmpool Cooperative prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2017, one must note how the influence of a passionate social documentarian inspired the organisation. In the summer of 1977, after his success with Warrendale (1967) and A Married Couple (1969), Allan King was hired to direct the feature film adaptation of W.O. Mitchell’s Who Has Seen the Wind. The rarity of a feature film shoot in Saskatchewan at the time spurred a few aspiring filmmakers to join the production as interns. King’s mentorship sowed seeds for the Filmpool. As a hub for independent filmmakers wishing to gain the resources and support to develop their own documentaries, it drew many members from the University of Regina’s film program. Through the Filmpool’s evolution in the 1990s, members like Dianne Ouellette, Mike Rollo, Jason Britski and Brian Stockton developed their own documentary voices and told stories about themselves while remaining in the province. SCN, the provincial broadcaster, provided financial support and a broadcast window to many of these local independent projects and helped sustain filmmakers. But, much like the tax credit, it too became a victim of Conservative cuts in 2010, and with it evaporated yet another means of vital production support.

Who Has Seen the Wind (dir. Allan King, 1977)

Aside from film production, the photographic documentary tradition established its roots in Saskatoon in the 1970s as part of the growing artist-run centre movement, becoming The Photographer’s Gallery (later merging with Video Verité to become PAVED Arts in 2003). Modelled on cooperative principles that flourished through the wheat pools and credit unions seen in every corner of province, the centre provided members the means to develop, print and exhibit their work in gallery settings using shared resources and responsibilities. These photographers took it upon themselves to create opportunities for exhibition and publication, distinguishing their works from the constraints of photojournalism. The ability to work collectively also provided an opportunity for discussion and critique, allowing artists to improve their practice without the need to travel to other communities of photographers. The works of Thelma Pepper, Don Hall and Sandra Semchuk (among others) were seminal in establishing a prairie documentary aesthetic, highlighting the landscape, culture and spirit of perseverance and survival that helped shape its identity.

Through it all, the Saskatchewan Arts Board (established in 1948, and replicated across the country thereafter) continues to be a vital resource for the independent documentary filmmakers and photographers who call Saskatchewan home. The result is innovative, reflective work that leans toward the personal, yet tells a story specific to a part of the country that continues to be largely unknown and misunderstood. These grants combined with production support from cooperatives and artist-run centres like the Saskatchewan Filmpool Cooperative (Regina) and PAVED Arts (Saskatoon) allow new work to emerge and documentary modes to evolve. As filmmakers like Tasha Hubbard lead a new generation who address the past while innovating new approaches, the next chapter of this country’s documentary history will likely owe something to one of its frequently overlooked places.

Alex Rogalski is the Executive Director of PAVED Arts, a media-focused artist-run centre in Saskatoon. For the past decade he’s been an active film programmer for festivals across Canada including Hot Docs, TIFF, Calgary International Film Festival, Gimme Some Truth, and WNDX in addition to his guidance of the One Take Super 8 Events in Regina and Saskatoon.


The Secret Life of an American Wife

The Secret Life of an American Wife is a 1968 comedy film written and directed by George Axelrod. The film was released by 20th Century Fox in 1968, and was considered a box-office failure.  It features a music score by Billy May.  Edy Williams has a supporting role in the film as the Laytons' blonde bombshell neighbor.

Plot
Victoria Layton (Anne Jackson) is a suburban housewife who is dissatisfied with her marriage and fears that her sex appeal is fading.  Her husband (Patrick O'Neal) works as a press agent, and his only client is a movie star who is known as an international sex symbol (Walter Matthau).

Upon hearing that The Movie Star (the character is not given a name, and Matthau is credited as "The Movie Star" in the closing credits) indulges in the services of prostitutes, Victoria decides to pose surreptitiously as one in order to prove to herself that she is still sexually attractive.

Cast
 Walter Matthau as The Movie Star
 Anne Jackson as Victoria Layton
 Patrick O'Neal as Tom Layton
 Edy Williams as Susie Steinberg
 Richard Bull as Howard
 Paul Napier as Herb Steinberg
 Gary Brown as Jimmy
 Albert Carrier as Jean-Claude

Reception
According to Fox records the film required $4,300,000 in rentals to break even and by 11 December 1970 had made $3,725,000 so made a loss to the studio.

References

External links

Category:1968 films
Category:1960s sex comedy films
Category:20th Century Fox films
Category:Adultery in films
Category:American films
Category:American sex comedy films
Category:English-language films
Category:Films directed by George Axelrod
Category:Films scored by Billy May
Category:Films set in Connecticut
Category:Films set in New York City
Category:Films shot in Connecticut
Category:Films shot in New York City
Category:Films with screenplays by George Axelrod


Education News feed

Welcome to Nanyang Academics

Welcome! Thanks for visiting us at Nanyang Academics. Let us source for a home tutor from our pool of carefully screened tutors who include current and former MOE-trained teachers!

Here at Nanyang Academics, it is our belief that quality education, coupled with hard work, lays the foundation for a better and brighter future. Therefore, we need to prepare our children for tomorrow's world. We hope to partner and aid you, as we build towards that together.

You will find that finding a suitable home tutor has never been easier!


facebook.com/valleycycles

Singapore has a relatively small cycling community and receiving and sharing positive feedback is key to the on going success of Valley Cycles. It is also hugely motivating to receive. Please see a few recent examples below:-

I had my bike stripped down and rebuilt 3 times to eradicate a creak with no luck. Sent it to Stephen at Valley Cycles for an afternoon and I am finally riding creak free #bikewhisperer.

Stephen,

I am delighted that you were able to solve a persistent clicking which I have had to endure for over two months. Your professionalism, dedication and determination to solve the problem are to be commended. Huge Kudos from me!

Stephen worked tirelessly on my bike until he figured out the problem. The difficulty in finding the click actually meant he had to disassemble literally my entire groupset and wheels. He methodically swapped out my parts with his own to diagnose the fault.

Even after he thought the problem was fixed he took the bike out for a spin and realized the clicking was still there. Being the true professional he got straight back to work and tinkered some more until he found out that the click originated from a loose insert in my rear dropout which was rubbing against my frame.

I went for a ride today and was so happy the clicking had gone.

On a side note, Stephen would update me periodically on his progress while working on my bike. This was a really nice touch.


# slave slapd config -- for testing of SYNC replication
## $ReOpenLDAP$
## Copyright 1998-2018 ReOpenLDAP AUTHORS: please see AUTHORS file.
## All rights reserved.
##
## This file is part of ReOpenLDAP.
##
## Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
## modification, are permitted only as authorized by the OpenLDAP
## Public License.
##
## A copy of this license is available in the file LICENSE in the
## top-level directory of the distribution or, alternatively, at
## <http://www.OpenLDAP.org/license.html>.

include		@SCHEMADIR@/core.schema
include		@SCHEMADIR@/cosine.schema
include		@SCHEMADIR@/inetorgperson.schema
include		@SCHEMADIR@/openldap.schema
include		@SCHEMADIR@/nis.schema
#
pidfile		@TESTDIR@/slapd.5.pid
argsfile	@TESTDIR@/slapd.5.args

#be-type=mod#modulepath	../servers/slapd/back-@BACKEND@/
#be-type=mod#moduleload	back_@BACKEND@.la
#monitor=mod#modulepath ../servers/slapd/back-monitor/
#monitor=mod#moduleload back_monitor.la

#######################################################################
# consumer database definitions
#######################################################################

database	@BACKEND@
suffix		"dc=example,dc=com"
rootdn		"cn=Replica,dc=example,dc=com"
rootpw		secret
#~null~#directory	@TESTDIR@/db.5.a
#indexdb#index		objectClass	eq
#indexdb#index		cn,sn,uid	pres,eq,sub
#indexdb#index		entryUUID,entryCSN	eq
#be=ndb#dbname db_5
#be=ndb#include @DATADIR@/ndb.conf

# Don't change syncrepl spec yet
syncrepl	rid=1
		provider=@URI4@
		binddn="cn=Replica,dc=example,dc=com"
		bindmethod=simple
		credentials=secret
		searchbase="dc=example,dc=com"
		filter="(objectClass=*)"
		attrs="*"
		schemachecking=off
		scope=sub
		type=refreshAndPersist
		retry="1 +"

#monitor=enabled#database	monitor


Q:

Change elements top position with jQuery

I have a page with several  elements.
They are absolutely positioned, each has css attribute "top".
I want to go through all of the elements and change their top position by 20px.
So it means I need to get current top position and add 20px to it.
The number of  elements is unknown as it can change at any time.
Thanks!

A:

You can use the += syntax that animate also supports

 $('.box1').css('top','+=20px');
.box {
    width: 100px; height:100px; position: absolute; top: 10px;
}

.box1 { background-color: red; left:10px; }
.box2 { background-color: yellow; left: 120px; }

A:

Gather the elements
var $elements = $("div");

Then iterate through each one of them and add the required
$elements.each(function () {
    $(this).css({top: "+=20px"});
})


Leland rezoning on table for council

Wednesday

Apr 17, 2013 at 10:18 AM

Leland's efforts to revitalize its downtown district have some residents concerned about how they'll be affected.

By Adam WagnerAdam.Wagner@StarNewsOnline.com

Leland's efforts to revitalize its downtown district have some residents concerned about how they'll be affected.FlexCode zoning on and around Village Road is meant to help the town develop a walkable area that can support both residential and retail spaces."The old flea market - that's 17 acres - if somebody wants to take that land and develop it to FlexCode, we could have a start of a miniature Mayfaire with the stores and condos up over them," said Brenda Bozeman, Leland's mayor.But some residents who are on board with the general idea of the plan are concerned about its specifics.One of those sticking points is the residentially zoned property sandwiched between the Leland Veterinary Hospital and Susan Seltzer's Woodland Drive home. The owner of the hospital bought the property as an insurance policy in case the N.C. Department of Transportation ever completed phase two of the widening of Village Road.Bozeman said the vet wouldn't be interested in going to the expense of moving his shop to the adjacent lot unless the widening were imminent, but "if the DOT comes in and we don't rezone it for him, he'd have to leave Leland."Seltzer's concerns are partly about the vet's office and partly about what could happen to the land if the rezoning occurs.If, for instance, the vet's office decides to leave Leland for whatever reason, the property would be zoned for mixed use, opening it up to whatever wanted to use the space.The chance of DOT funding the widening anytime soon is fairly low, Seltzer said. She's worried about the potential "to usurp my property rights at this point for something that may or may not happen ever, plus the potential I already have for losing more value than I already have."In addition to her property value, Seltzer, who uses groundwater, is also worried about how the vet's office moving could affect her drinking water.Teri Riddle, another Woodland Drive resident, supports the plan as long as it keeps commercial and large residential developments out of her neighborhood."There's two neighborhoods that kind of form an L-shape that have been here 30, 40 years. They're established single-family homes, and that's what needs to go in the area. You don't need to put T-40 (mixed-use) into that area," Riddle said. "It's just not appropriate. That's not to say I don't want that in the appropriate area of Leland."For her part, Bozeman says the town has been working on the zoning project for about a decade and could finally be ready see it through."Anything that grows changes," she said, "and if they say they want more stores, more restaurants to come to this part of Leland instead of up on 17, one way to do that is to have more people living here."Adam Wagner: 343-2096On Twitter: @adamwagner1990


Runs in the family: Billionaire Abramovich’s teenage son buys oil field in Siberia

Arkady Abramovich, the 19-year-old son of Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich, has made his first investment having purchased an oil field in Russia's Khanty-Mansiysk are in Siberia. The field is reported to hold 100 million barrels of crude, LSE reports.

The son of Chelsea football club owner bought the Siberian oil
field, seven years after his billionaire father sold his crude
producing company then called Sibneft to Gazprom for $13
billion.

Arkady Abramovich, who has a controlling 45% stake in Zoltav
Resources, reportedly paid $46 million for the purchase.

Ambramovich junior’s ARA Capital investment also pledged to
invest $26 million in CenGeo Holdings, in return for new Zoltav
shares. CenGeo’s main shareholder, Valentin Bukhtoyarov, will get
29.1% of Zoltav in the reverse takeover, according to the
statement.

Zoltav will acquire the entire issued share capital and
shareholder loans of CenGeo. Its subsidiary holds the Koltogor
Licence located in the Khantiy-Mansiysk region of western Siberia,
which contains Russia's most prolific oil producing regions,
including the undeveloped Koltogor oil field.

CenGeo acquired the rights to the Koltogor field from Gazprom
Neft.

“This is an excellent first acquisition for Zoltav and will
allow the company to build an operational management team for
future acquisitions in the sector,” Zoltav Chairman Symon
Drake-Brockman said in the statement.

Little is known of the professional activity of Arkady
Abramovich. In February reports said he had started his internship
at the London office of VTB Capital.

Roman Abramovich is listed as the 71st richest person in the
world, with a fortune of $13.4 billion, according to the Bloomberg
Billionaires Index. He has six children with Arkady being the
oldest.


/*
 * Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one or more contributor license
 * agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with this work for additional information regarding
 * copyright ownership. The ASF licenses this file to You under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
 * "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a
 * copy of the License at
 *
 * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License
 * is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express
 * or implied. See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under
 * the License.
 */
package org.apache.geode.internal.cache.persistence.query.mock;

import java.util.Comparator;

/**
 * A comparator which compares to objects in natural order.
 *
 */
public class NaturalComparator implements Comparator<Comparable> {

  @Override
  public int compare(Comparable o1, Comparable o2) {
    return o1.compareTo(o2);
  }

}


560 N.E.2d 1365 (1990)
203 Ill. App.3d 779
148 Ill.Dec. 667
PEOPLE of the State of Illinois, Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
Michael HAAS, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 5-88-0728.
Appellate Court of Illinois, Fifth District.
August 20, 1990.
Rehearing Denied September 11, 1990.
*1368 Melroy B. Hutnick, Belleville, for defendant-appellant.
John Baricevic, State's Atty., Belleville, Kenneth R. Boyle, Director, Stephen E. Norris, Deputy Director, Ellen Eder Irish, Staff Atty., Office of the State's Attys., Appellate Prosecutor, Mt. Vernon, for plaintiff-appellee.
Justice CHAPMAN delivered the opinion of the court:
The defendant, Michael Haas, was convicted of reckless homicide (count I), driving under the influence of alcohol involving great bodily harm (count II), and driving under the influence of alcohol (count III), by a jury in the circuit court of St. Clair County. Defendant was sentenced on counts I and II to concurrent terms of 30 months' probation. The court refrained from sentencing defendant on count III, on the condition that: defendant provide urine specimens once a week; that he be evaluated by Gateway Foundation and complete any and all rehabilitation, education or treatment; and that he pay a $1000 fine plus court costs. Defendant appeals his conviction.
The accident which gave rise to defendant's conviction occurred May 17, 1987, after 1:30 a.m., on 6th Street in Mascoutah, Illinois, just south of where 6th Street intersects Fuesser Road. The speed limit on 6th Street is 55 miles per hour. It is a two-lane highway which intersects Fuesser Road at a 90-degree angle. The intersection of 6th Street and Fuesser Road is controlled only by stop signs for vehicles traveling on Fuesser Road. The area in and around the intersection is flat and without visual obstructions.
Just prior to the accident Michael Haas was driving south on 6th Street, and his friend Matthew Rasp was riding in the passenger seat. Michael Haas testified at trial that as he drove down 6th Street he passed a stopped vehicle and a police car with its red lights on, which were on a side street. Kevin Renth was the driver of the stopped vehicle. As Haas drove past, Renth pulled out behind him. Haas testified that as he approached Fuesser Road, he was traveling 35 miles per hour, and was approximately 100 feet from the intersection when he entered the oncoming lane of traffic. He drove into the oncoming lane because he intended to make a left turn onto Fuesser Road. He did not see any oncoming vehicles or any headlights. Haas observed the vehicle behind him begin to pass him on the right. Haas was in the oncoming lane of traffic for one or two seconds when the impact occurred between his vehicle and a police patrol vehicle driven by officer Brett Warner.
Officer Warner, a patrolman with the Mascoutah police department, was traveling northbound on 6th Street immediately prior to the accident. He was traveling 50 miles per hour. Warner testified that, as he approached the Fuesser Road intersection, he observed southbound traffic in the southbound lane coming towards him. He testified that when he was approximately 100 feet from the intersection he noticed the vehicle in the southbound lane pull into his lane as if it wanted to make a turn onto Fuesser Road. Warner stated that when he saw the vehicle come into his lane he immediately turned to the right and applied his brakes. When Warner started leaving *1369 the roadway to the right, the impact occurred. He did not recall much of what happened after the accident.
Matthew Rasp was killed in the accident. After the accident Michael Haas was transported to the hospital and submitted to a blood test for the purpose of obtaining his blood-alcohol content. The results of the tests on the blood samples were admitted at trial over defendant's objection. Defendant contends that he was not given Miranda warnings (see Miranda v. Arizona (1966), 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694) and that he did not authorize the withdrawal of his blood for the purpose of testing. Defendant argues that even if he were given Miranda warnings and otherwise advised of his rights, he was in no condition to understand those rights or to intelligently waive them. Defendant contends that the trial court erred in ruling that he knowingly and intelligently waived his rights against self-incrimination and voluntarily authorized the withdrawal of his blood. Defendant refers us to the testimony elicited at trial by witnesses who described his condition after the accident.
Kevin Renth identified himself as the person who was driving the car that Michael Haas testified had pulled out behind him on 6th Street prior to the collision. Renth testified that after the collision, he stopped his car and ran over to Haas' truck. He testified, "the truck had turned over and he was like sitting up * * * I think he was knocked out * * * he crawled through the window * * * there was somebody underneath him." Renth continued, "he wasn't hysterical * * * he was just walking around and, you know, saying I can't believe this happened. I wouldn't say he was hysterical * * * considering what happened, he was in pretty good shape."
Joseph Beil, the second person to arrive at the accident scene, testified that "the truck was on its side, kind of like sitting kind of straight up, like if there had been a chair sideways before the truck turned over, he was sitting upright." Beil described Haas after he got out of the truck as "real hysterical and everything * * * scared and panicky * * * not in a calm state of mind * * * he was crying."
Jeffrey Wombacher, another witness at the scene testified that he went to the hospital where Michael Haas was transported. Wombacher testified that "he was shaken up pretty bad, had cuts and everything from the wreck * * * he was just all excited and he was trying to calm down."
Michael Haas testified that he does not recall Kevin Renth being at the scene of the accident. Haas remembered the police at the scene asking him what had happened, but did not remember what answers he gave. Haas also could not recall whether he was given any admonitions against self-incrimination. He testified, however, that he remembered the police transporting him to the hospital, and remembered that he was able to provide the hospital admissions personnel with the information they needed. Although he recalled signing a form and the nurse taking his blood in the examining room, he did not recollect anyone explaining to him the rights of motorists with regard to giving blood.
Robert Brandkamp, a deputy with the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department, testified that he arrived at the accident scene shortly after the collision. Brandkamp testified that at the time that he spoke with the defendant, Haas was crying and upset, and when he asked Haas what had happened, Haas stated that they had been to the Mayfest and were on their way back to Mascoutah. Brandkamp testified that he ceased questioning Haas when he noticed that Haas had the odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath. Brandkamp testified that he asked the defendant if he would be willing to submit to a blood-alcohol test, and that the defendant responded that he would. Haas was then transported to the hospital by deputy Klucker.
Keith Klucker, the St. Clair County sheriff's deputy who transported Haas to the hospital, testified that after the accident and at approximately 2:35 a.m., he read defendant his Miranda rights and warning to motorists. Deputy Klucker stated that after he read defendant his rights, the defendant advised him that he was aware of *1370 them and that he understood his rights. Although Klucker did not have the defendant sign the warning to motorists form, Klucker testified that the defendant did sign the hospital form authorizing hospital personnel to draw a blood sample to determine its alcohol content.
Section 11-501.1(c) of the Illinois Vehicle Code requires that a person requested to submit to a blood test be warned by the law enforcement officer requesting the test that a refusal to submit to the test will result in the statutory summary suspension of such person's driving privileges. (Ill. Rev.Stat.1989, ch. 95½, par. 11-501.1(c).) A written warning is not required. In re Rakers (1989), 187 Ill.App.3d 27, 32, 134 Ill.Dec. 804, 807, 542 N.E.2d 1311, 1314.
The trial court found that, while defendant was obviously upset about the accident, he was oriented as to time, place, and circumstances, and was aware of what he was involved in and of what was happening to him as the evening progressed. The court found that the officer advised Haas of his rights and that Haas indicated that he understood those rights. When the evidence is contradictory, it is for the trial court to resolve all conflicts and determine the credibility of the witnesses. We will not disturb the trial court's findings unless they are against the manifest weight of the evidence. (Orchard Shopping Center, Inc. v. Campo (1985), 138 Ill.App.3d 656, 665, 93 Ill.Dec. 38, 44, 485 N.E.2d 1248, 1254.) We find that the trial court's denial of defendant's motions to suppress was not against the manifest weight of the evidence.
We also find that defendant's argument that the court erred in not suppressing the blood-alcohol test results because he was not given Miranda warnings to be without merit. Miranda warnings are applicable only to testimonial evidence. (Miranda, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694.) Blood tests are noncommunicative in nature. (Schmerber v. California (1966), 384 U.S. 757, 86 S.Ct. 1826, 16 L.Ed.2d 908), and as such may be conducted without the procedural protections encompassed by the Miranda warnings. See Village of Algonquin v. Ford (1986), 145 Ill.App.3d 19, 99 Ill.Dec. 148, 495 N.E.2d 595.
Defendant next argues that the trial court erred in admitting the results of the tests on the blood samples into evidence because there was no proof that a preservative or anticoagulant was used. Defendant directs our attention to the following testimony of Ramona Carpenter, the phlebotomist who drew defendant's blood samples:
"Q. So you have no idea, you don't do any testing on those particular tubes to make sure that they are in good working order before you use them, do you?
A. No.
Q. You merely take the tubes, take the blood, inject the blood into the tubes, put them into the container and whatever happens to it next.
A. That's right.
Q. So as you sit here today testifying, I know honestly and candidly, you can't say to the ladies and gentlemen of the jury that there, in fact, was that potassium and that ox stuff in those tubes?
A. That I couldn't say.
Q. Yes, ma'am.
A. Before the blood is in the tube, it's a powder form like be in the bottom of the tube.
Q. You don't know how long that had been there?
A. No.
Q. You don't know if, what was in there was what it was supposed to be, do you?
A. No.
Q. Because you didn't put it in there.
A. That's true.
Q. No one in your presence put it in there?
A. No.
Q. Thank you. And it came from the manufacturer someplace else?
A. Yes."
Defendant does not question the testing procedure performed by Carpenter. Defendant argues, however, that there is no way of knowing what in fact was in the *1371 vials at the time they were used, and there is no way of knowing what quality control measures the manufacturer used to insure the integrity of the vials and what they were supposed to contain prior to use.
There is no question that in order for the test results to be considered valid and admissible as evidence, the testing procedures must comply with the Department of Public Health standards. (See Ill.Rev.Stat. 1989, ch. 95½, par. 11-501.2(a).) One of the standards promulgated pursuant to section 11-501.2(a) requires that "[w]hen vacuum-type blood-collecting containers are * * * used as primary collecting tubes, two (2) tubes should be collected each containing an anticoagulant/preservative which will not interfere with the intended analytical method." (Emphasis added.) Illinois Department of Public Health, Standards and Procedures for Testing for Alcohol and/or Other Drugs § 510.110(a)(4)(C) (1982).
Ramona Carpenter testified that she injected the blood taken from defendant into the tubes provided in a testing kit, which the hospital made available to her for that purpose. She testified that to her knowledge, the tubes are prepared by a manufacturer and shipped to the hospital. Carpenter testified that the tubes she used in taking defendant's blood sample were sealed; she did not remove the seal, but merely punctured the seal with the needle, and injected the blood into the vial. Carpenter testified that the tubes contained a powdered substance, which she presumed were the preservatives potassium oxalate and sodium chloride.
Marian Papiernik, a forensic scientist with the Illinois State Police Bureau of Forensic Science, testified that upon receipt of the vials of blood for testing, she noted that the seals were intact. At the time of testing the blood, Papiernik checked the color, the odor, and the consistency of the blood in the vial. She testified that there appeared to be nothing wrong with the blood. Papiernik explained that had she detected an odor, an off-color, or clotting in the blood, it would have indicated to her that there might not have been a preservative or anticoagulant present.
Based on the testimony, and in the absence of any evidence that the procedure followed was either contrary to the manufacturer's recommendations or not approved by the Department of Public Health, we do not believe that it was necessary for the State to prove what quality control measures the manufacturer used to insure the integrity of the vials, or what definitive substance was in the vials at the time blood was drawn. (People v. Clark (1989), 178 Ill.App.3d 848, 854, 127 Ill.Dec. 892, 896, 533 N.E.2d 974, 978.) We find that the trial court properly determined that results of the test performed on the blood samples were admissible into evidence.
Defendant next contends that the trial court erred in admitting the tests results into evidence because a chain of custody was not established. The rule is well settled that the State has the burden of proving a continuous chain of possession in order to establish a foundation. (People v. Cain (1966), 35 Ill.2d 184, 188, 220 N.E.2d 195, 198, cert. denied (1967), 385 U.S. 1042, 87 S.Ct. 781, 17 L.Ed.2d 686.) To determine whether the trial court abused its discretion we will examine the evidentiary foundation presented by the State.
The record indicates that deputy Klucker was present when defendant's blood was drawn. After taking the blood the phlebotomist handed the sealed vials to the deputy, who at that time labeled each vial with his signature. Deputy Klucker placed the vials in a container and gave them to deputy Brandkamp. Klucker identified the tubes and container at trial as the ones used to obtain blood samples from the defendant. After receiving the container Brandkamp transported it to the sheriff's department where he placed it in the evidence refrigerator. Brandkamp testified that when he received the container and while it was in his possession it was sealed. Brandkamp identified the container at trial as the same one given to him by deputy Klucker.
Two days later Daniel Jennings, the crime scene investigator for the sheriff's department, removed the blood sample container *1372 from the refrigerator. Although there is no lock on the evidence refrigerator, Jennings testified that it is located by his office which is separate from the investigating unit. Jennings did not open the sealed package. Jennings initialed the package, wrapped it in brown paper and mailed it by certified mail to the forensic laboratory for testing. He received the container back from the laboratory ten days after he forwarded it there.
Marian Papiernik, the forensic scientist who tested the blood samples, testified that she received the package containing the samples via registered mail from the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department the day after Jennings mailed it. Upon receipt of the package, the container and the vials of blood were sealed. Papiernik labeled the vials and then placed them in the refrigerated vault which is accessible only to the analytical personnel with whom she works. Two days later when she removed a vial for testing, the seal on it was intact. Papiernik identified the vials of blood at trial as the same ones she received and labeled.
Defendant objected to the admission of the blood samples into evidence because the vials show the initials of a number of people, and not all of those persons who initialed the vials testified. In addition, not all of their names had been disclosed to the defendant. We find that a rule requiring that there be positive identification by everyone concerned, would impose an unnecessary burden, while it would not assure a fair trial to the accused. People v. Cain 35 Ill.2d 184, 188, 220 N.E.2d 195, 198.
Defendant also complains that admission of the blood samples into evidence was error because the record shows that upon delivery to Brandkamp the vials were placed in an unsecured refrigerator accessible to virtually anyone. In proving chain of custody, the State is required to demonstrate a reasonable probability that the evidence has not been changed in any important respect. (People v. Valentin (1978), 66 Ill.App.3d 488, 492, 23 Ill.Dec. 431, 433, 384 N.E.2d 67, 69.) Since there is no evidence of tampering, alteration or substitution in the record (People v. Richards (1970), 120 Ill.App.2d 313, 340, 256 N.E.2d 475, 489-90), we find that the chain of custody was sufficiently proved to entitle the vials to be admitted into evidence.
Defendant contends that even if we find that the chain of custody was sufficiently established, admission of the blood samples into evidence violated his due process rights. Defendant argues that the undisputed testimony of Marian Papiernik establishes that her findings with regard to the blood analysis were not verified by anyone. Defendant argues that a single unverified blood test is insufficient to convict and constitutes a violation of due process of law.
Contrary to defendant's assertion that his conviction was based solely on a single unverified blood test, there is additional evidence in the record, as illustrated in the witnesses' testimony set forth in this opinion, which supports the jury's finding of guilt. Furthermore, we find that defendant was not denied due process by virtue of the blood-testing procedure conducted in this case. Defendant relies on Jones v. McKenzie (D.Col.1987), 628 F.Supp. 1500, rev'd on other grounds (1987), 833 F.2d 335, and Capua v. City of Plainfield (D.N. J.1986), 643 F.Supp. 1507.
In Jones, the plaintiff, an employee of the school district, was discharged when she tested positive after a urinalysis. Plaintiff's employment was governed by Board of Education rules which permitted discharge of an employee in plaintiff's position only for cause. Without confirming whether plaintiff's termination violated substantive due process, the court found that the Board of Education rules permitting dismissal only for cause, and the urine test manufacturer's warning that positive results of the urinalysis should be confirmed by an alternate method, were sufficient to demonstrate that plaintiff's termination was arbitrary and capricious. The Jones court further commented that "confirmation" of the test results, as that term is used in the school district directives and the manufacturer's warning, contemplated *1373 an alternative testing method such as the two suggested by the manufacturer.
Unlike Jones, there is no evidence that alternative testing methods are recommended to assure the accuracy of blood tests such as those which were performed in the instant case. Furthermore, there was additional evidence supporting the accuracy of the blood-test results. In performing the analysis Marian Papiernik testified that she took two samples of defendant's blood and ran duplicate tests on each. The samples were analyzed using a head-space gas chromatography. Papiernik testified that routine checks are conducted on the instruments used by the laboratory to test the accuracy of the instruments. On the same day defendant's blood was analyzed, Papiernik ran a series of controls to test the accuracy of the head-space gas chromatography, and the controls were within acceptable ranges.
In Capua v. City of Plainfield, 16 firefighting personnel were terminated from employment after they tested positive in urinalysis tests conducted on 103 employees of the Plainfield Fire Department. The plaintiffs were not informed of the substance found in their urine, nor were they provided copies of the laboratory results. The court held that defendant's refusal to afford plaintiffs a full opportunity to evaluate and review their personal test results or to have their own specimens re-tested by a technician of their choice offended traditional notions of fundamental fairness and due process. In the case at bar, the element of surprise was nonexistent as defendant was advised of his right to forego the blood test. Likewise, there is no evidence that defendant was denied the opportunity to review his test results, or to have an independent blood test conducted.
It is apparent from the record that the blood-testing procedure performed on defendant's blood sample was more than a single unverified test. In addition, defendant's conviction was based on more than the results of the blood test, as there was independent evidence of intoxication presented. We conclude that defendant was not denied due process.
The next issue raised by defendant is whether the court erred in denying defendant's motion for mistrial made during the State's closing argument, when the prosecutor stated:
"Now, what about this blood test? Was there any evidence, and if there was any evidence of tampering in this case, do you think this evidence would be before you today? Would the State bring this case if there was evidence of tampering? You'll notice in here, and it's interesting, he talks about only one sample, only one test. What about the quality assurance, what about the credibility of that test? You'll notice there's two vials of blood in here. And you'll remember the testimony of Marian Papiernik, that she only tested blood from the vial marked 1-A. What's this other vial for? There was another vial of blood there. Mr. Hutnik had the opportunity if he wanted to test this blood. If he doubted the credibility of this"
At this point in the argument defendant moved for a mistrial. The court denied defendant's motion, instructed the assistant State's Attorney not to comment further on the matter, and the jury was directed to disregard the last comment made by the assistant State's Attorney.
Defendant argues that the trial court erred in not granting a mistrial at this juncture because the prosecution mistated the burden of proof, and led the jury to believe that defendant had the burden of proving his innocence. The State contends that the assistant State's Attorney's comments were made in response to defense counsel's closing argument. In particular, reference is made to the following comment, taken from defense counsel's closing argument:
"What also scares me a little about that, he's put his entire case on one test, by one person in Springfield, Illinois, with no verification. And he says to you that alone ought to be enough to convict Michael Haas of everything here. And that scares me. To say that that person couldn't make a mistake there had to be some way to verify, run a second test. *1374 The State of Illinois has got the money, don't worry about them running short on funds. Run a second test, do something to verify it, overcome the fact the margin of error that people can make. Nothing to verify it. There is no second opinion if you will, no verification, just that one test quickly run that says he's guilty."
While a defendant cannot claim error where the prosecutor's remarks have been invited and provoked by defense counsel (People v. Suane (1987), 164 Ill.App.3d 997, 1004, 115 Ill.Dec. 933, 938, 518 N.E.2d 458, 463; People v. Dixon (1982), 91 Ill.2d 346, 350-51, 63 Ill.Dec. 442, 445, 438 N.E.2d 180, 183), we do not believe the remarks made by defense counsel warranted the improper rebuttal by the prosecution. Argument as to the testing procedure performed by Marian Papiernik, and comments as to the reliability of the testing procedures as demonstrated by the evidence, would have been sufficient to rebut defense counsel's argument. Nonetheless, a mistrial should be declared only in cases where there is an occurrence of such magnitude as to deprive a party of a fair trial. People v. Suane, 164 Ill.App.3d 997, 1006, 115 Ill.Dec. 933, 939, 518 N.E.2d 458, 464; see also People v. Baptist (1979), 76 Ill.2d 19, 27 Ill.Dec. 792, 389 N.E.2d 1200.
Contrary to the defendant's argument that but for the State's improper closing remarks the jury would not have rendered a guilty verdict, there was not only evidence of the blood-test results, but also evidence that defendant had been drinking, and that he was intoxicated at the scene. Proof of the reliability of the blood-testing procedures was also presented. In view of the whole record, and the trial court's promptly sustaining defendant's objection to the prosecution's remarks and instructing the jury to disregard such argument, we find no error in the trial court's denial of the motion for a mistrial.
Defendant next contests the constitutionality of sections 11-501.2(b)(3) and 11-501(d)(3) of the Illinois Vehicle Code (Ill. Rev.Stat.1989, ch. 95½, pars. 11-501.2(b)(3), 11-501(d)(3)), and section 9-3(c)(1) of the Criminal Code of 1961 (Ill.Rev.Stat.1989, ch. 38, par. 9-3(c)(1)). The common element each of these three sections possess, upon which defendant's argument is based, pertains to the presumption that a person is under the influence of alcohol if his blood-alcohol concentration is 0.10 or more. Defendant argues that this legislatively created presumption deprives a defendant of his constitutional right to a trial by jury (Ill. Const.1970, art. 1, § 13), and also unconstitutionally shifts the burden to a defendant to prove his innocence.
In response, the prosecution maintains that defendant waived this issue on appeal because he failed to raise the objection at trial or in his post-trial motion. After reviewing the record we find that defendant did object at the jury instruction conference to the giving of the jury instruction taken from Illinois Pattern Jury Instructions, Criminal, No. 23.06 (2d ed.1981) (hereinafter IPI Criminal 2d No. 23.06). Defendant's post-trial motion also included a claim that the trial court erred in giving each instruction objected to by defendant. We note, however, that while defendant objected to the instruction during the conference he did not raise the specific objection which he now asserts on appeal, and he did not tender an instruction setting forth his interpretation of the law. It is defendant's duty to tender at trial a proper instruction on a particular issue, and failure to do so will preclude him from raising objections to the given instruction on appeal. (People v. Smith (1978), 71 Ill.2d 95, 104, 15 Ill.Dec. 864, 867, 374 N.E.2d 472, 475.) However, if the interests of justice require, substantial defects in jury instructions in criminal cases are not waived by failing to object properly. 107 Ill.2d R. 451(c); People v. Reding (1989), 191 Ill. App.3d 424, 446, 138 Ill.Dec. 689, 703, 547 N.E.2d 1310, 1324.
The prosecution also points out that defendant has failed to cite any authority in support of his argument that giving IPI Criminal 2d No. 23.06 was error. The rule of waiver is a limitation on the parties and not on the courts, and a reviewing court may ignore the waiver rule in order to achieve a just result. (People v. *1375 Hoskins (1984), 101 Ill.2d 209, 219, 78 Ill. Dec. 107, 112, 461 N.E.2d 941, 946.) We, therefore, will address the merits of the issue raised by defendant.
The Illinois Supreme Court has recognized that the evidentiary devices known as presumptions are categorized into two groups: mandatory and permissive. (People v. Hester (1989), 131 Ill.2d 91, 99, 136 Ill.Dec. 111, 115, 544 N.E.2d 797, 801.) A mandatory presumption is one where the fact finder is not free to reject the presumption. The trier of fact must find the presumed elemental fact upon proof of the basic fact, at least unless the defendant has come forward with some evidence to rebut the presumed connection between the two facts. (Ulster County Court v. Allen (1979), 442 U.S. 140, 157, 99 S.Ct. 2213, 2225, 60 L.Ed.2d 777, 792.) A permissive presumption leaves the trier of fact free to credit or reject the connection between the presumed fact and the basic fact. (Ulster County, 442 U.S. 140, 157, 99 S.Ct. 2213, 2225, 60 L.Ed.2d 777, 792.) In criminal cases the ultimate test of any device's constitutional validity remains constant: the device must not undermine the factfinder's responsibility at trial, based on evidence adduced by the State, to find the ultimate facts beyond a reasonable doubt. (Ulster County, 442 U.S. 140, 156, 99 S.Ct. 2213, 2224, 60 L.Ed.2d 777, 791.) In Hester, 131 Ill.2d 91, 100, 136 Ill.Dec. 111, 116, 544 N.E.2d 797, 802, the court held that to determine whether a presumption contained in a jury instruction is mandatory or permissive, a court must examine the words contained in the jury instruction.
In the instant case, the questioned jury instruction given was as follows:
"If you find that the amount of alcohol in the defendant's blood as shown by a chemical analysis of his blood was .10 percent or more by weight of alcohol, you shall presume that the defendant was under the influence of intoxicating liquor.
However, this presumption is not binding on you and you may take into consideration any other evidence in determining whether or not the defendant was under the influence of intoxicating liquor." (Illinois Pattern Jury Instructions, Criminal, No. 23.06 (2d ed. 1981.)
In Hester the court stated that the fourth district cases of People v. Elliott (1986), 143 Ill.App.3d 72, 97 Ill.Dec. 287, 492 N.E.2d 946, People v. Frazier (1984), 123 Ill.App.3d 563, 79 Ill.Dec. 27, 463 N.E.2d 165, and People v. Malik (1983), 113 Ill. App.3d 206, 68 Ill.Dec. 760, 446 N.E.2d 931, indicate that IPI Criminal 2d No. 23.06 does not fairly state the law, because the first paragraph of the instruction includes language which appears to denote a mandatory presumption, while the second paragraph contains permissive language. The supreme court, however, did not conclusively find that the giving of IPI Criminal 2d No. 23.06 without modification would constitute grave error.
We note that subsequent to trial IPI Criminal 2d No. 23.06 was modified, deleting the mandatory language of paragraph one, and adding language clarifying the jury's role to consider all of the evidence in determining whether the defendant was under the influence of alcohol. (See Illinois Pattern Jury Instructions, Criminal, No. 23.06 (2d ed. Supp.1981).) While we agree that this modified version of IPI Criminal 2d No. 23.06 is preferable, we will now address whether it was error for the trial court here to give the non-modified version of the instruction.
In People v. Frazier, IPI Criminal 2d No. 23.06 was given. The court found that since the instruction used the words "you shall presume", it created an impermissible presumption. The court held, however, that the error created by the first paragraph was cured by the jury instructions read as a whole, because the language of the second paragraph permitted the jury to disregard the presumption. (Frazier, 123 Ill.App.3d 563, 573, 79 Ill.Dec. 27, 34, 463 N.E.2d 165, 173.) As in Frazier, the court in the case at bar instructed the jurors as to the presumption of innocence, and that it was within their province to decide questions of fact. Each of the instructions on reckless homicide, driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor, and driving under *1376 the influence of intoxicating liquor involving great bodily harm required the jury to determine that all of the propositions were proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Jury instructions must be construed as a whole and not viewed in isolation. (People v. Housby (1981), 84 Ill.2d 415, 433-34, 50 Ill.Dec. 834, 843, 420 N.E.2d 151, 160; People v. Reding (1989), 191 Ill.App.3d 424, 448, 138 Ill.Dec. 689, 547 N.E.2d 1310, 1326.) In this case the instructions as a whole informed the jury that it was not bound by any presumptions, nor did they shift the burden of proof to the defendant. (Reding, 191 Ill.App.3d 424, 448, 138 Ill. Dec. 689, 705, 547 N.E.2d 1310, 1326.) We find, therefore, that defendant was not deprived of his constitutional right to trial by jury, nor was he shouldered with the burden of proving his innocence.
Defendant also contends that two of the jury instructions given did not accurately state the law. Both instructions were non-Illinois pattern jury instructions.
The first instruction, which was based upon sections 9-3(b) and 9-3(c) of the Criminal Code of 1961 (Ill.Rev.Stat.1989, ch. 38, pars. 9-3(b), (c)), read:
"Being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the alleged violation shall be prima facie evidence of a reckless act. A person shall be considered to be under the influence of alcohol if the alcohol concentration of such persons blood is .10 percent or more by weight of alcohol."
Defendant claims that this instruction made it appear that there was but a single definition of being under the influence which applied to each of the charges in this case. Defendant also claims that the instruction's omission of the language of section 9-3(c) that, "the alcohol concentration in such person's blood or breath is 0.10 or more based on the definition of blood and breath units in Section 11-501.2 of the Illinois Vehicle Code," misrepresented the law.
The test of the correctness or propriety of instructions is not what meaning the ingenuity of counsel can attribute to them, but how and in what sense, under the evidence before them and considering the circumstances of the trial, ordinary men acting as jurors will understand the instructions. (Mudd v. Goldblatt Brothers, Inc. (1983), 118 Ill.App.3d 431, 439, 73 Ill.Dec. 657, 663, 454 N.E.2d 754, 760.) Defendant's argument that the instruction made it appear that there was but one definition of being under the influence which applied to every charge in this case is without merit. The instruction itself refers to a "reckless act," thus denoting its applicability to the reckless homicide charge. Furthermore, the other instructions given to the jury clearly indicate that the definition of "being under the influence" in the instruction did not apply to the other charges against defendant. The charge of driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor included its own distinct definition of when a person is considered to be under the influence of intoxicating liquor:
"When as a result of drinking any amount of intoxicating liquor his mental and/or physical faculties are so impaired as to reduce his ability to think and act with ordinary care."
Furthermore, IPI Criminal 2d No. 23.06 was given, and explained the standard for determining whether defendant was under the influence of intoxicating liquor so as to sustain the charges of driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor. Jury instructions are to be construed as a whole and not taken in isolation. (People v. Housby (1981), 84 Ill.2d 415, 433-34, 50 Ill.Dec. 834, 843, 420 N.E.2d 151, 160.) It is clear that the instruction did not lead the jury to conclude that it was bound to the definition of "being under the influence" as to every charge.
Defendant's claim that the instruction's omission of language taken from section 9-3(c) mistated the law, is also unfounded. The decision whether to give a non-IPI instruction rests within the sound discretion of the trial court. (107 Ill.2d R. 451(a); People v. Stamps (1982), 108 Ill.App.3d 280, 298, 63 Ill.Dec. 919, 934, 438 N.E.2d 1282, 1297.) The language of the given instruction was taken from the language of *1377 section 9-3. The omitted language of which defendant complains would not have added anything of which the jury was not already apprised. We do not find that the court abused its discretion in giving the instruction.
The second jury instruction which defendant contends the court erred in giving read:
"A person commits the offense of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicating Liquor Involving Great Bodily Harm when he drives any vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor and was involved in a motor vehicle accident which resulted in great bodily harm to another when such violation was the proximate cause of such injuries."
Defendant argues that this instruction is cummulative and fails to provide a definition of driving under the influence. As stated in our discussion of the preceding issue, the jury was apprised via other jury instructions of the definition of "driving under the influence." As jury instructions must be construed as a whole, we find that any alleged error was cured by the other instructions.
Defendant contends that the instruction at issue was cummulative in light of the following instruction which was given:
"To sustain the charge of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicating Liquor Involving Great Bodily Harm, the State must prove the following propositions:
FIRST: That the defendant drove a vehicle; and
SECOND: That the defendant then was under the influence of intoxicating liquor.
THIRD: The defendant was involved in a motor vehicle accident which resulted in great bodily harm to Brett Warners injuries.
If you find from your consideration of all the evidence that each of these propositions has been proved beyond a reasonable doubt, you should find the defendant guilty.
If you find from your consideration of all the evidence that any one of these propositions has not been proved beyond a reasonable doubt, you should find the defendant not guilty."
While the giving of repetitious jury instructions is not favored, we do not believe that there was prejudicial error committed in giving both of the instructions. Considering the instructions as a whole we do not find that the jury was misled or that defendant's rights were prejudiced. Sphatt v. Tulley (1962), 38 Ill.App.2d 229, 236, 186 N.E.2d 670, 673.
Defendant's final issue on appeal is whether the trial court erred in denying defendant the right to present a videotaped enactment of the course officer Warner's vehicle traveled prior to the accident. Voir dire of defendant's witness who produced the videotape enactment was conducted outside the presence of the jury. Defendant's witness, Anthony Golec, testified that he prepared the videotape enactment for the purpose of demonstrating the braking action and stopping distance of a vehicle in an emergency situation. Defendant contends that the videotape clearly shows that officer Warner would have had no difficulty in stopping his vehicle and avoiding the accident if the accident occurred as officer Warner testified.
The determination of whether to admit or exclude evidence of experiments rests largely in the sound discretion of the trial judge, and his decision will not be overturned on appeal absent a clear showing of abuse of discretion. (Rockett v. Chevrolet Motor Division, General Motors Corp. (1975), 31 Ill.App.3d 217, 225, 334 N.E.2d 764, 771.) Reconstruction experiments are incompetent unless the essential elements of the experiment are shown to be substantially similar to those existing at the time of the accident. (Hubbard v. McDonough Power Equipment, Inc. (1980), 83 Ill.App.3d 272, 280, 38 Ill.Dec. 887, 894, 404 N.E.2d 311, 318.) In this case there were several material differences between the conditions portrayed via the videotape and the actual accident.
The investigator who produced the videotape enactment testified that he performed no tests to determine if the braking mechanism *1378 on the test car differed from the car driven by the officer. The car used in the test was a 4,242-pound 1986 Oldsmobile 98, while the car driven by officer Warner was a 3,820-pound Ford Crown Victoria. No tests were conducted to determine whether the road surface at the time of the test was the same as it was at the time of the accident. The test was conducted between 8:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., while the accident occurred in the dark early morning hours. Based on these dissimilarities we cannot find that the trial court abused its discretion in refusing admission of the evidence.
Based on the foregoing, we affirm the decision of the trial court of St. Clair County.
Affirmed.
WELCH and RARICK, JJ., concur.


Conspiracy theories- are we wrong?

After reading the intercepted armada letter in the pirate 101 story I am convinced that we have everything wrong. This letter mentions pirates as if we're the bad guys and may just destroy the spiral ourselves only once did I think against that when at the end it says that they will destroy anyone in their way. Read it and post what you think.


Top Asian News 3:49 a.m. GMT

JAYAPURA, Indonesia (AP) — Rescuers in Indonesia say a child is the only survivor from the crash of a light commercial plane in a mountainous region of the easternmost province of Papua that left eight other passengers dead. The Swiss-made Pilatus PC-6 Porter single-engine plane operated by Dimonin Air was on an estimated 42-minute flight when it was reported missing Saturday. The local army chief says the plane was found after crashing near the airport of Oksibil. Col. Jonathan Binsar Sianipar says a child is the only passenger found alive and has been evacuated to Oksibil. He gave no other details, including the child's age or condition.


Everything we’ve seen so far from Preacher looks amazing, and now AMC’s released a trio of videos that do nothing but whet our appetite.

Of the three, “Greeting From Set,” is the one of most interest to the kind of nerd who’s been wondering how everything from the comics is getting put onscreen. There’s a real church exterior, a fake church interior, piles of fake intestines, and a prop room filled with severed limbs.

The other two videos are for anyone still on the fence about checking out this show, introducing the plot and then the characters:


Diocese invitation to Upper Hunter info session on mental health

October is Mental Health Month in NSW and it is a timely reminder that nearly half of all Australians (45%) will experience some form of mental illness during their lifetime - and those that don’t will most likely know someone that does.

In recognition of the importance of this issue, the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle will be hosting an information session and morning tea on 25 October at St James Primary School, Skellatar Stock Route in Muswellbrook.

People from the Upper Hunter community are invited to join us in a spirit of sharing the journey. As our guests you will be treated to morning tea, free of charge, and be able listen to the following presenters:

Noeleen Osborne, community member, who will discuss her mental health journey.

Marcus McDonnell, a pastor, who in his ministry has assisted people affected by drugs and mental illness.

Kelly Pavan, registered Psychologist at CatholicCare Social Services, who has worked internationally assisting people with mental health.

Following the presentation there will be an opportunity to ask questions and make new connections.

The theme is How to Share the Journey, when things are a bit tough.

Teresa Brierley, Director of Pastoral Ministries, explains that the main message of this theme is to encourage individuals and communities to connect with others and recognise how important this is for our mental health and wellbeing.

Good social connections are important for our health and survival – they help us with our journey to better mental health and our ability to cope with life’s struggles. They not only improve our overall wellbeing; they also build our resilience. This in turn helps communities to be good places in which to live, and people thrive when the environment is positive and supportive.

Share the Journey means many different things including telling your friends and family when things are a bit tough, finding others who have been through something similar, connecting with your community, finding a health professional you trust, connecting on social media, giving your pet a cuddle, organisations working together for the best possible wellbeing of everyone, sharing your stories with others, creating a sense of security within families and communities, reaching out to someone who might need your help, and/or decreasing the isolation people feel when things aren’t great.

@mnnewstoday on Instagram

Follow us on Twitter

Latest Your Diocese Gallery

ABOUT MNNEWS.TODAY

MNnews.today is your source of Catholic news for the areas of Newcastle, Maitland, Taree, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter Valley. The site contains stories from the award-winning diocesan magazine Aurora, as well as articles on education, social services, church and parish life.

Subscribe to mnnews.today

Subscribe to a weekly digest of mnnews.today stories, as well as coming events and job vacancies.


- OLDHAMITE-NININGERITE SERIES
- Mg7CaS8

This is a term of the MgS-Cas solid solution with ordered super-structure: every 8th Mg atom is replaced by 1 Ca. This ordering breaks the symmetry and makes some of the former IR modes of the ideal disordered (Mg,Ca)S solid solution Raman-acive. See article for details and experimental measurements.

Crystal Structure

Because of the translational symmetry all the calculations are performed in the primitive unit cell and not in the conventional unit cell. The following information regarding the structure is given with respect to this primitive unit cell, which sometimes can take an unintuitive shape.

Symmetry (experimental):

Space group:

225

Fm-3m

Lattice parameters (Å):

Angles (°):

Symmetry (theoretical):

Space group:

225

Fm-3m

Lattice parameters (Å):

10.3749

10.3749

10.3749

Angles (°):

60

60

60

Cell contents:

Number of atoms:

16

Number of atom types:

3

Chemical composition:

0

Atomic positions (theoretical):

Ca:

0.0000

0.0000

0.0000

Mg:

0.5000

0.0000

0.0000

Mg:

0.0000

0.5000

0.0000

Mg:

0.5000

0.5000

0.0000

Mg:

0.0000

0.0000

0.5000

Mg:

0.5000

0.0000

0.5000

Mg:

0.0000

0.5000

0.5000

Mg:

0.5000

0.5000

0.5000

S:

0.2500

0.2500

0.2500

S:

0.7412

0.2588

0.2588

S:

0.2588

0.7412

0.2588

S:

0.7412

0.7412

0.2588

S:

0.2588

0.2588

0.7412

S:

0.7412

0.2588

0.7412

S:

0.2588

0.7412

0.7412

S:

0.7500

0.7500

0.7500

Atom type

X

Y

Z

We have listed here the reduced coordinates of all the atoms in the primitive unit cell.
It is enough to know only the position of the atoms from the assymetrical unit cell and then use the symmetry to build the whole crystal structure.

Visualization of the crystal structure:

Size:

Nx:

Ny:

Nz:

You can define the size of the supercell to be displayed in the jmol panel as integer translations along the three crystallographic axis.
Please note that the structure is represented using the primitive cell, and not the conventional one.

Powder Raman

Powder Raman spectrum

The intensity of the Raman peaks is computed within the density-functional perturbation theory. The intensity depends on the temperature (for now fixed at 300K), frequency of the input laser (for now fixed at 21834 cm-1, frequency of the phonon mode and the Raman tensor. The Raman tensor represents the derivative of the dielectric tensor during the atomic displacement that corresponds to the phonon vibration. The Raman tensor is related to the polarizability of a specific phonon mode.

Choose the polarization of the lasers.

I ∥

I ⊥

I Total

Horizontal:

Xmin:

Xmax:

Vertical:

Ymin:

Ymax:

Data about the phonon modes

Frequency of the transverse (TO) and longitudinal (LO) phonon modes in the zone-center. The longitudinal modes are computed along the three cartesian directions. You can visualize the atomic displacement pattern corresponding to each phonon by clicking on the appropriate cell in the table below.

1

0

0

0

0

2

0

0

0

0

3

0

0

0

0

4

123

123

123

123

5

123

123

123

123

6

123

123

123

123

7

126

126

126

126

8

126

126

126

126

9

126

126

126

126

10

157

157

157

157

11

157

157

157

157

12

157

157

157

157

13

169

169

169

169

3.706e+39

15.5

6.101e+39

25.5

9.806e+39

41.0

14

169

169

169

169

3.706e+39

15.5

4.455e+39

18.6

8.161e+39

34.1

15

169

169

169

169

3.706e+39

15.5

4.730e+39

19.8

8.435e+39

35.3

16

182

182

182

182

17

182

182

182

182

18

182

182

182

182

19

192

192

192

192

20

192

192

192

192

21

194

194

194

194

22

194

194

194

194

23

194

194

194

194

24

217

217

217

217

25

217

217

217

217

26

217

218

218

218

27

231

231

231

231

28

231

231

231

231

29

231

248

248

248

30

248

248

248

248

31

248

248

248

248

32

248

261

261

261

33

261

261

261

261

9.660e+37

0.4

7.245e+37

0.3

1.691e+38

0.7

34

261

270

270

270

9.660e+37

0.4

7.245e+37

0.3

1.691e+38

0.7

35

272

272

272

272

36

272

272

272

272

37

272

283

283

283

38

283

283

283

283

4.021e+39

16.8

5.364e+39

22.4

9.385e+39

39.3

39

283

283

283

283

4.021e+39

16.8

4.678e+39

19.6

8.698e+39

36.4

40

283

327

327

327

4.021e+39

16.8

6.543e+39

27.4

1.056e+40

44.2

41

331

331

331

331

2.390e+40

100.0

0.000e+0

0.0

2.390e+40

100.0

42

352

352

352

352

43

352

352

352

352

44

352

352

352

352

45

352

355

355

355

46

356

356

356

356

47

356

356

356

356

48

356

406

406

406

No.

Char.

ω TO

ω LOx

ω LOy

ω LOz

I ∥

I ⊥

I Total

You can define the size of the supercell for the visualization of the vibration.


// Copyright (c) .NET Foundation. All rights reserved.
// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See License.txt in the project root for license information.

using System.Collections.Generic;

namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewEngines
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Represents an <see cref="IViewEngine"/> that delegates to one of a collection of view engines.
    /// </summary>
    public interface ICompositeViewEngine : IViewEngine
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// Gets the list of <see cref="IViewEngine"/> this instance of <see cref="ICompositeViewEngine"/> delegates
        /// to.
        /// </summary>
        IReadOnlyList<IViewEngine> ViewEngines { get; }
    }
}


# Classes which provide support for automatically trimming configuration to avoid wasted work during a build.

load("@rules_java//java:defs.bzl", "java_library")

package(
    default_visibility = ["//src:__subpackages__"],
)

filegroup(
    name = "srcs",
    srcs = glob(["**"]),
    visibility = ["//src:__subpackages__"],
)

java_library(
    name = "trimmed_configuration_cache",
    srcs = [
        "ConfigurationComparer.java",
        "KeyAndState.java",
        "TrimmedConfigurationCache.java",
    ],
    deps = [
        "//third_party:auto_value",
        "//third_party:guava",
    ],
)


Pages

Saturday, January 05, 2008

Join me for a NutriSystem challenge

If you’re like most Canadians, one of your New Years’ resolutions was to lose weight. I didn’t make any resolutions. Never do. But when NutriSystem asked if I’d have a reader giveaway, I immediately stepped up to the plate. (Bad pun, I know but I couldn’t resist.)

NutriSystem has been helping Americans lose weight for 35 years. New to Canada, they want to share their secrets with us Canucks. Apparently, clients who stay on the program for three months, lose 1.5 - 2lbs/wk (.68-.9 kilos). Carol Prinn has been on the plan for five months and lost 36 pounds. I want to know if her results are typical and what it’s like to be on the program. Teena has just started so I’ll be watching her closely too.

I’ve been struggling to shed the extra 25-30 pounds I gained back after a successful experience with another weight loss program six years ago. I used to go to meetings but got bored when the focus shifted to a triathlon the company sponsored. Last year I tried a workout program but it didn’t work out for me.

I lost some weight last summer but gained it back. My clothes aren’t fitting and nothing I try seems to look good on me. (The cat is out of the bag. Now you know why I haven’t been shopping for clothes lately.)

I’m curious to see if NutriSystem really works and what the food is like. I’ve never been a fad dieter or tried anything like this before.Wanna join me for FREE?Here’s the deal... NutriSystem will give us (me plus one lucky reader) a 3-month supply of food plus phone and online support for free (approximate value: $1,000). I’m going to blog about our progress at least once a week. And don’t worry, I’m not posting my actual weight and I won’t share yours either unless you want to. I’ll be focusing on weight changes. We can start the program together and I’m hoping the community will cheer us on. If you have a blog or podcast and you’d like to discuss your results, that’s cool too.

Want to join me? Leave a comment or send an e-mail explaining why. The contest is open to Canadian residents and ends on Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 5 p.m. EST. So, what are you waiting for? Get your entry in soon.

Another NutriSystem freebieNutriSystem has a promo on now. Buy 28 days of food and get one week of food for free. You won’t be alone. NutriSystem offers counseling and support for everyone on the program and provides preliminary counseling and assessment for those who are thinking about joining. If you do decide to try it out, as always, leave a comment.

The fine printAs with any weight loss program, contact your doctor first and read NutriSystem’s Terms and Conditions. I (“Bargainista”) am not responsible for any problems ensuing as a result of your participation in this program.

9 comments:

NEED3 years ago (before we had our first child) I had worked my way down to 180 lbs. It was awesome. Since then, I've ballooned to 270lbs. Very ouch.

REACHI blog. So do a lot of people. But I've also experimented with thinblogging (formerly fatblogging). Point is, I've already reached *some* bit of an audience with regard to weight loss. And I'm comfortable sharing my progress publicly.

CAVEATI'm vegetarian. Does the system allow for meat (incl. fish) free diets? I'm ok with eggs and dairy.

I would like to say that I am carrying the weight I gained when I had my daughter but at some point, I lost that and gained some new. I'd be interested in this to see how it works in the context of my family. How will I explain to my daughter why I am not eating what she and her dad are (and when she is expected to eat what is served)? Will the meals inspire me to cook similar foods for them? At the end will I have a reperatoire of healthful choices I can make and, important for me, meal plans?

I'm Megan from NutriSystem. Thanks for inviting us to join the conversation here and answer questions from your readers.

First, with regard to Mario's question: We do offer plenty of choices for vegetarians, but the selection is more limited than for people who eat meat. So while a vegetarian could absolutely participate in the program, we're not yet at the point in Canada where we are marketing a "vegetarian" program. Good luck Mario, with your weight loss efforts, whether or not you are the winner of Eden's giveaway.

Barbara asks a great question about how to fit NutriSystem in at the family dinner table. In fact, NutriSystem offers a plan that provides real foods, probably similar to what you are serving your family today, i.e. pasta, chicken, lasagna. Depending upon how old your daughter is, you can communicate to her that her mommy needs to make sure she feels better and NutriSystem is helping her do so. I would hope it would inspire you to cook similar meals for your family, but more importantly, I hope they see the example you are setting not only by what you eat, but also how much you are eating and this will help set an example of proper portions. Also, included in the program is our Mindset Makeover which will not only help you while on program, but it will also teach you what to look for in the grocery store, and how to take what we teach you on the program and apply it to the rest of your life.

Thanks again Mario, Barbara and Eden, and best of luck in your own weight loss efforts!

Hi Bargainist- me again.Ok, I posted my "why" on my blog with a link back to you. Is that OK, or do you want the post on your site - no problem for me at all, although a bit long for a comment, I suspect.