(BLOG) - Writing for Today

Quick tips. (Know how: skills, tips, techniques)

2012-01-26T20:00:00.002-05:00

Arrow, a photo by Roger Smith on Flickr.

If the tape on the bottom end of the male side of a zipper is disintegrating, stiffen or repair it with clear nail polish.

Joe Bond, Commack, NY

Sticky Fingers

You just seam-sealed your tent, but now your fingers are glued together. To remove, the sticky seam sealer, rub acetone-based nail-polish remover on your hands with a rough cloth, then wash with soap and water.

Susan Newquist

Getting The Shaft

If you break a tent pole, you can replace it with an aluminum arrow shaft. Many are made of Easton aluminum of a similar grade to good tent poles and come in hollow 36-inch lengths that can be cut to size. An archery shop will probably have one to match the pole you broke. Use thin cord or fishing line to restring the elastic cord.

Monte Dodge, Olympia, WA

Screened To Kill

Does the entire spring hatch of black flies, snowmelt mosquitoes, and other bloodsucking terrorists migrate across your tent's bug screen each spring, just waiting for you to crack the zipper? Then spray the netting with permethrin, available from various manufacturers at outdoors stores. Not only is permethrin a repellent, but it actually kills the bugs that crawl on it. Since it's safe for human contact after it dries, use it to treat clothing, socks, and shoes, too, especially where ticks with Lyme disease are a problem.

J. Harlin

Camp Sandals

You don't need those expensive, heavy, gladiator-worthy sports sandals just to kick around camp. Pick up a pair of flip-flops from a discount store. They weigh less than half a pound and cost less than $10.

Laurie Braaten

Sherpa Rest

You waste a lot of energy hoisting a heavy pack after every trailside rest break. Instead, try the "sherpa rest," used by generations of Himalayan and Andean porters. When your shoulders are ready for a break, look for a log or fiat-top boulder slightly higher than your waist. Back up to the rest ledge, and set the bottom of your pack atop it. Then loosen your hipbelt and lean back for a quick standing rest. For a longer seated rest, seek out flat-top boulders about thigh high, or lean back against slanting slopes on the uphill side of the trail. To resume, just tighten your hipbelt and go.

Steve Howe

Source Citation
"Quick tips. (Know how: skills, tips, techniques)." Backpacker May 2002: 94+. Gale Power Search. Web. 26 Jan. 2012.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA86388522&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A86388522

(Web-Page) http://writers2008.googlepages.com/home Email: leonard.wilson2009@hotmail.com(Album / Profile) http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=10035&id=1661531726&l=f3f19215d0 Email: leonard.wilson2009@hotmail.com

"Berkeley clings to cash

2011-12-08T14:46:00.002-05:00

Cheetah, the fastest land animal, a photo by Foto Martien on Flickr.

Berkeley has a strong balance sheet and is conserving cash

Berkeley Group is no ordinary housebuilder - after all, it makes a profit and has no debt. Under normal circumstances this would not be that unusual or particularly impressive. But in today's trading environment it elevates Berkeley into a league of its own. What's more, unlike other housebuilders, it has not seen the need to write down the value of its land bank.

Berkeley has done well to shield itself from economic effects that are largely beyond its control, namely rising unemployment, the mortgage drought and planning restrictions. True, sales were down in the first half of the year from 1,630 to 968, but a change in the sales mix boosted average selling prices from GBP245,000 to GBP399,000. Average prices are expected to stay around this level in the second half, boosted by some properties sold in excess of GBP1m, before falling back. But management has been successful in generating and holding onto cash, and the group is now in a position to pick up cheap distressed assets at knock down prices should it choose to do so.

Meanwhile, Berkeley's strong balance sheet will help to steer the group through what is expected to be another tough year. Sales reservations in the first half were down 55 per cent on the previous year, and 60 per cent lower for the period since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September. And cash held in respect of forward sales fell from GBP1.21bn in April, to GBP807.9m as of 31 October. The trend is likely to continue, and the group expects this to result in a lower level of production to match falling demand. As a result, Berkeley is also holding off on fresh land purchases, with just four new site agreements in the first half.

Broker Numis expects full-year pre-tax profits of GBP180m and EPS of 105p.

|BERKELEY GROUP(BKG)

|ORD PRICE:|815p|MARKET VALUE:|GBP984.7m|

|TOUCH:|808-815p|12-MONTH HIGH:|1,196p|LOW: 613p|

|DIVIDEND YIELD:|Nil|PE RATIO:|7|

|NET ASSET VALUE:|591p|NET CASH:|GBP138m|

|Half-year to 31 Oct Turnover (GBPm) Pre-tax profit (GBPm) Earnings per share (p) Dividend per share (p)

|2007|441|90.6|52.6|nil|

|2008|453|79.6|47.8|nil|

|% change|+3|-12|-9|-|

|

Guide to the terms used in IC results tables http://www.investorschronicle.co.uk/Companies/ByEvent/Results/Inbrief/article/20070903/d39ffee8-5a0d-11dc-9089-00144f2af 8e8/Guide-to-IC-results-and-tip-tables.jsp Guide to the terms used in IC results tables.

More analysis of company results

Berkeley is one of the strongest housebuilders, boasting a solid balance sheet, good cash flow and no debt. This places it in an enviable position for when the housing market recovers, and justifies the 38 per cent share price premium to net asset value. That said, being the strongest player in a deteriorating market is no recipe for short-term growth so, until the housing sector improves, the shares are fairly priced.

FairlyPriced

Jonas Crosland

Source Citation
"Berkeley clings to cash." Investors Chronicle - magazine and web content 8 Dec. 2008. General OneFile. Web. 8 Dec. 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA190686635&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A190686635

Written

2011-11-05T17:33:00.000-04:00

*****

(Web-Page) http://writers2008.googlepages.com/home (Album / Profile) http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=10035&id=1661531726&l=f3f19215d0 leonard.wilson2008@hotmail.com

Capital gains from the super-rich

2011-10-22T22:45:00.002-04:00

Money, a photo by Thomas Hawk on Flickr.

Suddenly it is starting to look as if the period after 1914 - when London lost its position as the financial capital of the world to New York - was an aberration, a downturn in an otherwise upward trend. Stroll around Chelsea, Belgravia and Holland Park and see the flash cars with blacked-out windows, waiting with chauffeurs inside. Listen to the foreign voices echoing down Bond Street; chat to estate agents, or to bankers or art dealers or even to a good dentist, and the message is clear: London is on the up, and the world's rich are congregating here like bees around the blossom of spring.

This week London's position as the headquarters of globalisation will be reaffirmed overtly and boldly. As I write, its wealthiest resident, Lakshmi Mittal - the very posterboy of the super-rich - is putting the finishing touches to a $20 billion offer for Arcelor, a lumbering rival to his Mittal Steel. Already Mittal's proposal has been denounced in the chancelleries of Europe, but Mittal (named after a Hindu god of wealth) was prepared for this. 'It is a strike straight at the heart of Old Europe from the New World, ' says one of his advisers. If he succeeds, he will win a great victory for shareholder value and free markets in the EU. No doubt the knowledge that he is already worth [pounds sterling]14 billion helps him maintain a zen-like calm. 'He bought well, ' I am told.

'When everybody was thinking about hightech companies like Microsoft, Mittal was sticking to a traditional metal-bashing industry in countries everybody had written off, like Romania and South Africa.' He moved to London in 1996 and runs his dynastic interests (Mittal Steel, though quoted, is family-controlled and his 30-year-old son Aditya is his finance director) from Berkeley Square, although the company is technically domiciled in Rotterdam. He spent his early years sleeping on the floor at his parents' home in Rajasthan, but these days he has money to burn on a [pounds sterling]50 million wedding for his daughter, Vanisha, and a [pounds sterling]2 million donation to the Labour party.

'London is cosmopolitan, culturally diverse, ' he explains. 'And it is in the right time zone.'

One of the things which recommended it to him as a base was Heathrow. 'It's easy to get anywhere else, ' he says. He evidently does not want to be pigeonholed as a Londoner, however. 'Mittal is a global company.' But one of the interesting things about Mittal is that he is far from unique. He is merely the best-known member of a tribe now congregating in London: foreign-born billionaires, many of whom made their fortunes in basic industries such as copper mining, steel and, of course, oil. They hail from India, the former Soviet republics and the Middle East and, as a class, they are importing a culture of private luxury to rival anything F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote about in 1920s New York.

There is Vladimir Kim, the controlling shareholder of Kazakhmys, a vast copper company from Kazakhstan, which recently joined the FTSE 100; Russian entrepreneur Leo Blavatnik, Mittal's neighbour in Kensington Palace Gardens (where Mittal set a record with his [pounds sterling]57 million house purchase in 2002); Oleg Deripaska, another Russian copper baron; Johnny Hon, the Chinese gambling tycoon; and, of course, Roman Abramovich, who rubs along with assets of [pounds sterling]4 billion, including Chelsea Football Club (assuming that's an asset and not a liability).

Forbes magazine reckons there are 28 billionaires now living in London - and that is just the ones we know about.

There are many, many others too, who are either too secretive or not quite rich enough to be considered billionaires. The super-rich are obsessed with security. This is partly because they were alarmed by the murder of the banker John Monckton in Chelsea last year; and partly because some of them made their money in what might euphemistically be described as exotic and opaque circumstances. They have dangerous enemies - such as the Kremlin, or even each other.

Perhaps the most eloquent demonstration of this paranoia is to be found in their homes.

Nick Candy and his brother Christian are property developers by appointment to the super-rich. Among the brothers' successes is selling a flat for [pounds sterling]27 million in Chelsea Square (a world record) to an unnamed foreign buyer last year. Nick Candy tells me, 'There is so much money coming into London. London is the most important global city in the world. It is not just Russians, it is Chinese, Indians, Arabs and even Irishmen. Actually, many of our clients are British but nobody ever seems interested in that.' Candy & Candy's latest project is the redevelopment of Bowater House in Knightsbridge, which is being renamed No. 1 Hyde Park. The project will include 84 multimillion-pound apartments, with underground parking, CCTV cameras, 24-hour security guards and a concierge service provided by the neighbouring Mandarin Oriental hotel. 'A lot of our clients don't want to live in houses any more, ' says Candy. 'They want lateral living, because that means you get proper security, air-conditioning and porterage. You can just drive in, get out of your car and into the lift.' So, why London? The arrival of the superrich is, of course, a sort of flattery for the British way of life, our institutions, our professional services and for the English language and culture. But let us not be naive. It carries risks too. Foreigners who are here for only a few weeks a year are creating fierce competition for scarce items. They are driving through the roof the prices of nice houses, grouse moors, Old Master paintings and domestic help. Mittal himself is a UK resident and pays tax here. But many of those who emulate him are not so scrupulous. They are technically non-residents, so they contribute little to the Exchequer. Let's face it: some of them are rather selfish, unmoved by the sense of noblesse oblige that might make them pay tax voluntarily or pour money into struggling football clubs; and a minority of them are probably crooks.

The biggest factor attracting the wannabe Mittals is not sentimentality about Britain but a series of own-goals by America. For years, New York was the natural home of the global nouveaux riches, but now they no longer feel comfortable there. The US Immigration Service makes visitors stand in long lines; the US tax authorities enforce a tough global regime (HM Revenue & Customs still has generous non-domicile rules for those who live here for only part of the year); and Congress has passed a nasty securities law called SarbanesuOxley, which is wrapping Wall Street in red tape.

That said, the long-term economic effects of welcoming the super-rich to Britain are, on balance, beneficial - and not just because we can all find work as their butlers or interior designers. Indeed, Ajay Kapur, a bright spark at Citigroup, has invented an economic theory he calls 'Plutonomy'. He believes that the Mittals of this world are putting rocket fuel into financial markets. For the super-rich are the clients of the hedge funds and private equity groups, of which there are now about 1,000 in London. Hedge funds and private equity not only provide lucrative employment for aspirational young British financiers, but are also starting to wield the sort of influence once reserved for the mightiest pension funds.

Thanks to the super-rich, a colossal arsenal of money - hundreds of billions of pounds - is now being managed in London. Our competitive advantage in financial services is being handsomely reinforced.

'I think wealth and income inequality explain many of the conundrums which vex investors, ' says Kapur - one of those conundrums being the continuing growth of the British economy, despite the punitive taxation regime of Gordon Brown. Money is flooding into London, squirting through complicated tax loopholes unavailable to ordinary Britons who plod away in salaried employment, slaves to PAYE. 'The rich are now the dominant drivers in many economies in the world, such as the US, the UK, Canada and Australia, ' says Kapur. 'Asset booms, a rising profit share, and favourable treatment by market-friendly governments have allowed the rich to prosper.' He believes we have seen nothing yet.

'Global capitalists are going to be getting an even greater share of the wealth pie over the next few years, as capitalists benefit disproportionately from globalisation and the productivity boom at the expense of labour.' It is an arresting thesis, exemplified by the princely Mr Mittal - and London will be the richer for it.

George Trefgarne

Source Citation
Trefgarne, George. "Capital gains from the super-rich." Spectator 20 May 2006. Military and Intelligence Database Collection. Web. 22 Oct. 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA147832057&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A147832057

Americans Can Protect Best Friends from Cancer

2011-09-25T11:38:00.002-04:00

my step toward health, a photo by Malingering on Flickr.

ANAHEIM, Calif., April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Dogs and cats with cancer now have a better chance of living longer and feeling better with a life-saving combination of early detection, technology and Veterinary Pet Insurance (www.petinsurance.com). And that's good news for American pet owners, because a recent survey conducted by the Morris Animal Foundation reports cancer as the leading cause of disease related death in dogs and cats in the United States.

Less than 10 years ago, many pets with cancer may have died for two reasons: The limits of veterinary medicine, or the inability of pet owners to pay the high costs of available treatments. According to Alice Villalobos, DVM and medical director at Coast Animal Hospital and Cancer Center in Hermosa Beach, Calif., veterinarians can use the same life-saving procedures available in human medicine, such as chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, laser therapy, immunotherapy, and even bone transplants. More advanced treatments, such as genetic therapy and bone marrow transplants, are currently under investigation for use on pets.

Dr. Villalobos sees between 400 and 500 new cancer cases a year. "The demand to treat pets with cancer has really increased in the past decade," says Villalobos. "People know that cancer in humans can be beat, and they want that for their pets."

While advancements in technology give veterinarians the tools they need to save more pet lives, the costs can be overwhelming. Cancer care can cost up to thousands of dollars and many pet owners can't afford treatment for their companion animals without financial help. However, companies such as Veterinary Pet Insurance, the nation's oldest and largest pet health and accident insurer, are making costs manageable by providing the financial assistance pet owners need to allow the veterinarian to use available technology to treat and save their pet.

Financial assistance eased the burden for Veterinary Pet Insurance policyholder Karen Penney. "The day after Thanksgiving last year, our dog, Odin, started urinating blood. With x-rays and exploratory surgery, our veterinarian diagnosed Odin with a rare form of kidney cancer.

"The veterinarian referred us to a specialist who was able to remove the cancerous kidney," Penney said. "I couldn't believe how quickly Veterinary Pet Insurance sent a reimbursement check. I work in the human health field and was expecting slow turnaround."

Early detection, according to Villalobos and veterinarians throughout the country, is the best way to win the battle against cancer. "Taking your pet in for a yearly checkup can save his or her life," Villalobos explains. "During preventive checkups, veterinarians can spot clinical symptoms of cancer and do a biopsy right away. We recommend that all pet owners think of cancer as the enemy, and then declare war by forming an alliance with their veterinarian."

When cancer is diagnosed, Villalobos has noticed that her clients who have Veterinary Pet Insurance seem less burdened by the reality of what it takes to save their pet. "They listen to all the options, choose the most aggressive approach, and commit to fighting the cancer right away."

Pet owners are often surprised when they discover how much they can save with a pet health insurance policy. With Veterinary Pet Insurance, pet owners have the choice of two accident and illness plans -- a Gold Plan that starts at $89 a year or an Advantage Plus Plan starting at $159 annually for puppies and kittens. An additional cancer endorsement, that starts at $9 a year, can be added to a policy and will double the plan's cancer benefits. For example, a pet owner with an Advantage Plus Plan would be reimbursed up to $1,025 for surgery to treat thyroid cancer. If that pet owner also carried the cancer endorsement, Veterinary Pet Insurance would pay up to $2,150, a 100 percent increase in benefits.

Terry Vinocur, a policyholder since 1995, added the cancer endorsement to her plan because she knew her dog, a Boxer named Brooke, is one of several breeds more prone to developing cancer. During the past four years, her dog has suffered several skin cancers and mast cell tumors.

"At the end of last year, I was petting Brooke and found what I thought was a swollen gland," says Vinocur. "It turned out to be a tumor the size of an egg in her thyroid. A specialist removed all of the visible cancer. Between the surgery and all of the medication, the procedure cost $1,200. Veterinary Pet Insurance paid for $800. For me, the pet insurance was a godsend. I didn't even have to consider not having the surgery done because of how expensive it was."

Founded in 1980 by 750 independent veterinarians, Veterinary Pet Insurance is the nation's oldest pet health insurance provider. Policies are licensed in 46 states and the District of Columbia. More than 850,000 Veterinary Pet Insurance policies have been sold and are exclusively endorsed by the American Humane Association. For more information on how pet insurance makes costs manageable for pet owners, call 1-800-USA-PETS (in Texas, call 877-PET-HEAL) or visit the company's World Wide Web site at www.petinsurance.com.

Source Citation
"Americans Can Protect Best Friends from Cancer." PR Newswire 15 Apr. 1999: 0815. Military and Intelligence Database Collection. Web. 25 Sep. 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA54381935&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A54381935

Bearcats revs up for diners in the Stutz Building

2011-09-22T22:19:00.002-04:00

Happy "Taking Time for Health" Tuesday (Early) . . . "To try to be better is to be better." ~ C. Cushman, originally uploaded by nightshooter09.

OK, so its moniker is actually tied to the Stutz sports car, but Bearcats Restaurant (1055 N. Senate Ave., 602-3509) nevertheless made this month's list of animal-named eateries--all the better to check out the latest option from serial restaurateur Tim Reuter (Bourbon Street Distillery, Living Room Lounge and Tip Top Tavern).

Located in the labyrinthine Stutz Business Center, Bearcats replaced the Loading Dock pub a year or so ago and Reuter took over in October. The good news for the directionally challenged (guilty) is that diners can bypass the Stutz's often-confusing corridors in favor of the restaurant's own Senate Avenue entrance.

We did just that and seated ourselves in the unassuming lounge, where we were greeted by a friendly server.

Sticking with her advice, we tried Onion Rings ($5.99) and a couple of standard sandwiches: Breaded Tenderloin ($7.95) and The "Dublin" Reuben ($7.95). Each was served with a mound of decent French fries and a cup of sweet coleslaw, making us wish we'd eschewed the o-rings, which were enormous, if a bit limper than we would have liked.

The Reuben, on the other hand, was stellar. Bearcats roasts its own corned beef--a lean, flavorful meat that had my mouth watering. Like most other Reubens, the corned beef was topped with grilled sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing, but it wasn't piled so high that I had to dislocate my jaw to take a bite.

My companion opted for the tenderloin, wavering momentarily on the grilled-or-fried question before giving in to decadence. What's the point of a grilled tenderloin, really? And what's the point of a tenderloin at all if it isn't cut fresh (as Bearcats' are) and the right balance isn't found between the crisp and the tender (ditto). At half the size, it would have been a pleasure. He also tried a cup of chili ($2.99 or part of a $6.99 Endless Soup and Salad combo), finding it heartier than standard bar fare.

Yes, Bearcats is a bar, too, with a lounge-like area for adults only. Families and artistic-minded teens can sit at the all-ages counter or one of the booths in the wide corridor that features the titular auto.

Duty called, so we couldn't stick around for a lunchtime libation--the beer menu includes selections from Indianapolis-based Sun King Brewery--but we were tempted by the couches surrounding a gas fireplace. Next time. If we have time.,

Third in our month-long series of reviews of animal-named eateries.

Davis, Andrea Muirragui

Source Citation
Davis, Andrea Muirragui. "Bearcats revs up for diners in the Stutz Building." Indianapolis Business Journal 15 Mar. 2010: 33A. Small Business Collection. Web. 22 Sep. 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA222485589&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A222485589

Returning to Myron.

2011-09-17T14:13:00.002-04:00

18.365. Pieces of me in post-it-note form., originally uploaded by Tangolarina.

"Lost Books" is a weekly series highlighting forgotten books through the prism of Tablet Magazine's and Nextbook.org's archives. So blow the dust off the cover, and begin!

Remember Me To God, Myron Kaufmann's debut novel, came out 54 years ago this month. As Josh Lambert noted on the 50th anniversary of the novel's publication, the book has fallen out of favor, though it had been initially heralded by the likes of Norman Mailer and Alfred Kazin and appeared on New York Times bestseller lists. "Even excellent books fall into obscurity all the time," Lambert explained, "no matter how popular they've beenparticularly when, like Kaufmann's, they spill out over nearly 700 pages of fine print."

The novel tells the story of a Jewish family, the Amsterdams, in 1941, a year during which the older son, Richard, manages to ascend the social ranks at Harvard and earn a coveted spot on The Harvard Lampoon and induction into the Hasty Pudding Institute. His subsequent proposal to a Radcliffe-attending society girl (named Wimsy Talbot, no less) wreaks the expected havoc within his familymaking the novel, in Lambert's comparison, the emotional equivalent of an excruciatingly slow-motion car wreck, and inspiring Jewish leaders in the late 1950s to denounce the book as a literary documentation of Kaufmann's own Jewish self-hatred.

Yet, Lambert argues, it actually offers a thorough analysis of the phenomenon of Jewish self-hatred, rather than simply serving as an example of it. "It is as an unusually evenhanded entry into this rich tradition that Remember Me to God deserves to be remembered," Lambert wrote, "and as a finely wrought triumph of midcentury realism so precise in its observation that it captures perfectly the incline of streets in Harvard Square and the musty smell inside the Lampoon castle."

Read Regatta Land, by Josh Lambert

Stephanie Butnick

Source Citation
Butnick, Stephanie. "Returning to Myron." Tablet Magazine 9 Sept. 2011. Religion and Philosophy Collection. Web. 17 Sep. 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA266607064&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A266607064

High life

2011-09-07T22:41:00.002-04:00

Girl hang by a rope!, originally uploaded by Periklis Ripis.

The smell of pine wafting from the shore, the whitewashed and sun-bleached terracotta houses shimmering in the midday heat-both remind me of the simple island life during the good old days, before super yachts, oligarchs and the brain-jolting cacophony of modern music emanating from so-called clubs. I'm lying off the eastern side of the Peloponnese, far from the fleshpots of Spetse and Porto Heli, having done them all last week. And I finally have my mail and The Spectator and I am happy at last.

But only for a minute. I read a New York rag that describes Dominique Strauss-Kahn as a great seducer, and I turn into Orlando Furioso quicker than you can say Errol Flynn. How dare these know-nothings call that frog-like corpulent sybarite a seducer? It's like calling the Wehrmacht's conquest of France a stealth operation.

Our phallocentric culture tends to do this sort of thing. Every whoremonger is now referred to as a seducer. Even a low-life like Boris Berezovsky. 'He's had countless lovers,' writes Richard Kay. You mean hookers, don't you, Richard? People who look like DSK and BB are either grab-ass artists like the former, or whoremongers like the latter. No one of the fairer sex would give themselves freely to such ghastly-looking individuals. It's either physical or financial weakness that does the trick, believe you me.

And I know all about the Casanova syndrome. Poor old Giacomo was not exactly a looker, he was bald and had a pot-belly, but he had the art of seduction down pat. It is called crave-ability, the knack of convincing a woman that one cannot live without her, and old Giacomo had that talent in spades. Just like DSK has grab-ability down pat.

Convince a woman beyond any doubt that you are willing to die if you can't possess her, and chances are good that you will land her. Women's emotional reactions are different from those of men. They like romance, men like porn. It makes it easy for people like Casanova, and very easy for those who look like Errol Flynn, as great a seducer as there ever was. Not many could resist him. He had great charm to go along with his great looks, and was very well read. Both his parents were academics, and he could reel off a poem for the occasion that would make a girl's head spin. What more could a girl wish for? Especially young American girls on the make in Hollywood.

David Niven used to tell us about Flynn's ability to charm the fair sex, Niven being no slouch when it came to snaring women. I only met Flynn once, in El Morocco, and he was drunk but very friendly and nice. The girl I was with went weak at the knees, but I was 20 and quick on my feet, and managed to manoeuvre her away from him, and I learnt a good lesson in the process. Always be polite and nice to women, and never try rough stuff à la Strauss-Kahn. Ditto Ali-Khan, no relation. Ali was extremely polite and romantic, and, of course, a great seducer. As was Gianni Agnelli, the Italian Fiat head who broke many a heart with his good looks and refined manners.

What is this thing about today's roughness, anyway? Does a rough manner serve as a sexual cue? Not in my book, but don't forget I'm of an age that trusted old-fashioned habits such as sweet-talking a lady into bed, not strong-arming her into taking her clothes off. One never made erotic allusions to one's intended, one just did what one had to do, gently at first, and if it worked, one went all out. Some of you oldies out there will get my drift.

Anyway, enough of this. I never feel at ease writing about sex; it's far better to do it, but then I must admit I'm intrigued by that disgusting DSK case, two liars in search of sucker justice, he paying for old sins, she looking for a payday to match her imagination. It's rich, powerful, male and white v. poor, helpless, female and black, except in reality it's the other way round. The latter's got the advantage, what with the Noo Yawk black community coming to her aid. DSK has all the lefty frogs and BHL on his side, BHL being even more disgusting and phony than DSK. A plague on both their houses is an understatement.

Otherwise, it's all hunky-dory. My daughter arrived on board from Mykonos, and my son from Paris. JT has a large dog that sprints up and down the deck, jumps on people and furniture, howls when other boats go by, and has made my life simply wonderful because people stay away. Cloudless skies, blue, blue waters, gentle breezes and lots of pines is the order of the day. I read the news back home and am appalled at the hatred and smears of the liberals hell-bent on connecting anti-Islam, anti-immigration and anti-multiculturalism with the Norwegian tragedy. The disgusting New York Times and Washington Post ditto. Yet it is they who are exploiting the mass murder, and their intolerance is the attitude that caused it, not ours. I am against immigration, against multiculturalism, against militant Islam and calling me part of the problem that led to mass murder is like calling DSK a great seducer. An outrageous lie.

Taki

Source Citation
Theodoracopulos, Taki. "High life." Spectator 6 Aug. 2011: 55. Gale Power Search. Web. 7 Sep. 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA263880768&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A263880768

The Old hand written Books

2011-09-02T10:50:00.002-04:00

The Old hand written Books, originally uploaded by pa'eezeh.

Writing Thank You Notes

2011-08-31T18:14:00.002-04:00

Writing Thank You Notes, originally uploaded by futurowoman.

Sure, a good pair of running shoes is the only equipment you really need. But anything that makes running easier, safer, more health-enhancing and more enjoyable is also a good idea.

So now, for the first time ever, we've collected hundreds of top-notch running products together in a complete Gear Guide for runners. Whether you're interested in big-ticket items like home gyms and stairclimbers, or smaller devices like chronographs and water carrying systems, you'll find them all here (except treadmills, which we'll review in a special article next month).

We suggest you save this guide for future references. Experience has shown that you can never tell when you'll be needing one of these products. It might not be today, but there are plenty of tomorrows in your running career.

Sports Watches

After shoes and clothing, the runner's next most important piece of equipment is the sports watch. These come in a range of functions: you can find anything from the simplest stopwatch to one that measures your blood pressure.

If all you ever want to know is how long you've been running, a running watch with a timer is all you need, but if you regularly do speedwork, you'll benefit from one that records and stores lap times.

Must-have features: Waterproofness, stopwatch, digital display

All-Sport Instalite by Armitron

This is a good basic chronograph with a stopwatch function for those who simply want to know how long they've been running. It has a night-vision display that allows you to read the time in the dark. $25. (800) 937-0050 (ask for Armitron).

BP 100 by Casio

If you're interested in quick and easy pulse and blood pressure measurement, you'll like the BP 1 00. You simply place your fingers on sensors on the watch, and your pulse and blood sure appear on the display. The BP 100 also has a stopwatch, which measures total time and split time. $169.95. (800) 962-2746.

100-Lap Ironman Triathlon by Timex

This watch offers so many features, it can just about substitute for a coach. It has an internal log that can store and recall 100 laps compiled over many training sessions. The log displays the session number, date, total time and your best and overage lap times and split times. In addition, you can program up to nine timed intervals with up to nine repetitions each. Also, the watch has a memo log for phone numbers and dates. It will hold up to 10 entries of 24 characters each. $54.9 5. (800) 367-8463.

Performance Series PSX005S by Pulsar

In addition to all the basics--stopwatch, water resistance, alarm--this watch counts up to 99 laps and can recall 30. It also has a countdown timer and a tachymeter for calculating average speed. $79.50. Available wherever Pulsar watches are sold.

Predator by FreeStyle

For serious speed training, the Predator gives 75 split times, and you can measure improvement equal-distance laps from day to day or week to week. This watch also features a countdown timer. It's so new we couldn't even get a sample to photograph. $49.95. (800) 776-6449.

Aqua Gear

One of the best ways to cross-train on your off days or stay fit when you're injured is to take your running to the pool. Pool running uses the same muscles and ranges of motion that road running does. The difference is, your body doesn't get pounded.

You don't need aqua gear to run in the pool, and you'll get a harder workout if you don't wear any. But when you want to go easy, or if you're so lean you sink like a rock no matter how hard you work to stay up in the water, use an aqua vest or belt.

Or shorts. Aqua gear comes in a variety of forms. Any of the flotation devices described here should offer you enough buoyancy. Pick what will be most comfortable for you.

Must-have features: Adequate flotation, comfortable fit

AquaJogger Pro by Excel Sports Science, Inc.

If you drop like a brick anytime you get into a pool, this buoyancy belt may be the one for you. It's thicker than the company's Classic model and provides 30 percent more flotation. $59.95. (800) 922-9544.

AquaTunners Footwear by Excel Sports Science, Inc.

"Running shoes" for the deep water, AquaRunners are worn along with an upper-body flotation device. They boost your buoyancy a little, but their primary purpose is to increase water resistance for a tougher workout. (800) 922-9544.

[H.sub.2]O Works Shorts by ERO Industries

In this piece of aqua gear, pads of EVA foam for flotation are sewn inside a purple waistband attached to neoprene shorts. Zippers on both sides of the shorts make them easy to put on and take off. $49.99-$59.99. (800) 323-5999.

Wet Vest II by Bioenergetics

True to its name, this flotation device fits like a vest over your whole torso. Because the buoyant maternal is spread over a wide area, the vest has a less bulky construction than other flotation devices and provides more stability in the water. Suggested retail price: $169.95. (800) 938-8378.

Gear Bags

Though they may look alike, all gear bags are not created equal. The most basic have just one compartment into which you dump everything--your running shoes, shorts, T-shirt, sunglasses, towel, soap, sports bars.... The best have several compartments or pockets so that you can organize your running gear and personal items for easy access.

Also, multiple compartments keep wet towels and sweaty gear separate from dry clothing so they don't all tumble together into one pile of smelly, soggy stuff. Mesh pockets on the outside of a bag are especially nice, as they allow you damp things to dry out

Must-have features: Multiple compartments, mesh pockets

Laguna by Mizuno

The Laguna has two mesh pockets, one at each end of the bag, and there are zip pockets inside and out. $50. (800) 966-1 234.

Mesh Gear Bag by TYR

If you want mesh, here it is. This is a full mesh bag with two nylon pouches on the front for personals. $27. (800) 252-7878.

Mesh Signature Duffle by Nike

A zippered mesh pocket covers one whole side of this gear bag. Inside, there's a special small pocket for personal items. $37.50. (800) 238-2775.

Mini Wet/Dry Gear Bag by Patagonia

This bag is split down the middle into two compartments: mesh on one side and nylon on the other. An interior zip pocket holds personal items. $62. (800) 638-6464.

Runner's Duffle by Asics

This bag has two outside mesh pockets, and a water-bottle holder on the front. Inside there's plenty of room for gear. $35. (714) 962-7654.

Signature-Team Duffle by Reebok

The Signature-Team Duffle has several compartments, including an interior expandable nylon pouch for wet clothes and a diagonal zippered pocket at one end shoes. $25. (800) 228-7867.

Training Duffle by Adidas

A large outer mesh pocket can hold all your wet clothes, and there's plenty of room inside for other gear. $59.99. (800) 448-1796.

Sports Cameras

Have you ever been running on a beautiful trail or in a new city and seen something that you wished you could photograph? Next time you're headed for a scenic run, take a camera with you.

Most manufacturers of photo equipment make "point-and-shoot" cameras. They're small, lightweight and fully automatic, and they take high-quality photos in a snap. Many are rugged and weatherproof, and some have zoom or panoramic features. Don't leave for your next run without one.

Must have features: Fully automatic mechanism, light weight easy operation

Infinity Mini by Olympus

Neither rain nor snow will harm the Infinity Mini. This weatherproof camera weighs only 6 1/2 ounces and takes high-quality photos. $1 80. (800) 221-3000.

IQZoom 90-WR by Pentax

At 15 1/2 ounces, the IQZoom is a little heavier than the other models reviewed here, but it's worth its weight in features. It has a zoom lens, a detachable remote control unit that operates both the zoom and the shutter, and a contour design for easy grip, and it's fully weatherproof. $402. (800) 255-0415.

Lite-Touch by Nikon

The lightest point-and-shoot around, this camera weighs in at only 5.5 ounces. It has a panorama mode for wide-view shots, and the quality of photographs you'll get with the Life-Touch is hard to beat. $1 64. (800) 645-6687.

Mermaid by Konica

Take the Mermaid on your next running/scuba vacation. It's completely waterproof for underwater photography and has a "sports finder" attachment for framing underwater shots. For wide-view shots, the lens switches easily from standard to panorama format. It weighs 12 1/8 ounces. $450. (800) 695-6642.

Mini Zoom by Leica

This supercompact camera has a zoom lens and weighs a mere 6 1/2 ounces. To try and catch those fleeting moments you encounter on the run, hold the shutter release down, and the camera will shoot continuously. $379. (800) 222-0118.

RW-1 by Ricoh

The RW-1 is weather resistant and offers a panorama mode. A databack, which imprints date and time and shows the number of pictures taken, is optional. The camera weighs 9 1/5 ounces with the databack and 8 4/5s without. $129. (800) 225-1899.

Sure Shot A1 Date by Canon

This waterproof camera will survive underwater depths of about 16 feet--in case you happen to fall in a lake or something. Two layers of glass on the lens ensure that it won't fog up. The Sure Shot weighs 11 1/5 ounces. $345. (800) 828-4040.

Weathermatic Dual 35 by Minolta

This camera is also waterproof to 16 feet. It weighs 14 1/8 ounces, and its lens changes from standard to telephoto. $320. (201) 825-4000.

Carbohydrate-Loading Drinks

Not to be confused with fluid-replacement drinks, carbo-loading drinks have a much higher concentration of carbohydrates: approximately 100 grams per serving, versus 30 grams for beverages such as Gatorade or AllSport. Most of the carbohydrates come from glucose polymer (a complex carbohydrate), and a small amount comes from fructose.

Drink these carbo-loads before a workout or race to store up carbohydrates and glycogen, and take them afterward to replace spent energy stores and speed recovery. Carbo-loading drinks are good for those runners who have difficulty with solid food before or after a long run or race. As with other food products and beverages, you need to try several brand to find what tastes best and work best for you.

Must-have features: High carbohydrate concentration, easily digestible formula, good flavor

Carb-BOOM by TriBro

Not quite liquid, Carb-BOOM is a fruit-puree base blended with a concentrated complex carbohydrate solution. One serving (4.93 ounces) provides 78 grams of carbohydrates. $7.95 per six-pack. (800) 554-2791.

GatorLode by Gatorade

GatorLode gives you 70 grams of carbohydrates (280 calories) per 12-ounce serving. $23.90 for of 24 cans. (800) 884-2867.

Ultra Fuel by Twin Laboratories, Inc.

In addition to supplying 100 grams (400 calories) of carbohydrates in each 16-ounce serving, Ultra Fuel provides 100 percent of the RDA for vitamin C and several B vitamins. Other nutrients include chromium, potassium and magnesium. Only available through GNC stores and Nature Food Centres. For more information about Ultra Fuel, write: Twin Laboratories, Inc., Ronkonkoma, NY 11779.

Water-Carrying Systems

During an hour of running, you can easily lose more than 2 quarts of water through sweat If you don't replace water as you sweat, your blood thickens, forcing your heart to work harder, transport of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles slows, and your performance suffers. If you become overly dehydrated, you may become weak, dizzy, nauseated or worse. The message is clear: Drink during your run.

Unless you know a route that takes you fountains at regular intervals, you'll need to can ids with you. Fortunately, several manufacture have recognized this need and have designed carriers for easy transport of fluids. There is a range of water-carrying systems to choose from, depending on whether you're out for a long training run or crisscrossing the Grand Canyon

Look for the lightest, simplest carrier what will meet your fluid needs. Make sure it's comfortable and won't bounce around as you run.

Must-have features: Comfortable, snug fit; easy access to beverages

Go-Be by Camelbak

The Go-Be wraps securely around your hips and holds up to 50 ounces of fluid in an insulated pouch. You drink through a plastic tube that extends from the pouch around your waist or over your shoulder, so there's no fussing with water bottles. Side pockets hold extra items. $63.95. (800) 767-8725.

[H.sub.2]O Rapido by Outdoor Products

The Rapido waistbelt carries one 21-ounce bottle in an insulated pouch. It has two side mesh pockets with zippered closures. $20. For a dealer listing, write to: Customer Service, The Outdoor Recreation Group, 1919 Vineburn Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90032.

Liquid Solo Belt and Liquid II Storage Pack by OGIO International

The Liquid Solo Belt carries a 21-ounce bottle in a foam-insulated pouch and has two zippered pockets. For trail runs, take along the Liquid II Storage Pack, which holds two 21-ounce bottles and has more room for carrying gear. Solo Belt, $20; Storage Pack, $50. (800) 922-1944.

Sierra and Stansport by Winter Creek

The Sierra has four pouches along its belt, each holds a contoured, 16-ounce bottle. A fifth pouch stores small items. The Stansport is designed more like a fanny pack. It carries two 21-ounce bottles and has a roomy compartment for carrying additional items. The Sierra uses a Velcro closure, and the Stansport a quick-release buckle. Sierra, $58; Stansport, $47.99. (714) 536-1522.

Solo, Extender and Nimbus by Ultimate Direction

All three of these carrying systems fit securely and comfortably, have insulated holders to keep beverages cool and feature zippered pockets for holding other items. The Solo carries one 22-ounce bottle and is great for long training runs. Trail runners might prefer the Extender, which holds two 22-ounce bottles and has extra space for food and other items. If you're planning an extended excursion, you'll want the Nimbus, which carries 82 ounces of fluid and 12 to 14 pounds of gear. Solo, $24; Extender, $70; Nimbus, $100. (800) 426-7229.

Energy Gels

When it comes to long runs and marathons, you'll perform best if you refuel along the way. Energy bars supply a lot of carbohydrates, but the fiber, protein and fat they contain slows digestion. Energy gels contain only carbohydrates and are more easily digested.

They come in 1-ounce plastic or foil packets that fit in the palm of your hand. Each packet provides 70 to 100 calories from carbohydrates with small amounts of electrolytes. You simply tear off the top, squeeze the gel into your mouth and swallow. Follow with water. Currently, there are four energy gels on the market. Try them all to find what works best for you.

Manufacturers recommend that you eat one packet every 30 minutes of your run or race. Of course, before using one of these gels during a race, test it out in training.

Must-have features: Easily digestible formula, easy-open package, good flavor

GU by Sports Street Marketing

In addition to its carbohydrates, GU contains tiny amounts of calcium, herbal extracts, beta-carotene and vitamins C and E. It also has a slight amount of caffeine--equivalent to 1/5 cup of coffee. GU comes in chocolate, vanilla and orange (vanilla reportedly tastes best). The bottle-shaped packaging makes it easy to use on the run. $1.25 per packet. (800) 400-1995.

Pocket Rocket by Sports Pep

Pocket Rocket comes in lemon-lime and chocolate--go with the chocolate, say taste-testers. $1 per packet, $1 4.95 for a box of 12. (800) 833-8737.

ReLode by Gatorade

ReLode is more syrupy in texture than the other gels. The banana flavor is reported to be pretty yummy. Other flavors are grape and "unflavored," which tastes like vanilla. $1 per packet, $9.99 for a box of 10. (800) 884-2867.

Squeezy by Perfect Performance USA

Squeezy comes in lemon-lime, peach, pineapple, vanilla, strawberry and banana. The lemon-lime, strawberry and banana taste best. $1 per packet, $10 for a box of 10. (800) 853-7746.

Heart-Rate Monitors

You've read those training stories that tell you to do your easy runs at 65 percent of maximum heart rate, tempo at 85 percent and speedwork at 95 percent. Great, but how do you know when your heart is beating at the proper percentage? It's easy with a heart-rate monitor.

Some heart-rate monitors use sensors that attach to the ear, and others pick up signals from your hand, but the chest-band type works best under a variety of conditions. Heart-rate monitors work on the same principle as hospital EKG equipment. Sensors in the chest band pick up signals from your heart and then send the data to the receiver on your wrist where you can read your heart rate as clearly as the time on your running watch.

The simplest monitors display only your heart rate, but others will tell you the time of day, give you elapsed running time, alert you to when you are over or under your target zone and more. Most are waterproof and highly accurate. One thing to keep in mind regarding wireless heart monitors: because they use radio-type signals, they may be affected when you are near electrical equipment (such a treadmills and stairclimbers) that can interfere with those signals.

Must-have features: Wireless construction with chest strap and wrist-band receiver (all models below are this type); easy-to-read display; simple operation

CardioChamp by Sensor Dynamics

If it's simplicity you're after, the CardioChamp is the monitor for you. It gives you heart rate only, it's a cinch to use, and its display is very easy to read. $89.95. (800) 764-4327.

Heartsafe-T by Cardiosport

This monitor displays heart rate, time of day and elapsed time and can record up to 30 sample heart rates at set intervals of 5, 15, 60 and 120 seconds. An alarm indicates when you are above or below your target zone. $129. (800) 494-4320.

Protrainer by Polar

The Protrainer, one of several excellent models from Polar, can display heart rate, lap time, elapsed running time and time of day. It has alarms that signal when you are above or below your target zone; calculates time spent above, below and within your zone; and records your average heart rate for total exercise time. $219. (800) 227-1314.

Insoles

Some insoles, such as the Cross Trainer by Superfeet, provide extra stability for your feet as you run, but most simply add an extra layer of shock absorption to your shoes.

Heel inserts or cups may provide just the adjustment some runners need in their shoes to end heel pain, Achilles tendon pain or even lower-back pain. However, insoles are not orthotics, so if you think you may have a biomechanical problem of any sort see a podiatrist

Must-have features: Comfort cushioning, breathability

Cross Trainer and Heel Cups by Spenco

Not just for cross-training shoes, the Spenco Cross Trainer has forefoot and heel-strike cushioning to protect the whole foot. Spenco's Heel Cups provide extra stability in the heel and have a neoprene heel drop for good shock absorption. Insole, $1 7.50; Heel Cups, $8.40. (800) 877-3626.

Cross Trainer Low by Superfeet Inshoe Systems

Designed to provide some stability as well as shock absorption, these insoles are semirigid. They're made from full-length foam with a 3/4-length polypropylene stabilizer cap. Superfeet has developed a Trim to Fit technology that allows you to tailor the insole to your shoe. $27.95. (800) 634-6618.

Sof Sole Insoles by Implus

The foam used to make these insoles has an open-cell structure, which allows air to move freely and moisture to evaporate for cool, dry feet. In addition to the full-foot insole--the Sof Runn Plus--Implus makes a heel pad for runners, as well as a gel pad that fits under the heel and may be a solution for those who experience lower-back pain or heel pain when they run. Sof Runn Plus, $1 5.99; Sof Sole Heel Pad, $3.99; Sof Sole Gel Heel Pad, $6.99. (800) 446-7587.

Ultra Performance Air Pro by Kiwi Performance Group

Designed to keep your feet dry and cool, this insole features a DynaPump system that pushes air through channels on the underside of the insole from the heel forward and then up to the foot through more than 100 perforations. In addition, the fabric on the top of the Air Pro wicks moisture away from your skin. $14.95. (800) 289-5494.

Ultra Sole Runner/ Walker by Spectrum Sports

Sorbothane is one of the oldest and best-known insole materials, and it's the basis of the products made by Spectrum Sports. The manufacturers ore so confident of their insoles they offer a moneyback guarantee with every product. Full-foot insole, $18.95; heel cups, $10.95. (800) 321-4145.

Reflective and Safety Gear

If you're like most runners, you make time for your run when you can, even if that means after the sun sets or before it rises in the morning. On those days when you have to head out into darkness, be sure to don some reflective gear or take along a safety light. There are several safety products available now, from the standard reflective vest to clip-on lights.

Must-have features: Reflective material or some source of fortable fit; ease of use

Jogalite Reflective Vests and Wallet by Jogalite

Just slip on one of these lightweight, easy-to-use vests and attach the straps at the front to Velcro strips. Reflective stripes across the vest let drivers know you're coming. Available in several styles and colors. $6.50 to $8, depending on model. A reflective wrist wallet is $3.25. (800) 258-8974.

Lightning Belt by Austin Innovations

Weighing around 6 ounces, this belt adjusts comfortably and snugly around your waist. It contains a light ship powered by a 9-volt battery. The green glow of the Lightning Belt is visible from 5,000 feet away. $24.95. (800) 966-2275.

OGIO Safety Light by OGIO International

This 1-ounce light attaches with a belt clip or an arm band (included). It can be seen from over a half-mile away and provides more than 160 hours of light. It's weatherproof and durable. $8. (800) 922-1 944.

Tetra-Glo Reflective Gloves by Polygenex International

Be seen day and night with Tetra-Glo reflective gloves by Polygenex. The fluorescent orange color can't be missed during the daylight hours, and reflective yarn woven into stripes makes the gloves visible in the dark from over 350 feet away. $12.95. (800) 380-0071.

Zeonz by Barker Technologies

Some running shoes have reflective stripes on them, but if you really want to be seen, consider the Zeonz. This 6-inch neon tube clips to your running shoe. At the flick of a switch, the light beams a bright red. It comes with batteries that last 80 to 100 hours. $20 for a pack of two. (618) 462-3527.

Sport Sandals

Ah, rebel That's what your tired feet will feel when you step into a pair of sport sandals after a hard run or a race. Sport sandals let your feet recuperate on a comfortable, anatomically correct footbed. And, of course, sandals protect you from all kinds of nasty stuff--from broken glass and sharp stones to locker-room bacteria.

When you consider a sport sandal, comfort, fit and stability should be your first concerns. Also think about where and for what activity you'll be wearing them--the house, yard, pool, beach or trail, for wading, hiking, even running--as recommended use varies by product

Must-have features: A footbed perimeter slightly larger than your foot's dimensions (an oversized footbed lets the foot settle comfortably and securely into the shoe and allows room for socks); a strap and closure system that's adjustable for a customized fit and made of durable fastening materials

Air River Guide by Nike

The superior control you get from the advanced "wet" traction outsole pattern is a river rat's delight. Easy-to-adjust, double-layer straps provide reinforcement and a custom fit. $75. (800) 352-6453.

Amazone Ultra by Reebok

The lugged outsoles of these sandals grip the ground with authority, and full-grain leather hook-and-loop straps will keep your sandals securely in place on land or in water. $59.99. (800) 843-4444.

Gel Sport Sandal by Asics

The padded, double-layer closure system delivers a secure fit and comfort that will keep you walking. Constructed with Asics's high-quality Gel insole. $40. (714) 962-7654.

Gulf by American Sporting Goods OP Sandals

Life's a perpetual beach when you strap on the fully adjustable Gulf. The sturdy, ridged outsole lets you comfortably and securely negotiate the steepest dune or deepest creek. $34.95. (800) 848-8698.

M'Bogo by Avia

Durable, gripping and stable, this sandal is made for aggressive outdoor use on land or in water. Adjustable mid- and forefoot strops customize fit, and the footbed's raised diamond texture eliminates slippage. $50. (800) 345-2842.

Milano by Birkenstock

Milano's "ergonomic" design lets your foot rest on an anatomically accurate contoured footbed. The shock-absorbing cork insole supports arches, and top-quality leather uppers will last for miles and miles. $89.95. (800) 597-3338.

Molokai by Merrell

A state-of-the-art closure system and an extra-supportive midsole invite you to hammer, trash and generally abuse these shoes in the great outdoors. Secure fitting features prevent "sandal flop." $70. (800) 869-3348.

Mundaka by Roof Brazil

Tired feet will rest easy on the Mundaka's soft-cushion EVA/neoprene footbed. The leather upper with quick-release buckle is easy to open and close. $64.95. (800) 423-6855.

Na-Pali by Adidas

An easy-to-use, lace-and-toggle closure system keeps you snug and secure for any outdoor venture. The rubber outsole with lug traction pattern gives you a safe foothold on soil or sand. $50. (800) 448-1796.

Shaka Whitewater by B-West

These imports from Africa were designed by the Zulus for use in rugged outback conditions. Fully adjustable ankle, arch and forefoot straps ensure comfort and custom fit. $59.95. (800) 293-7855.

Terra-Fi by Teva

Teva brought flip-flops out of the five-and-dime-store age in 1983 by adding heel straps to hold the feet in place. Now the company has cut channels in the topsole of the Terra-Fi to drain water and increase ventilation. $70. (800) 433-2537.

Topozoic Sandal Plus by Timberland

The gripping lug rubber outsole of this sandal is in a zone of its own in providing walking security on uneven topography. The strap system with Velcro fastener is fully adjustable. $85. (800) 445-5545.

Whitewater by Hi-Tec

Well-constructed yet lightweight, this sandal provides a cushioned, stable ride in both wet and dry conditions. Suede uppers with Velcro closures wick moisture away. $39.99. (800) 521-1698; (800) 558-8580 in California.

Snowshoes

Runners looking to stay fit when there's snow on the ground are finding great cardiovascular and aesthetic satisfaction in snowshoeing. Anybody who can walk--or run--can master basic shoeing in minutes. Stamp out the old image that snowshoes are big, clunky, rough-hewn things worn by grizzly mountaineers trapping for their next meal. Today's high-performance, metal-frame shoes are light fast and stable. Just strap yourself in and go.

When deciding what snowshoe is best for you, consider whether you'll be walking, running or racing in them and what conditions and terrain you're likely to encounter. For running or racing, you'll want smaller, narrower, lighter shoes than you might use for walking.

Must-have features: A cleated traction device on the bottom of the shoe for secure stepping over a wide range of conditions, especially steep climbs and ice; a solid decking for better flotation, resistance to tear and elimination of ice or snow buildup; custom-fitting, supportive bindings with the flexibility to accommodate running shoes

Redtail by Redfeather

A solid training snowshoe for runners under 160 pounds, the Redtail is light yet strong. Steel talons on the front and rear provide excellent traction in soft snow and ice. Drifts on the trail won't slow your progress, thanks to this shoe's upturned forward "shovel." $219-$244. (800) 525-0081.

10-K by Tubbs

If snowshoe racing is your thing, take a look at the 10-K. This asymmetrically shaped shoe provides superior balance and control. Light and efficient, the 10-K comes with toe and heel crampons that will steady your ride and let you air it out over packed race courses and trails. $210-$249. (800) 882-2748.

1022 by Atlas

Efficient in both the back country and the backyard, the 1022 is a small snowshoe that works well in tracked a untracked snow. Its spring-loaded binding lets you stride without drug, and its dual-cleat cleat system gives you great traction without weighing you down. $229. (800) 645-7463.

Rehabilitation & Injury Prevention

Those nagging running injuries. We've all had them, and we've all sworn to take better care of ourselves the next time. Well, now is the time to finally keep those promises. Whether you're plagued by shinsplints, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis or even back pain, we've found a handful of rehab devices to help you prevent those annoying aches and pains.

Stretching Devices

Lower-leg injuries can put you on the injury list for weeks. To prevent long-term pain, you need to stretch and strengthen these important muscles regularly. Here are two devices that can help.

Flex-Wedge by Flex-Wedge

By stretching with this incline device, you can increase the mobility of your feet,, legs and lower back, which decreases your risk of shinsplints and many other lower-leg injuries. The Flex-wedge has an incline board that con be set to any one of four angles depending on your range of motion. An illustrated manual describes 12 exercises. $39. (800) 477-7466.

Step Stretch by Prism Technologies

With this rolling device, you place your foot on the flat platform and slowly rock back onto your heel until you feel tension in your muscles. The Step Stretch exercises your plantar fasciae, Achilles, calves, shins and hamstrings. An instruction manual is provided. $29.99. (800) 432-8722.

Ice Packs

What's the answer every time you ask what to do about a running injury? "Ice it" Every runner should have an ice pack in the freezer, and the pack shown here is top of the line.

Thera P Gel Pak by Norsk

Even when frozen, this pack remains flexible and conforms to the contours of your body. Velcro straps keep it in place so you can do other things while you're icing your injury. It can also be heated in the microwave when you need to soothe and loosen fight, achy muscles. Thera P Gel Paks are available in different sizes and designs for treating knees, ankles, thighs, elbows and other areas. $14.99 to $34.99. (800) 667-7510.

Back Supports

If you experience lower-back pain, you probably need to do some strength training. Strong hamstrings, abdominal muscles, obliques and lower-back muscles all help support the lumbar region. But while you're getting in shape, you can get some support and pain relief from a back wrap.

BackThing Back Support by Sportstech

Wrap your lower torso with this support, and your back will thank you. Made with a high-density, closed-cell latex foam pad that conforms to the curve of your spine, the BackThing provides good support, won't fide up while you work out and is flexible and comfortable. It increases circulation in the muscles of the lower back, keeping them warm and promoting healing. $69.95. (800) 279-7123.

Lower-Leg Supports

Injuries happen. Stretching and strengthening, ice and rest help you recover and can help prevent injuries from happening again, but sometimes you need a little extra support the following devices will provide it. They help to absorb shock, reduce the stress that running puts on your muscle relieve pain by applying compression and warmth and stabilize weak ankles and knees.

Cheetah Ankle Brace and Ankle Support with Hool Cups by Muellor

If you're prone to ankle sprains and injuries, slip on a Cheetah Ankle Brace. It can also help relieve shinsplints and pain in your heels, ankles, knees and Achilles tendons. Use the Cheetah Ankle Support when less support and stability are needed. A key feature of these products is the built-in Tuli's Heel Cup, which is very effective in absorbing shock. Brace, $29.95; Support, $19.95. (800) 356-9522.

Cho-Pat Sports Straps by Cho-Pat

If you're suffering from knee pain due to patellar tendinitis, the Counter Force Knee Wrap helps alleviate that pain and stabilizes the kneecap while allowing full mobility. The Cho-Pat Achilles Tendon Strap helps reduce the pain of Achilles tendinitis. It also promotes early heel rise for an easier push-off during running, thus lowering the stress on the Achilles. Both wraps are made from neoprene fabric and have Velcro fasteners. Knee Wrap, $23.95; Achilles Tendon Strap, $18.50. (800) 221-1601.

Count'R Force Arch Brace and Shin'aid by Medical Sports

If plantar fascritis plagues you, then the Coun'R Force Arch Brace could be your ticket to happier running. Two strops hold the once up gainst your arch. The curved design provides a wide surface of support. For shinsplints, try the Shin'aid, which can also help relieve calf injuries. Arch Brace, $15.45; Shin'aid, $22.95. (800) 783-2240.

Hyperflex Bionic Knee and Ankle Brace by Seirus

Bothered by weak knees or ankles? Try the Hyperflex Bionic Knee Bruce or Ankle Brace by Seirus. Both wraps are made of breathable neoprene, which provides maximum support and allows moisture to evaporate. The Bionic Knee uses Lycra behind the knee to provide support without bunching up or inhibiting knee-flex as neoprene would. Bionic Knee, $34.99; Ankle Brace, $7.99. (800) 447-3787.

Kneed-It and Kallassy Ankle Support by One-up Health & Sport

The Kneecht knee guard absorbs shock at the knee and relieves minor pain by applying compression and warmth to the soft tissues in front of the knee. If you're weak in the ankles, the Kallassy Ankle Support will prevent your ankle from turning or rolling over as you run. Kneed-It, $29.95; Kallassy Ankle Support, $35. (800) 997-6789.

Lastrap by Coopercare

Lastrop supports have bio-engineered Thermovibe pods, which absorb shock, lessen vibrations and retain body heat for increased blood circulation. Whether your pain is in your knee or your shin, the Lastrap can provide relief. $29. (416) 741-9675 (ask for Coopercare).

Pronation/Spring Control (PSC) and U-Wraps by Fabrifoom Products

The PSC support/control device, which wraps around the foot and ankle, boasts the holding properties of a tape wrap, the alignment effect of an orthotic and the lifting function of an arch support-all in one. The PSC is recommended for the prevention and treatment of shinsplints, plantur fascilitis, heel spurs, stress fractures of the foot and other foot and ankle injuries. U-Wraps are breathable, reusable Velcro wraps that provide support for the wrisst, ankle and knee and help relieve tendinitis of these joints. PSC, $29.95; U-Wraps, $8-$20. (800) 577-1077. Indoor exercise machines might seem about as inviting as jury duty, but they do have their place. They can help preserve fitness during injury-related layoffs from running, because most are low or nonimpact. They can target muscle groups not effectively taxed by running. They can provide a reprieve from running in less-than-friendly weather And they can offer variety, even if it's the negative kind (nothing like staring into the dashboard of a stationary bike for what seems like an eternity to make you want to hit the roads all the more). That said, here's what's out there--or, rather, in there. As a rule of thumb with all exercise devices, put function and construction ahead of frugality. Unless it works the right muscles and does so in a smooth and stable fashion, chances are an inexpensive machine is only going to exercise your ire.

Rowing Machines

Races are not won by legs alone. Upper-body strength is needed for maintaining the most efficient running form, especially as fatigue begins to set in, and that's where rowing makes a good adjunct to your running. Rowing works the arms, shoulders, chest abdominals, buttocks and back.

Even the legs get a good workout as an estimated 75 percent of the force generated by a proper rowing stroke comes from down under. Moreover, because this force is nonimpact, workouts on a rowing machine can be a good way to keep the quads, and to a lesser degree the hamstrings, in shape while you're on the mend from an impact-related injury. Let your comfort be your guide when using a rower, however. if the action in any way aggravates an injury, head for shore.

Rowers come in two basic types: flywheel and hydraulic. The flywheel design most closely replicates the feel of rowing on water. All the models described here are flywheel types, and all also have monitoring systems that show elapsed time, number of strokes and calories burned.

Must-have features: A comfortable seat and a good, smooth action (if the machine's seat doesn't slide smoothly or its rowing action feels inconsistent or clunky, you won't enjoy using it and it probably won't last)

Aerow Pro 971 by Ross Fitness

The Aerow Pro's onboard computer allows you to choose a preset workout or program your own. An ergonomically designed seat and padded pull-handle provide a comfortable fide. Guaranteed for the lie of its original owner, the Aerow Pro is certainly no toy. $999. (800) 338-7677.

Concept II Model C by Concept II

The third generation of Concept II rowers, Model C offers quieter operation, collapssibility for earlier storage and a redesigned seat With this rower, you can set up to four different kinds of workouts, and an optional interface enables you to monitor your heart rate. But perhaps best of all about the Concept II is the competition it invites you to join. Called the C.R.A.S.H.-B Sprints indoor Roxong Championships, the tournament allows you to pit your rowing prowess against that of thousands of competitors taking part in over 80 races held nationwide. Ordered from the factory: $725. (800) 245-5676.

R740 ECB Rower by Tunturi

At 119 pounds compared to 61 and 97 pounds respectively for the Concept 11 and Ross rowers, the Tunturi is more difficuff to tote around. However, this rower is stable and quiet to use ond has a comfortable, onatomically designed seat. The magnetic resistance design of the flywheel allows you to set stroke resistance at numerous levels. $1,099. (800) 827-8717.

Stationary Bikes

Stationary bikes were the first, and in many ways still are one of the best ergometers for runners, especially when ridden in a standing position, which studies show comes closer to the action of running than any other indoor exercise (except treadmill work). When shopping for a bike, stick to those that allow you to adjust pedal resistance so you can simulate hill training.

Also, keep in mind that models that provide pedal resistance by way of a flywheel or belt drive generally are more durable than those that derive their resistance from mechanical friction. And if you're intending to monitor your workouts in terms of miles covered or calories burned, opt for a bike capable of making such calculations. All the bikes presented here have monitoring systems.

Must-have features: A comfortable seat, smooth pedal action and basic structural integrity (if the unit wobbles or feels generally flimsy, it's probably going to find a home in your garage)

Airdyne by Schwinn

A "bike" that works your upper body, too, the Airdyne has handlebars that move in tandem with the pedals and give your arms and shoulders a great workout as you ride. With the Airdyne, resistance is created by a flywheel with numerous air-grabbing fins. $499.95 to $799.95, depending on the model. (303) 545-1 725.

F510 Executive Recumbent Cycle by Tunturi

If you're having a bout of back trouble, a recumbent bike is the way to ride. The body position you take on a recumbent, plus the back support and seat, minimize stress to the lower back, whereas the posture required on an upright bike or a stairclimber may aggravate any problems. Recumbents exercise the some muscles as upright bikes, but because the contractions occur in different areas of the muscles, recumbents give the abdomen, inner thighs, hamstrings and calves a better workout than other areas. The unit's monitor displays standard workout information. $449. (800) 827-8717.

Futura EZ 947 by Ross Fitness

Another flywheel and duabaction bike like the Airdyne, the Futura EZ 947 differs from the Aire models in that it allows you to work the upper and lower body either together or separately. Also, pedal straps enable you to pull on the pedals (good for the hamstrings) as well as push on them (good for the quads). The Futura's electronic monitor uses an ear-mounted sensor to measure heart rate. $525. (800) 338-7677.

HOMCycle by Universal Gym Equipment

Belt-driven but quiet and smooth, the HOM-Cycle is a rugged, no-nonsense ergometer. It offers three options for training by target

Lifecycle 3500 by Life Fitness

Want to combat the boredom of cycling to nowhere by playing a litfle Nintendo, Speed Racer or Pac Man? Then hop aboard an LC 3500. The unit's LED display screen interfaces with some pretty entertaining software (the Life Fitness Exertainment system), not to mention some no-nonsense fitness programs to moisten your brow. Cycle at a moderate 65 percent of your maximum heart rate, or a cardia-training regimen at a more demanding 85 percent. You can even watch TV on the bike's ample console. $999 for the lifecycle plus Exertainment system. (800) 877-3867.

MS.2E/L Personal Cycle Trainer by Precor

No belts or even wind-ressisting flywheels her--just a precission-balanced aluminum disk spinning freely between variable magnetic fields. As the magnetic force increases, so does resistance, totally without friction, so durability is this units middle nome. The bike's display panel features a host of preprogrammed as well as programmoble workouts, fitness tests, a weightloss program, plus elapsed time, RPM's, heart rate and colories burned. $1,300-$1,850. (800) 477-3267.

Wavecycle 502 by Dicor

Here's a novel and durable approach to the standard stationary bike-using water to provide pedal resistance. Difficult to wear out for sure. The patented technology uses H2O for a smooth and friction-free pedal ressistance, which can be adjusted even while the unit is in use. Resistance also increases with pedaling speed, giving even greater variety in intensifies. The computerized dashboard shows heart rate (via a sensor worn on the ear) in addition to the usual data. $399. (800) 985-8999.

Strength-Training Machines

Wait a minute--you're trying to run faster, not kick sand in anyone's face.

Chill. Strength can be a good way to do it Strength-building exercises recruit primarily fast-twitch muscle fibers. Research shows that strength-building workouts can be a valuable complement to speedwork Arm, shoulder and torso exercises also can build the upper-body power needed for faster times.

In selecting a strength-building machine, look for one capable of giving a full-body workout. Put a priority on basic structural integrity as well as smoothness of operation. And if time is important to you, be sure the adjustments needed to implement the machine's different exercises do not require a workout in themselves to employ.

Must-have features: Apparatus for a full-body workout, with exercises for the legs, arms, shoulders and back

Bowflex 210 Pro by Bowflex

The Bowflex supplies resistance isotonically (force must be generated not only to perform a lift, but also to return to the lift's starting point) via a unique system of flexible `power rods' attached to pulleys. This allows a freedom of movement not possible with many similar units, as well as an impressive variety of exercisesin 64 all. The unit is relatively light in weight and even collapsible enough to be stored in a closet when not in use. $999. (800) 269-3539.

Complete PersonalCircuit Multi-Station Gym by Nautilus

Employing the patented Nautilus cam--a device that allows smooth movement through the entire range of motion of exercise--this large unit offers 12 exercises (eight for the upper body and four for the lower). As many as three people con work out at the some time. Resistance is supplied tonically, and changing exercises takes only 5 seconds. $5,985. (800) 628-8458.

Direct Drive 200 by Cybox

"Direct Drive" refers to this unit's more-efficient-than-most cable system, which attaches to weights hidden inside the machine's center column and allows an immediate application of resistance. Exercises for all major muscle groups are possible, and in one of the smallest spaces for a multistation machine of this type--just 49 square feet. $3,595. (800) 926-4704.

Multi-function 880 by Hoist

"The simpler the better" is the main theme of this machine. The other is saving space: it requires only 13.5 square feet of floor space, yet offers 1 5 exercises that work all major muscle groups. Pulleys attached to cost-iron weights (up to 200 pounds) provide the machine's mode of actioh, and all seated exercises are possible without cable changes from just one position--a plus for exercisers in a hurry. $2,395. (800) 548-5438; (800) 541-5438 in Calgornic.

NordicFlex Gold by NordicTrack

With a patented resistance system that adjusts automatically to the amount of force you generate against it, this unique unit from Nordictrack requires no changing of weights or cables between exercises--just the position of your body. Over 30 exercises for all major muscle groups are possible, and a Power Meter measures the number of repetitions and pounds of force generated by each lift. $799.95. (800) 445-2360.

On-Line 1800 by Vectra

This rugged unit offers 29 exercises for 11 major muscle groups. It employs pulleys attached to weights (all the way up to 305 pounds' worth) and uses a cam system to ensure that resistance remains consistent through the entire range of motion each exercise requires. The unit also boasts a unique, space-saving design that allows it to be set up in a corner of a room, as opposed to the center--a limitation of most similar multistation machines. Only 65 square feet of floor space is required. $3,995. (800) 283-2872.

Pacific 2000 by Pacific Fitness

Your own body weight provides the resistance with this clever design, and yet an impressive 25 exercises are posssible for targeting all major muscles, abdominals included. Resistance levels (adjustable from 3 pounds to 129 pounds of user's body weight) are changeable without leaving the machine's seat, and the unit is a space saver, taking up only 16 square feet. $1,049. (800) 722-3482.

Persona Fitness Trainer 1000 by Paramount

The PFT 1000 features biomechanically correct positions for all of the most popular strengtl/building exercises. It uses a smoothly operating pulley system that hoists plates of cast iron. No cable changes are required during exercises, and weight selections are made extra safe via a custom-designed selector pin. The units leg-press station is optional. $2,895. (800) 721-2121.

Pro Form Cross Trainer by Icon

Versatility is the claim to fame of this multifaceted unit--an upper- and lower-body strength trainer plus an aerobic stairclimber all in one. Resistance is supplied electronically and in easily adjustable, 1-increments (all the way up to 250 pounds). Over 30 upper- and lower-body exercises are possible, two people can work out simultoneously, and the stepping machine features variable resistance as well as an electronic display of elapsed fime, distance covered, cadence and calories burned. $799. (800) 727-9777.

TriFlex by the DTX Corporation

Hydraulic cylinders provide the resistance (up to 500 pounds) in this versafile yet compact unit. The device is very user-friendly, as resistance adjusts automafically to the amount of force generated, and only changes in body position are needed to perform most of the machine's 40 exercises. $795. (800) 600-3050.

Stairclimbers

A relatively recent addition to the ergometer family, stair-climbers, like stationary bikes, can be a great low-impact way to keep the legs and cardiovascular system strong while nursing a stress-related injury. Steppers work primarily the quads, hamstrings and buttocks. (Stairclimbers generally are not effective at improving leg speed, however, so be forewarned if speed more than endurance is your training goal.)

In shopping for a stepper, expect, as with ergometers in general, to get what you pay for. what you may save in money, you'll pay for in durability and pleasure of use.

Must-have features: Variable resistance, an electronic readout showing energy expenditure, a handlebar design that's comfortable for you (if you find yourself leaning too far forward, you'll be putting undue strain on your back) and "good feel" (that is, smooth pedal motion)

Aerstep Pro 986 by Ross Fitness

The patented step-drive system of this machine uses air resistance, so that as you increase your effort, the resistance of the machine increases. Computer-controlled magnetic tension also allows you to program the base resistance level to change at certain points throughout the workout. The Aerstep includes six preset programs, or you can design your own. Time, distance, calories burned, step rate and heart rate are all displayed on the monitor. $999. (800) 338-7677.

Dynastep 759 and 859 by Dicor Fitness

Both of these steppers have independent stepping action, variable magnetic resistance, four hill programs, a manual setting and a display that features step rate and calories burned. The 759 allows you to program a target heart rate, and if that heart rate is exceeded, the stepper resets to its easiest setting to let you know you've exceeded your upper range. The 859 has a heart-rate control computer, which automotically adjusts the machine's resistance to maintain proper heart rate. 759, $899; 859, $1,050. (800) 985-8999.

4000 PT by StairMaster

Known for its "great feel," the 4000 features a patented design that provides a nearly constant spied during the entire downward motion of the pedal. This stairclimber uses an independent stepping action, so a stronger leg can't overcompensate for a weaker leg or force the weaker leg through a posssibly injurious movement or range. The monitor displays time elapsed, step rate, course and calories burned. 2,195. (800) 635-2936.

5500 by Life Fitness

This self-powered stepper has five workout programs, including a Heart Rate Zone Training program that adjusts pedal resistance automotically, based on your heart rate and stepping pace. It offers two stepping actions: independent, in which the pedols move separately from one another and you control the height of each, and dependent, in which the pedals are linked together. The monitor displays heart rate, elapsed time, colories burned, stepping rate and terrain. $999. (800) 877-3867.

M7.2E/L Personal Climber Trainer by Precor

This stepper has some of the most sophisticated fitness software around. Its computer con store information about weight, preferred work level and best performances for up to four people. The M7.2E/L offers several preprogrammed courses, or you can create your own. A fitness test measures your heart-rate response to different levels of exercise, and this stepper includes a weightloss program based on research from the Cooper Clinic, that will help you burn the most calories during a 30-minute workout. The monitor displays course, work level, time, elevation, steps per minute, calories, heart rate and your fitness score. Wheels make this stairclimber easy to move. $1,400. (800) 477-3267.

Professional 330 by Schwinn

Rugged enough to withstand commercial use, the 330 boosts friction-free electromagnetic stance, self-leveling footheds, independent leg action and multiposition handlebars for optimally comfortable stepping posture. The device also offers 16 levels of resistance, five preset workouts and digital readouts of elapsed time, steps per minute, distance covered and calories burned. $1,299.95. (303) 545-1725.

Quantum by Monark Bodyguard Fitness Corp.

Smooth, sturdy and virtually silent, thanks to new noise-reduction technology, the Quantum has three exercise modes: novice, intermediate and expert. It offers several programs, including heart-rate control and race programs, or you can manually set your own. The computer monitor displays calories burned and step rate. $1,795. (800) 665-3407.

VersaClimber by Heart Rate

The VersaClimber takes stair climbing to new and potentially more exhausting heights. It can be used as a conventional stepping machine for working the lower body only, or it can provide a more complete workout by employing the arms, chest, shoulders, bock and even abdomen when used in its "ladder-climbing" mode. Complete, too is the information the VersaClimber gives you on its digital readout: elapsed time, climbing speed in feet per minute, distance climbed, number of colories burned and (optionally) heart rate attained. $1,295; with heartrate monitor, $1,595. (800) 237-2271.

Ski Machines

Touted as effective simulators of the highest calorie-burning activity of all, cross-country ski machines work not just the legs but the chest, shoulders and arms. Because your feet don't leave the ground, there's no impact. Ski machines come in "Yugo" as well as "Mercedes" forms, however, so beware. You can spend as little as $100 for some models, but if you do, you'll soon want to heave it into a snowdrift somewhere.

Must-have features: A smooth, comfortable and stable action; padded hand grips; snug but comfortable foot grips

Achiever by Nordictrack

Unlike most cross-country skiers, the Achiever allows you to custorn-tailor your workouts by adjusting upper- and lower-body resistance independently. Resistance is supplied by a flywheel, so action is smooth, and the units platform can be filted upward to simulate the even more exhausting expedence of skiing uphill. All this effort gets closely monitored, moreover, in terms of speed, distance covered, time elapsed, calories burned and heart rate reached, by way of a digital readout mounted for easy view. $769.95. (800) 445-2606.

Abstract: An array of running gear, with descriptions and prices, is presented. The equipment includes sports watches, water gear, carbohydrate drinks, water-carrying supplies, gear bags, sports cameras, heart-rate monitors, reflective clothing, and exercise equipment.

Source Citation
"Runner's World 1995 gear guide." Runner's World Dec. 1995: 50+. Gale Power Search. Web. 31 Aug. 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA17632802&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A17632802

"Look sharp! No one wants to look like a dullard. That's why MF polledour style council--experts in fashion, grooming, fitness, health, andnutrition--to come up with this hot list (62 strong!) of ways to polishyour appearance."

2011-08-30T19:54:00.002-04:00

Mental Health Nursing Made Incredibly Easy UK Editions, originally uploaded by Made Incredibly Easy UK Editions.

MAYBE YOU LOST OUT ON THE GOOD-GENES SWEEPSTAKES. You've got a schnozz with its own seat in Congress. Or you've got a lace and bod like Brad but a fashion sense that is truly the Pitts. Maybe you wish you could look half as good as Danny DeVito. Whatever. You can still move from not to hot without having the Queer Eye guys ripping you to pieces like hyenas on Animal Planet.

Start with these tips, our definitive list of everything you need to do to improve your looks: from what to wear and how to work out to what to eat and health dos and don'ts. In three months, when the paparazzi are hounding you 'cause you look like a star, just turn toward the camera and wink. We'll take that as a "Thank yon."

CLOTHING

SUIT YOURSELF: When shopping for suits, worry more about fit than price: A $400 suit that fits perfectly flatters you better than a $4,000 ensemble that doesn't.

GET SHORTY: If you're under 5'10", stick with suits and jackets that have a "short" cut. They're better proportioned and won't make you look like David Byrne in Stop Making Sense.

PLAY YOUR HEAVY HITTERS. Better to own a few swanky clothing items you love than a closet full of cheap, ridiculous items you won't even wear.

MAKE AN UNDER STATEMENT: Wear a white undershirt in the office (under your outer shirt, Einstein). It soaks up sweat, plus that little bit of white poking out helps you look more put-together.

GET LOOPY: Wear a belt. Always. It's the follow-through in your backhand, the whipped cream on your Frappuccino. Plus, it gives the gals something to do (or undo) while you're kicking off your shoes.

TEE OFF YOUR WARDROBE: Everyone's real impressed by your muscles. But outside the gym, an armless muscle tee says "Clueless" before it says "Call me."

STRIPE A POSE: It's still true: Vertical stripes make you look slimmer, Fact: Rockers Jack and Meg White are actually 240 and 370 pounds, respectively.

COLOR SCHEME: Never pair a brown belt with black shoes (and vice versa). You're not a Doberman pinscher.

HANG UP YOUR TIGHTS: When your tighty-whities are no longer white, burn them. (That goes for your pit-stained tees, too, Casanova.)

PLEAT GUILTY: Take your pleated pants and donate them to the Salvation Army. Same goes for ones that taper at the bottom. They make you book top-heavy, fat, and, well, like you're trapped in 1985.

GET A LOOK: Pick a clothing style and stick with it. Don't dress like you're in Glee Club one day and like you're going to a Marilyn Manson concert the next.

PULL YOUR DAMN PANTS UP: When Britney Spears' undies stick out of her jeans, it's cute. When yours do, it's pathetic. If you've got bunching issues, wear boxer briefs--women eat 'em up.

COVER UP: Don't let chest shrubbery blossom from your undershirt. No need to hire a gardener to manicure your lawn. Just stick with a crew neck.

DON'T BAG OUT: When it comes to leather jackets, windbreakers, and winter outerwear, err on the small side. Don't be afraid to buy a fitted jacket: A baggy leather bomber is not "do bomb."

GROOMING

YOU GO, GIRLY: Dip into your girlfriend's I bag of tricks: Exfoliation and moisturizing aren't just for chicks--they'll help your skin glow. Man brands include Gillette I and Nivea for Men.

TAKE A POWDER: Use Gold Bond for your private areas--the powder cuts down on ugly red chafing. Just don't overuse or you'll puff clouds like a gymnast.

NOSE YOUR LIMITS: What's more embarrassing: plopping that nose-hair trimmer down at the checkout counter or having wheat grass protruding from your nostrils?

IT'S OK TO FLIP-FLOP: Fungus ain't fun. To avoid it, keep your bare feet from touching anything in the locker room. That means wearing flip-flops in the shower stall and standing on a towel while drying off.

MAP OUT YOUR HAIR BORDERS; When your neck hair starts to meet your back hair, it's called an "ape drape." Let your barber have at it, Kong.

GET ORGAN-IZED: Trim the hair "down there" to make it look bigger. Hey, it's far less painful and expensive than penis enlargement. Trust us.

WHO'S THE FLOSS? Think flossing once a week is OK? Try after every meal You'll keep your gums healthy and prevent receding. Bonus: free leftovers! Yum.

TELL THE TOOTH: Think about making your pearly whites even whiter. Bleached teeth brighten your whole face in a not-too-obvious, soap-actor kind of way.

ZAP YOUR ZITS: To tame acne outbreaks, use a cleanser with salicylic acid, such as Clearasil. Playing mirror hockey (squeezing them) seems like a solution, but it can leave permanent scars.

TRIM YOUR TALONS: Clip your fingernails as soon as you see the whites. Unless you're going for that '70s pimp--or worse yet, Nosferatu--look.

DON'T BE A MEISTER-BROW: One reason Sesame Street's Bert has been a bachelor for so many years may be that unibrow. All Ernie's pal needs is tweezers and as steamy bathroom, A separate bedroom wouldn't hurt either, by the way.

WAX OFF: Wanna show off your muscles and lose the Dr. Zaius look? Then don't shave your body--wax it. Shaved hair grows in at different cycles and looks uneven. Waxing keeps you stubble-free longer, which she'll appreciate.

FITNESS

UTILIZE PEDAL POWER: If it's feasible, commute on a bike. You'll get leg definition, cardio, and a healthy glow when you arrive at the office. We surest the iXi bike. It has a rubber drive belt (substituting for that greasy chain), an iPod compartment, and can fold down flat. ($1,28g @ ixibike.com)

CHART YOUR PROGRESS: Log your fitness advancements: At specific intervals, have photos taken (clothing optional) and get a trainer to tape*measure your muscles. "It shows the fruits of your labor," says former Mr. Universe Lee Labrada, founder of Labrada Nutrition, That gives you motivation to go back for more.

FOLLOW THROUGH WITH EVOLUTION: Don't get no respect? Get erect. A guy with good posture "stands taller and walks prouder," says trainer Craig Ballantyne. Practice on the seated-row machine: Use a wide overhand grip on a wide-grip handle. As you pull the bar back toward you, pinch your shoulder blades together while pushing your chest out.

GET PUMPED: Get a quick pump before a big date. No, we're not talking about cleaning out your pipes, pal. Repeating upper-body exercises like biceps curls causes fluid to temporarily increase the size of your veins and muscles, says Ballantyne. It lasts about an hour--just enough time for you to work your mojo.

BE EVEN-STEVEN: Pay attention to symmetry and proportion. If you're working lust your chest and biceps, you'll get top-heavy. "A balanced body is beautiful to the eye," says Labrada.

WATCH YOUR ASS: "Most guys ignore everything behind them, training-wise," says Alwyn Cosgrove, owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, Calif., "especially what they can't see in the mirror." Cosgrove recommends stepups on a bench for booty-ful balance.

STICK IT UP: The transverse abdominis (the muscle you contract when you suck in your gut) can be trained merely by holding in your stomach--the first step to a six-pack, Tie a string tight around your belly, instructs Cosgrove, and pull in your tummy every time you feel tension from the string. You should see results in a week--even if you're already ab-ulous.

BECOME TAN-TASTIC: Bring out muscle definition with a fake (non-premature-aging, non-cancer-causing) tan (we like Clinique Skin Supplies for Men Bronzer). Darker skin brings out muscle definition better than a pasty casing. Just be sure to rub in the self-tanner carefully--streaks are for freaks.

GROW SHOULDER AND WISER: Atlas had a pretty good look, carrying the world on his shoulders and all. So take a page out of his book and work on your cannonball delts, says Cosgrove. "It makes your arms look better and your waist look thinner."

HEALTH

AVOID WET T-SHIRT CONTESTS: Change clothes after your workout, Your soaking-wet T-shirt and shorts not only smell bad, but the moisture also breeds fungus. Plus, sweat clogs pores and can lead to body zits, a.k.a. backne, chestne, and yes, the dreaded assne.

TEST NEGATIVE: Anabolic steroids cause greasy skin, acne, and premature balding. Unattractive Bonus: They make you as volatile as Tony Soprano.

EXPAND YOUR SOLE: If your shoes are tight around the toes, get them stretched. Narrow dress shoes can give you bunions, which is not another name for onion rolls but, rather, for nasty looking sores.

SLEEP IT OFF: Not getting enough sleep may contribute to obesity. While you're sleeping, your body peaks in producing hormone called leptin, which regulates fat stored in the body. Not sleeping throws your leptin production out of whack and disorients your fat monitors, leading your body to store fat instead of burning it.

STEER CLEAR OF THE SUN: Apply sunscreen--always. Even when you're skiing, the snow reflects the sun's rays and amplifies them up to 80%. And the higher the altitude, the greater the UV exposure. Look what happened to Robert Redford after years of his sun dance.

BANG A GONG: Get laid. A lot. A Scottish researcher found that sex helps slow the aging process by reducing stress, increasing contentment, and bettering sleep. Which means, get some at least three times a week, and you'll look better longer. (Yeah, it's our favorite study, too.)

THE SALINE SOLUTION: Keep your salt intake low, especially late at night. Too much puffs up the circles under your eyes. And retaining water not only sounds feminine, it gets in the way of looking ripped.

IGNORANCE IS BLISTERS: If you're prone to blisters, invest in some double-layer socks. And once the painful little suckers pop, apply antibiotic ointment like Bacitracin for your sake. Then cover the mess with a bandage for everyone else's.

UNCOVER THE MOLE: Frequently check your body for new freckles and moles (or have your woman do it). Larger or raised, ones should be monitored to make sure they're not risk factors for melanoma, Unattractive Bonus: Find a third nipple and become a documentary subject.

GRAPE ADVICE: Take grape-seed extract, which significantly speeds up wound recovery for bruises or cuts by allowing tissue to repair itself more quickly.

DRY UP: Take fewer, faster showers. Water--especially hot water--robs your skin of natural oils, which help keep you looking natural and young.

DOG YOURSELF OUT: You'll never be as cute as Desmond, your dachshund. But owning him makes you that much more attractive. A study conducted by the U.K.'s University of Warwick found that women are much more likely to talk to a man walking his dog than one walking himself.

NUTRITION

STIFF DIET: Eating the right foods contributes to a healthy sex life. A diet rich in fruits, veggies, legumes, and grains keeps your arteries clear, increasing blood flow to you-know-where. And you don't have to be Ozzy to know that an Iron Man is more impressive than Mr. Softy.

WASH AND WEAR: Look shampoo-commercial fabulous by loading up on B vitamins, especially one called biotin. (Make sure your multivitamin includes it.) Your 'do will shine like the top of the Chrysler Building.

COMBAT FREE RADICALS: Sounds like a call to arms against anarchists, no? But those nasty free radicals actually kill cells and age you. Fight them by ingesting antioxidants, such as lycopene, which you can find by juicing a grapefruit or a tomato. Hey, who wants lycopene-a-coladas?

TASTE THE RAINBOW: The more colorful your grub, the more packed it is with essential vitamins and nutrients. So load up on orange peppers, blueberries, and red snapper (just kidding about the fish). But careful on the preparation: Cook the hell out of them and you lose some important ingredients. The best advice? Steam veggies to maximize their powers.

STAY REGULAR: We're not advocating a daily bowl of Colon Blow, the Saturday Night Live cereal that clears your innards and more. But do have a daily dose of fiber. Familiar with the Michelin Man? Never had a gram of fiber.

DON'T DO THE DEW: A study found that canned sodas and teas--even diet versions--damage tooth enamel. If you must go that route, root beer--with the fewest additives--does the least harm.

BONE UP: Unless you're chugging milk or crunching sardine bones, you may not be getting enough calcium. This raises your risk for osteoporosis, which will wreck your posture and make you shorter. (Ed. Note: Men's Fitness does not recommend ingesting milk and sardines simultaneously, if only for the awful breath consequences.)

REEL-A-MEAL: Eat more fish--especially salmon and tuna. They're high in omega-3 fatty acids, which improve blood flow, giving you better color. Omega-3s also boost your mood, which will make you smile more. (Fish can't smile, can they?)

Five things you could do ...

1. Stop hogging the remote.

2. Lose that ugly posse of yours.

3. Figure out why you've lost interest in giving me oral sex.

4. Buy me something expensive.

5. Shut up. Seriously.

POLL SOME CHICKS: Ask your girlfriend, wife, or coolest gal pal for five suggestions on how to look better. They'll give you the most honest, up-to-date advice. (But don't call Mom. She means well, but she thinks Dad's suspenders look "neat.")

HAVE BALD AMBITION: If your hair's thinning, take a tip from Air Jordan, Vin Diesel, and Mr. Clean--shave that chrome dome. Unless you have a head like Freddy Krueger, you'll come off cool, confident, and bad ass. And a sweet 'stache never hurt nobody nohow, Geraldo.

GO NATIVE: Planning a trip abroad? Leave the baseball caps and ironic T-shirts at home--unless you want to be easily identified as an SUV-driving, Toby Keith-listening tourist from the Land of the Great Satan.

GET INTO THE GROOVE: Find gear that inspires you to work out longer. The Nike MP3Run by Philips plays music and also wirelessly tracks your time, distance, and pace. You'll know when you're done running--and when you've earned the right to play "We Are the Champions." ($299 @ nike-philips.com)

LAY OFF THE CANCER STICKS:

Seriously, dude don't smoke. Lung damage aside, it causes premature wrinkles and yellow teeth, making you look like those old ladies who play the slots in Atlantic City. Ditto for chewing tobacco, which may appear enticing when baseball players chomp on it, but seems less cool when your gums are rotting. Unattractive Bonus: Nothing in the world a woman loves less than spittle juice on your chin!

ACID TEST: Lack of linoleic acid can give you lizard skin. Scrap the scales by munching on nuts and seeds or drizzling some safflower oil on your chow.

SAY YES TO JOE: This ain't no java jive. A recent study says coffee's high antioxidant content (four times that in green tea!) makes it one of the best sources for fighting wrinkle-producing free radicals. Drink too much, though, and you'll never get off the pot.

New York Daily News fashion editor Amy Diluna always looks great.

Diluna, Amy

Source Citation
Diluna, Amy. "Look sharp! No one wants to look like a dullard. That's why MF polled our style council--experts in fashion, grooming, fitness, health, and nutrition--to come up with this hot list (62 strong!) of ways to polish your appearance." Men's Fitness Nov. 2004: 94+. Gale Power Search. Web. 30 Aug. 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA124007835&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A124007835

Nothing to write home about; Care for the elderly

2011-08-22T22:57:00.002-04:00

00 become a nurse medium, originally uploaded by raycadaster.

Amazing grace

The government's new proposals raise more questions than they answer

CARLTON HOUSE in Hatch End, north London, is a small, friendly place. A private care home, it has 22 elderly residents and a well-stocked garden where they sit of an afternoon. Several say that they like Carlton House, and can think of no way to improve it. But they are unhappy that they have had to sell their own homes to meet the bills of this one.

Even Andy Burnham, the health secretary, has described care for the elderly in Britain as "a cruel lottery". State aid for personal care (medical care is free on the National Health Service) is means-tested: those with [pounds sterling]23,000 in assets must pay for their own. Some end up with bills of [pounds sterling]200,000 whereas others receive care free. About 45,000 people are forced to sell their homes each year to pay for social care. Two-fifths of the roughly 450,000 now in residential-care homes pay their way.

As in other countries, a rapidly ageing population in Britain is pushing the care system towards crisis. Another 1.7m older people in England will require looking after by 2026, the government reckons. This will strain care budgets, which are already heading for a [pounds sterling]6 billion annual gap in funding over the same period.

So the government's long-delayed consultation paper on July 14th was keenly awaited. Two radical options are ruled out: leaving people to pay for their own care and funding it entirely through general-tax revenues (devolved Scotland's version of the latter is already running out of cash). It outlines three approaches.

The first is a system of co-payments, in which the government would guarantee to everyone a payment equal to a quarter or a third of likely social-care costs, picking up more of the tab for poorer folk. The second is optional insurance, which would let people pay [pounds sterling]20,000 to [pounds sterling]25,000 to cover themselves against the rest of the cost of their care. The third is a compulsory state-insurance scheme, under which everyone who could afford it would be liable for a lump sum--paid on retirement, say, or from an estate after death--of [pounds sterling]17,000 to [pounds sterling]20,000 in exchange for the certainty of free care. No serious new government money is forthcoming under any of the options, and state funding would go only towards personal care: the cost of food and lodging in residential homes would fall to individuals who could pay for it.

Just how likely these reforms are remains to be seen. People who already save for their old age worry that they could be forced to cough up an additional [pounds sterling]20,000 for care that they may never want. The proposals offer no guarantee that old folk will be able to hang on to their homes. And lump-sum premiums may prove a particularly hard sell: in a Populus poll for Saga, a firm specialising in services to the over-50s, only 6% preferred this option.

Yet some answer must be found to the escalating expense of looking after an increasingly old and frail population. The biggest difficulty with these proposals is that they come years after Labour first declared its interest in the matter, and far too late to be agreed before the next election. Over to the Tories, who have ideas of their own about sharing costs between individuals and the state.

Source Citation
"Nothing to write home about; Care for the elderly." The Economist [US] 18 July 2009: 35EU. Gale Power Search. Web. 22 Aug. 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA203743689&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A203743689

Ancient Painting

2011-08-10T12:31:00.002-04:00

Ancient Painting, originally uploaded by mccoryjames.

The 2011 PhotoEspana festival focuses on portraiture, and how it exposes the photographer and viewer as well as the sitter

Portraiture is one of our most ancient and enduring art forms. The earliest surviving portraits stretch back to ancient Egypt, and the fascination with documenting our own image has been a feature of art and photography ever since. Today it is easier than ever to record ourselves, and share the resulting imagery with others. As with portraiture throughout history, these depictions may not present the whole truth: Facebook and other social media sites are littered with photographs designed to articulate a certain projection of ourselves, one that is largely sunny, with little room for darkness or even shades of grey.

It is this complexity at the heart of portraiture that makes it so fascinating, and thus a rich subject matter for a photography festival. As Gerardo Mosquera, the main curator of this year's PhotoEspana event in Madrid explains, the face is "a place of exchange". A portrait communicates messages about the sitter, but also reveals much about the attitudes of the artist or photographer, and in turn of the viewer. The exhibitions at the centre of PhotoEspana aim to explore this triangular relationship.

Perhaps the most ubiquitous form of portraiture in the modern age is the documentation of celebrities. Images of the famous (and infamous) litter our media, provoking fascination and revulsion in equal measure. For many, the paparazzi, the source of most of these pics, represent the lowest form of photographer, obsessed with money rather than art. And yet, as the two exhibitions at PhotoEspana by 'paparazzo extraordinaire' Ron Galella demonstrate, their images are difficult to resist.

Galella's most celebrated pictures are from the 70s and 80s, a golden age of celebrity, prior to the obsessive control of PR consultants and the face-melting effects of plastic surgery on stars. And Galella shot them all: Brando, Streisand, Presley, Onassis, Redford, Burton and Taylor. He captured them looking happy, and he paved the way for today's paparazzi by also snatching images of them drunk, scared and angry. His photographs are captivating as historical documents, not least due to our knowledge of how the lives of those snapped were to unfold, so often tragically. Their presence in a gallery environment inevitably provokes debate, and is likely to unsettle traditionalists. Yet, Galella's work reveals much about our uneasy relationship with fame; we happily study the famous as if they were family and friends, but equally we despise them, and revel in their transgressions.

A different world

The Circulo de Bellas Artes is displaying its expansive Galella show on its top floor, but offers a counterpoint to its glossiness in the basement. Here can be found a series of work by Columbian photographer Fernell Franco, which documents the lives of a number of prostitutes in the city of Cali. The images are also shot at roughly the same time as Galella's, the early 70s, but capture an entirely different world. Unbearably young girls are posed provocatively on dingy mattresses, gazing out at the viewer, while less contrived shots show the girls bathing and laughing, seemingly oblivious to the photographer's presence. The contrast is unsettling, giving the impression of Franco both as impartial observer but also pimp.

PhotoEspana has established a reputation for excellent shows of archival work, and this year historical photography dominates the festival. Alongside Galella and Franco are shows of work by Jacques Henri Lartigue and Ecuadorian photographer Carlos Endara, whose series of early 20th century studio portraits of the residents of Panama, both rich and poor, are fascinating. Fundacion Telefonica is hosting an exhibition that brings together Cindy Sherman's compelling Bus Riders series with portraits by Thomas Ruff, and the photographs of Mexican photographer Frank Montero. Though he was born in the mid-19th century, Montero's series reflects ideas of identity inherent within Sherman's work as he stages dramatised images of himself acting out various (presumably fake) occupations and situations.

The proletarian eye

If you were to see only one historical show from PhotoEspana this year though, it should be Museo Reina Sofia's enormous survey of the Worker- Photography Movement from 1926-39. The exhibition traces the long development of the movement, from the early, amateur shots of everyday working life that were solicited by German communist magazine AIZ (Arbeiter-Illustrierte Zeitung) to images of the Popular Front and later the Spanish Civil War by photographic luminaries such as Robert Capa, Chim and Gerda Taro. The grinding poverty captured in many of the images is interspersed with choreographed propaganda shots of triumphant workers, smiling as they toil, illustrating the two primary discourses of proletarian documentary photography of the time. With over 1,000 images, many also shown within the original publications they first appeared in, it is difficult to imagine a more detailed and concise exploration of this important period of photography.

Contemporary art is represented at this year's festival by several group exhibitions that showcase a wide variety of artists from all over the world. The principal of these is Face Contact, curated by Gerardo Mosquera and showing at Teatro Fernan Gomez Centro de Arte. It is ambitious in scale, with 31 artists shown. The works are linked by the theme of the contemporary portrait, and there are many interesting pieces here - especially a series of coming-of-age photographs of Cuban teenage girls - but with little textual guidance and a huge variation of styles, the show is ultimately perplexing.

This is the first of a three-year curatorial stint at PhotoEspana by Mosquera, and he arrives at the festival with Spain in the midst of a recession, complete with enormous cuts to the arts. In this difficult situation, he has done well to choose a theme that will no doubt prove popular amongst gallery-goers and sponsors alike. The festival is slimmer this year, though contains much to entertain and excite newcomers to the world of photography, plus enough rare and thought- provoking treats to please those well-versed in the medium.

Source Citation
"REVIEW: The many faces of portraiture." Creative Review 18 July 2011: 62. Gale Power Search. Web. 10 Aug. 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA261556348&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A261556348

Ancient Painting

2011-08-10T12:29:00.002-04:00

Ancient Painting, originally uploaded by mccoryjames.

Earth work: careers in the natural sciences. (Grab Bag)

2011-07-28T13:03:00.001-04:00

Earth, originally uploaded by tonynetone.

Do you know how natural scientists responded to recent natural disasters, from rockslides in Yosemite National Park to volcanoes in the Philippines? An article describing what those scientists did is part of a newsletter, "Scientists in Action!," from the U.S. Geological Survey. Additional articles depict the work of biologists, geologists, cartographers, and other scientists--exploring the ocean floor, preparing dinosaur bones for display, and solving the mystery of three-legged frogs, for example.

The newsletter, with 15 oversized, full-color pages, gives readers a glimpse of natural sciences careers, especially those with the Federal Government. For a free copy of "Scientists in Action!," call 1 (888) 275-8747 or write USGS Information Services, PO Box 25286, Denver, CO 80225.

Source Citation
"Earth work: careers in the natural sciences. (Grab Bag)." Occupational Outlook Quarterly Spring 2002: 49. Gale Power Search. Web. 28 July 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA84970296&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A84970296

Scripted stone: ancient block may bear Americas' oldest writing

2011-07-27T18:44:00.001-04:00

Writing, originally uploaded by jjpacres.

Road builders in southern Mexico discovered a script-covered block of stone among the rubble in a gravel quarry in 1999. A research team has now announced that the marks on the slab represent the oldest writing yet discovered in the Americas.

The quarry where the script was found abuts an archaeological site, near Veracruz, in what was the heartland of the ancient Olmec civilization. The imagery used in the writing indicates that the artifact, known as the Cascajal block, displays an early form of Olmec writing dating to nearly 3,000 years ago, says Stephen D. Houston of Brown University in Providence, R.I.

Previous examples of Olmee writing extend back no more than 2,650 years (SN: 12/7/02, p. 355). Samples of Mayan writing in Central America date to as early as 2,200 to 2,400 years ago (SN: 1/21/06, p. 45).

The rectangular Cascajal block weighs 12 kilograms. It's 36 centimeters long, 21 em wide, and 13 em thick. On one side, the artifact contains 62 carved signs.

"This is an unambiguous example of writing," Houston says.

He and his coworkers describe the find in the Sept. 15 Science. The lead author is Carmen Rodriguez Martinez of the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Veracruz, who received the block from the road builders.

The scientists regard the marks inscribed in the stone as script because they include 28 distinctive elements, such as signs depicting maize, parallel sets of eyes, and an animal skin. These signs appear in sequences that run across the block.

The signs' precise meanings and the underlying rules for this writing system remain uncertain.

The relation of the Cascajal block to later New World writing is also fuzzy. The script may represent a regional invention that died out in relative obscurity. However, Houston suspects that it spread across southern Mexico. Wooden figurines from Olmee sites of about the same age have a few similar signs carved in the backs of their heads, he says.

Although the marks on the block are "suggestive" of writing, archaeologist Philip J. Arnold of Loyola University in Chicago takes a wait-and-see approach. Martinez and his coworkers need to find comparable signs on Olmec artifacts excavated from their original locations, Arnold says.

Archaeologist Christopher A. Pool of the University of Kentucky in Lexington also regards the new find cautiously. Aspects of the inscriptions on the block are unique, making them difficult to confirm as script, he notes. For instance, signs run horizontally across the stone, whereas the region's later writing systems placed symbols in vertical columns.

Signs carved into the Cascajal block "may not be fully formed writing, but they're close to it,' remarks linguist John S. Justeson of the State University of New York at Albany. He says that while the new find incorporates patterned symbols from Olmec art, it apparently lacks calendar notations and action representations, key elements of later writing systems in southern Mexico and Central America.

Houston says that his group plans to conduct new excavations near the quarry. The Cascajal block "is probably one of many such texts in the area," he surmises.

Bower, B.

Source Citation
Bower, B. "Scripted stone: ancient block may bear Americas' oldest writing." Science News 16 Sept. 2006: 179+. Gale Power Search. Web. 27 July 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA151900497&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A151900497

IBM Plays Disk Doctor -- Drive Fitness Test tracks disk health independent of the operating system.(IBM Storage Systems Division's Drive Fitness Test allows VARs to perform remote diagnostic tests of clients' hard drives) (Product Information).

2011-02-22T14:21:00.001-05:00

Businesswoman examining PC screen w stethoscope, originally uploaded by NexgenStock.

If hard drives were shipped with a self-diagnostic reporting tool, system OEMs could check the health of the drives before they are sent to you. And, your customers could troubleshoot hard drive failures without tying up your technical support. Sound enticing? It should if you're interested in saving your technician's time on-site. You'd like to enable your technician to avoid an unnecessary visit by troubleshooting the problem remotely. IBM Storage Systems Division's Drive Fitness Test (DFT) makes this possible.

When VARs suspect a hard drive-related problem, what's the usual reaction? Without a thorough examination, a quick fix for many VARs is to simply replace the drive. However, according to Henri Richard, vice president of sales and marketing for worldwide distribution at IBM Storage Systems Division, the hard drive is usually not the root of hard drive failure. "Approximately 80 percent of the drives that are thought to be faulty really have no problems," he says. "Something needed to be done."

The faulty drives are sent back to the OEM manufacturer and tested. Those deemed healthy are marked as No Defect Found (NDF). When the hard drive is listed as NDF, the end user receives a new one but the original problem still remains. Eventually, the VAR will end up hearing from the same end user again. This situation can be prevented with the DFT.

Prior to the DFT, determining the root of the problem was cumbersome. Mark Romanowski, vice president of services for VAR Jade Systems Corp, Long Island City, N.Y., says, "The first thing you have to figure out is if it's a hardware issue, a configuration issue or a software issue. In most cases, it's not a hardware issue-it's a software issue of one kind or another." To find out the root of the problem, Romanowski is forced to perform time-consuming diagnostic tests and troubleshooting tasks.

When Romanowski gets a call regarding a malfunctioning hard drive, he says it can take up to an hour to determine the problem. "In a warranty situation, you're not going to go to the site with the part. If you did your triage and you still don't know what the problem is, then you wind up sending an engineer to troubleshoot the situation without the drive," he says. "It's stupid to order the drive, because manufacturers look at how many parts you replace."

He adds that manufacturers penalize resellers with a history of an unusually high number of product replacements. "A manufacturer doesn't want you to order five parts to fix the problem-they want you to diagnose the problem."

IBM's DFT is designed to help VARs service their clients by enabling resellers to perform a remote diagnostic test on the hard drive, independent of the operating system. As a result, VARs can determine if the problem actually lies within the hard drive.

"The DFT only takes up a few hundred kilobytes on the disk drive," says IBM's Richard. "A reseller simply invokes a sequence of keys, and the drive will boot. The reseller would then load the code and do a full test. The DFT will tell if the drive has a problem or if it is about to have a problem. If your operating system is damaged you can still test the drive, because the test runs separately from the system."

Driving the Technology

The DFT uses a PC-based program to access an IBM hard disk drive microcode, enabling the OEM system manufacturers and service providers to accurately diagnose the proper operation of hard drives. The DFT microcode automatically logs significant error events, such as hard drive errors, and a history of all reassigned sectors. This log is kept in a special reserved area of the drive.

The DFT microcode also performs mechanical analysis of the hard drive in real time. Parameters such as disk shift, servo stability and Repeatable Runout can be calculated dynamically by reading the server's Position Error Signal and analyzing the patterns.

By using standard Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.), as well as other microcode features, the DFT software diagnoses the state of the hard drive. The DFT software is expected to be bundled with other diagnostic software by the system OEM to offer a standalone package. DFT is standalone because it runs under DOS independent of the end-user operating system. Since the end-user operating system is unaware of the existence of DFT software, once DOS is booted, DFT can log whether or not the other software is operating properly.

According to Richard, VARs can provide a unique value to the sale of IBM's hard drives by extending the warning notice to be as granular as possible, depending on the OEM setup.

The DFT software supports three test modes: Quick Test, Media Scan and Exerciser.

The first mode, the Quick Test, is a two-minute test designed to accurately diagnose the status in more than 90 percent of hard drive failure call situations. The Quick Test mode can determine whether there has been error-free operation during the life of the drive. It is intended to run while the customer is on the phone with a technical support engineer.

In the Media Scan mode, DFT performs the Quick Test and also reads every sector to verify full media data integrity. The Media Scan mode is run by the system OEM during system manufacture to verify the media surface. Media Scan mode can also be run by an end user who suspects defective media sectors might exist. Depending on the hard drive capacity, this test can take 15 to 20 minutes.

In Exerciser mode, DFT performs random reads and writes for a user-specified length of time. This mode simulates normal drive use, and is designed to capture the small class of intermittent problems that can appear and disappear.

"As a former VAR, I think this is fantastic. It will reduce service calls," says Richard.

Romanowski is ecstatic about DFT and welcomes the technology with open arms. "I think it's out of this world. I agree with IBM that many hard drive failures are not hardware-related. I think this tool would be fantastic, not just for the end user, but for me. I want to be armed with that recovery information before I help the end user."

A Total Solution?

While the technology is expected to facilitate the recovery period, it is not a total diagnostic and recovery tool. The DFT only checks the status of the hard drive. "Suppose, as is mostly the case, the client says, 'I've got a problem with workstation 72,' and you determine remotely that it's not a hard drive problem. Have you solved the customer's concern or not?" asks Bill Bennett, director of network services at LogicData, based in Denver. "The answer is no, you have not. You still have to determine what is wrong with workstation 72."

If the problem is not the hard drive, the DFT will list what is working properly so the reseller can derive what the problem might be through a process of elimination.

As a result, Bennett uses a total system diagnostic tool for non-hardware related issues. Bennett says DFT would save him a tremendous amount of time if he could determine whether or not it is a hardware problem remotely. With his current diagnostic tool, he is required to visit the customer's site to do the repair. "We wouldn't have to run an additional diagnostic software tool if we can get reliable feedback from diagnostics installed on the drive," he says.

Depending on your repair strategies, DFT can be good news or bad news. The good news is the time saved by expediting the recovery time. However, if you replace the hard drive just to be reimbursed for your work, you're not going to be a big fan of the DFT, since it is designed to minimize unnecessary returns. Returning fully functional drives to manufacturers is a sneaky, yet enticing way for VARs to make more money. "The reason a lot of resellers just say, 'The drive is bad, let me just replace it,' is because they know they get paid [by the manufacturer]," says Jade Systems' Romanowski.

In most cases, when the problem is not hard drive related, Romanowski does not charge his clients. This explains why clandestine resellers try to garner a few extra dollars from hard drive manufacturers, since they will not be reimbursed for non-hard drive related issues.

Along with Romanowski, Bennett prefers to take the high road. "We always check the software before the hardware."

One concern Romanowski has regarding the DFT is "if the drive can be fixed, will the manufacturer pay the VAR for fixing the drive rather than replacing it?"

"The relationship between the VAR and OEM, based on providing the hard drive repair service, is up to the OEMs," says Richard. "But, obviously there is a value for OEMs. So, maybe they'll be able to share some of that value [with VARs]."

Richard says all new IBM notebook hard drives shipping after Fall Comdex will be bundled with DFT. This makes sense, since notebooks take more abuse than desktop systems. Desktop hard drives bundled with DFT should soon follow in the coming year, but no anticipated entry date has been set, he says.

"In terms of us being an independent drive supplier like Seagate or Quantum, we're not known," he says. The company's DFT, however, may change that image.

-Quick Scan

IBM Storage Systems Division

San Jose, Calif. (800) 442-6773,

www.storage.ibm.com/ads

Product Specifications

DFT's four standard states of diagnosis:

1. Drive is defective.

2. Drive has been damaged by shock.

3. Drive will soon fail (S.M.A.R.T. flag set).

4. Drive is operating properly and replacement is not necessary.

Source Citation
Myron, David. "IBM Plays Disk Doctor -- Drive Fitness Test tracks disk health independent of the operating system." VARbusiness 17 Aug. 1998: 75. General OneFile. Web. 22 Feb. 2011.
Document URL
http://find.galegroup.com/gps/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=IPS&docId=A21041174&source=gale&srcprod=ITOF&userGroupName=18551_mcpls&version=1.0

Gale Document Number:A21041174

A viking mystery: beneath Oxford University archaeologists have uncovered a medieval atrocity that colored the course of English history.

2011-02-22T13:48:00.001-05:00

Neolithic stamps, originally uploaded by diffendale.

BEFORE CONSTRUCTION COULD begin on new student housing at one of Oxford University's 38 colleges, St. John's, archaeologists were summoned to investigate the site in January 2008. After just a few hours of digging, one archaeologist discovered the remains of a 4,000-year-old religious complex--an earthwork enclosure, or henge, built by late Neolithic tribesmen, probably for a sun-worshiping cult. About 400 feet in diameter, the temple was one of the largest of Britain's prehistoric henges, of which more than 100 have been found.

Later, the archaeologists found pits hall of broken pottery and food debris suggesting that people had used the henge as a medieval garbage dump millennia after it had been dug. Excited, they began searching for items that might reveal details of daily life in the Middle Ages. Instead they found bones. Human bones.

"At first we thought it was just the remains of one individual," says Sean Wallis of Thames Valley Archaeological Services, the company that did the excavating. "Then, to our surprise, we realized that corpses had been dumped one on top of another. Wherever we dug, there were more of them. Not only did we have a 4,000-year-old prehistoric temple, but now a mass grave as well."

After one month of digging at the grave site and two years of lab tests, the researchers concluded that between 34 and 38 individuals were buried in the grave, all of them victims of violence. Some 20 skeletons bore punctures in their vertebrae and pelvic bones, and 27 skulls were broken or cracked, indicating traumatic head injury. To judge from markings on the ribs, at least a dozen had been stabbed in the back. One individual had been decapitated; attempts were made on five others.

Radiocarbon analysis of the bones convinced the archaeologists that the remains date from A.D. 960 to 1020--the period in which the Anglo-Saxon monarchy peaked in power. Originally from Germany Anglo-Saxons had invaded England almost six centuries earlier, after the Roman Empire had fallen into disarray. They established their own kingdoms and converted to Christianity. After decades of conflict, England enjoyed a degree of stability in the tenth century under the rule of King Edgar the Peaceful.

But "peaceful" is a relative term. Public executions were common. British archaeologists have discovered some 20 "execution cemeteries" across the country--testifying to a harsh penal code that claimed the lives of up to 3 percent of the male population. One such site in East Yorkshire contains the remains of six decapitated individuals.

The Oxford grave, however, didn't fit the profile of an execution cemetery, which typically contains remains of people put to death over many centuries--not all at once, as at Oxford. And execution victims tended to be various ages and body types. By contrast, the bodies buried at Oxford were those of vigorous males of fighting age, most between 16 and 35 years old. Most were unusually large; an examination of the muscle-attachment areas of their bones revealed extremely robust physiques. Some victims had suffered serious burns to their heads, backs, pelvic regions and arms.

The most telling clue would emerge from a lab analysis, in which scientists measured atomic variations within the skeletal bone collagen. The tests indicated that the men ate, on average, more fish and shellfish than did Anglo-Saxons.

The mounting evidence increasingly pointed to an astonishing conclusion: this was a mass grave of Viking warriors.

IN THE LATE EIGHTH CENTURY A.D., the Vikings--a Scandinavian people from Denmark, Norway and Sweden--began a 300-year campaign of pillaging and piracy throughout Europe. Some scholars say that political changes (especially the emergence of fewer yet more powerful rulers) forced local Viking chieftains to seek new sources of revenue through foreign conquests. Others point to advances in shipbuilding that enabled longer voyages--allowing the Vikings to establish trade networks extending as far as the Mediterranean. But when an economic recession hit Europe in the ninth century, Scandinavian seamen increasingly turned from trading to pillaging.

Most historians believe that England suffered more from the Vikings than other European countries. In the first recorded attack, in A.D. 793, Vikings raided an undefended monastic community at Lindisfarne in the northeast. Alcuin of York, an Anglo-Saxon scholar, recorded the onslaught: "We and our fathers have now lived in this fair land for nearly three hundred and fifty years, and never before has such a terror been seen in Britain as we have now suffered at the hands of a pagan people. Such a voyage was not thought possible. The church of St. Cuthbert is spattered with the blood of the priests of God."

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a contemporary historical account, records that the Vikings waged some 50 battles and destroyed or ravaged scores of settlements. Dublin, one of the largest Viking cities in the British Isles, became a major European slave-trading center, where, historians estimate, tens of thousands of kidnapped Irishmen, Scotsmen, Anglo-Saxons and others were bought and sold.

"In many respects the Vikings were the medieval equivalent of organized crime," says Simon Keynes, a professor of Anglo-Saxon history at Cambridge University "They engaged in extortion on a massive scale, using the threat of violence to extract vast quantities of silver from England and some other vulnerable western European states."

"Certainly the Vikings did all these things, but so did everyone else," says Dagfinn Skre, a professor of archaeology at the University of Oslo. 'Although admittedly, the Vikings did it on a grander scale."

Martin Carver, an emeritus professor of archaeology at the University of York, characterizes the antagonism between the Anglo-Saxons and the Scandinavians as part of a wider clash of ideologies. Between the sixth and ninth centuries, Vikings in Scandinavia preferred to be organized "in loose confederations, favoring enterprise," says Carver. But other parts of Europe, such as Britain, yearned for a more orderly centralized government--and looked to the Roman Empire as a model.

Only one Anglo-Saxon kingdom--Wessex, ruled by Alfred the Great--is known to have withstood the Viking invasion. Alfred and his son, Edward, built up an army and navy and constructed a network of fortifications; then Edward and his successors wrested back control of those areas the Vikings had taken over, thus paving the way for English unification.

After decades of peace, Vikings again raided England, in A.D. 980. At the time, the Anglo-Saxon ruler was King Aethelred the Unraed (literally "the ill-advised"). As his name suggests, popular history has portrayed him as a mediocre successor to Alfred the Great and Edgar the Peaceful. The 12th-century historian William of Malmesbury wrote that Aethelred "occupied rather than governed" the kingdom. "The career of his life was said to have been cruel in the beginning, wretched in the middle and disgraceful in the end."

To avert war, Aethelred paid the Vikings some 26,000 pounds in silver between A.D. 991 and 994. In the years that followed, the king employed many of them as mercenaries to discourage other Vikings from attacking England.

But, in A.D. 997, some of the mercenaries turned on their royal employer and attacked the Anglo-Saxon southern counties. In early A.D. 1002, Aethelred again tried to buy off the Vikings--this time with 24,000 pounds in silver.

The geopolitical situation changed in England's favor only when Aethelred made an alliance with Normandy and sealed the deal by marrying the Duke of Normandy's sister in A.D. 1002. Possibly emboldened by the support of a powerful ally Aethelred decided to take pre-emptive action before the Danes again broke the truce.

According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Aethelred was "informed" that Danish mercenaries intended to "beguile him out of his life." (It is unknown whether an informer learned of an actual plot, or if Aethelred and his council fabricated the threat.) Aethelred then set in motion one of the most heinous acts of mass murder in English history, committed on St. Brice's Day, November 13,1002. As he himself recounted in a charter written two years later, "a decree was sent out by me, with the counsel of my leading men and magnates, to the effect that all the Danes who had sprung up in this island, sprouting like cockle [weeds] amongst the wheat, were to be destroyed by a most just extermination."

PRIOR TO 2008, the only known inhabitants of the St. John's College garden had been the songbirds and squirrels that darted across the neatly cropped lawn and hid in an ancient beech tree. Generations of dons and students had strolled across that greenery, unsuspecting of what lay beneath.

The lab data indicating that the men buried there for 1,000 years had eaten lots of seafood, plus the burn markings and other evidence, convinced the archaeologists that the grave probably held victims of the St. Brice's Day massacre. Aethelred himself recounted exactly how the residents of Oxford killed the Danes in a local church: "Striving to escape death, [the Danes] entered [a] sanctuary of Christ, having broken by force the doors and bolts, and resolved to make a refuge and defence for themselves therein against the people of the town and the suburbs; but when all the people in pursuit strove, forced by necessity, to drive them out, and could not, they set fire to the [building's] timbers and burnt [it] down."

Wallis, the archaeologist in charge at Oxford, surmises that the townspeople loaded the corpses onto a cart and drove out through the north gate of the city, past land that today encompasses the Oxford colleges of Balliol and most of St. John's, then threw the Vikings into the prehistoric henge--the largest ditch nearest the city's northern exit.

A year after this discovery another team of investigators, from the company Oxford Archaeology, were looking for evidence of prehistoric activity at a site 90 miles to the southwest in the English county of Dorset, near Weymouth, when they discovered a second mass grave. This one held the skeletons of 54 well-built, fighting-age males, all of whom had been decapitated with sharp weapons, most likely swords. Lab tests of the teeth suggested the men were Scandinavians. The ratio between various types of oxygen atoms in the skeletons' tooth enamel indicates the victims came from a cold region (one man from inside the Arctic Circle). Radiocarbon dating placed the victims' deaths between AD. 910 and 1030; historical records of Viking activities in England narrow that to between A-D. 980 and 1009. The corpses had been unceremoniously dumped in a chalk and flint quarry that had been dug hundreds of years earlier, possibly during Roman times. Although no historical account of the massacre exists, the archaeologists believe the Vikings were apprehended and brought to the site to be executed.

The discovery of the two mass graves may resolve a question that has long vexed historians. In the centuries following the St. Brice's Day massacre, many chroniclers believed that the Danish community in England (a substantial percentage of the population) was targeted for mass murder, akin to a pogrom. Certainly there was undisguised hatred for the Scandinavians, who were described by contemporary writers as "a most vile people," "a filthy pestilence" and "the hated ones." But more recently the massacre has been seen more as a police action against only those who posed a military threat to the government. The discovery of the two mass graves supports this view, since victims were found where the rebellious mercenaries would have been stationed: close to royal administrative centers (usually towns or important royal estates) on or near England's south coast and in the Thames Valley By contrast, no such graves have been found in the region of eastern England once known as the Danelaw, which was populated by descendants of Scandinavian settlers. "I would estimate that out of a total population of around two million in England, perhaps half were of Scandinavian or partly Scandinavian origin--most of whom were loyal subjects," says Ian Howard, a historian writing a biography of Aethelred. "I think it inherently unlikely that the king ever intended to kill them all, as it would obviously have been impossible to do so."

Far from being just a ghoulish footnote to medieval history, Aethelred's massacre of the Danes likely reinforced Danish determination to attack England and set in motion a chain of events that would change the course of England's future. In A.D. 1003, the year after the massacres, King Svein of Denmark launched his own assault against a much wider swath of Anglo-Saxon England. This renewed aggression continued off and on for more than a decade, inspiring a level of terror the Anglo-Saxons had not faced since the first Viking invasions a century and a half earlier. An Anglo-Danish text, the Encomium Emmae Reginae, written around A.D. 1041 or 1042, described the Danish war fleet of 1016: "What adversary could gaze upon the lions, terrible in the glitter of their gold ... all these on the ships, and not feel dread and fear in the face of a king with so great a fighting force?"

Both circumstantial and historical evidence suggests that revenge was at least part of the motivation for Svein's invasions. There were almost certainly blood ties between Aethelred's victims and Danish nobility. According to medieval chronicler William of Malmesbury, Svein's sister (or, possibly, half sister) Gunnhild was a victim of the St. Brice's Day massacre (although her body has never been found). Neither her gender nor her royal blood saved her, probably because she was the wife of Pallig, one of the turncoat mercenaries. Wrote William of Malmesbury: "[She was] beheaded with the other Danes, though she declared plainly that the shedding of her blood would cost all England dear."

Gunnhild's words proved prophetic. The Danes ultimately conquered England, in A.D. 1016, and Canute, the son of Svein, was crowned the nation's king in London's St. Paul's Cathedral in January 1017. Twenty-five years later, the Anglo-Saxons would regain the crown, but only for a generation. The Scandinavians, who had refused to renounce the throne, embarked on yet another onslaught against England in September 1066--less than a fortnight before William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy launched his own invasion of the country

Although the English pushed back the Scandinavian invaders, the effort so weakened the Anglo-Saxons that they were defeated by William at the Battle of Hastings, also in 1066. The Norman Conquest consolidated the unification of England, as the new rulers introduced a more centralized, hierarchal government. The Anglo-Saxons would rise again, their culture and language merging with that of their oppressors to produce a new nation--the predecessor of modern England, and eventually an empire that would span half the globe.

DAVID KEYS is The Independent's archaeology correspondent.

Source Citation
Keys, David. "A viking mystery: beneath Oxford University archaeologists have uncovered a medieval atrocity that colored the course of English history." Smithsonian Oct. 2010: 64+. General OneFile. Web. 22 Feb. 2011.
Document URL
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Jude Narita: no exotic flower. (stage actress and dramatist's play 'Coming Into Passion/Song for a Sansei').

2011-02-14T15:35:00.001-05:00

Writing our names in Japanese on a pink origami heart, originally uploaded by blmurch.

Jude Narita didn't fit the stereotype of Asian actors. So, in a tradition both old and new in theatre, the Japanese-American actress decided to write her own roles.

Her subject: stereotypes.

"I was always the tallest Vietnamese villager in the room," says Narita, who is 5'7", of auditions that rarely landed her stage, television or film work. "I didn't fit the mold of the small, exotic flower."

Narita's solo show, Coming into Passion/Song for a Sansei, is an hour-long series of vignettes about several Asian women--none of them small, exotic flowers. The lineup includes a Filipino mail-order bride, a Vietnamese prostitute in Saigon during the war, a Cambodian woman adjusting to life in America, and a teenage, third-generation Japanese-American, or sansei. At first, each character seems a familiar stereotype--the impudent prostitute, for example--but then Narita humanizes them.

What is this inner fire?

Coming into Passion/Song for a Sansei ran for two years in Los Angeles, where Narita won several acting awards, including the Los Angeles Drama Critics' Circle Award. Now she tours colleges and produces short runs at theatres from New York to Portland, Ore. Occasionally an audience member will tell her she's the first Asian actress they've seen on stage. But Narita's gallery of characters speaks to a wide audience. "The first person to come up and say, 'You wrote about me' was a young Jewish woman," she declares.

"When I was growing up, either there were no Asians on television, or they were portrayed as the enemy, or the goofy person, and certain mannerisms were exaggerated," Narita remembers. "Theatre has not meant much to Asians in America because the basis of the culture is European."

Narita grew up in Long Beach, Calif., one of seven children that her mother--who was relocated to a detention camp in Gila, Ariz. during World War II--raised alone. She got some experience in community theatre when she was young (not surprisingly, in the musical Flower Drum Song), then studied with Stella Adler in New York and Lee Strasberg in Los Angeles.

After her studies, she began teaching acting in Los Angeles. And she auditioned. She was in the Los Angeles production of The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel with Jon Voight, and a few other plays and television shows. But more often than not, she was not cast.

"It was a shock that I wasn't getting hired," Narita says. "There is definitely a time you question whether you're good enough. But then you ask, what is this inner fire? I had other things to do than sit and bemoan the fact that there are no parts. I wanted to act. Artists of the '90s have to take some responsibility for the art being produced."

When her mother, by then a producer of jazz concerts in New York, hired Narita to perform at a concert in 1986, the actress wrote three of the characters that appear in Coming into Passion. She kept writing, borrowed $5,000 from her mother, and rented the tiny Fountain Theatre in Hollywood where word-of-mouth and eventual glowing reviews brought her audiences of all races.

Coming into Passion is narrated by an articulate, educated Japanese-American character whose dreams, in the scheme of the show, are invaded by Narita's coterie of alter-egos. "We have nothing in common," the narrator maintains when she encounters the prostitute, the mail-order bride, the Cambodian refugee, the sansei teenager. "What do they have to do with me?"

But the woman (ironically, the least interesting of Narita's creations, perhaps because there is less of a stereotype to bust) finds that she actually has a great deal in common with her dream-world visitors: She, too, is caught between American culture and her Asian heritage.

The model minority myth

Although the women have all been manipulated--by men, by war, by the forces of assimilation--Narita makes her point with poignant humor rather than finger-pointing. "I'm not into theatre that blames," Narita says. "And I don't want these characters to be interpreted as victims. They have a great sense of humor. They're going to survive."

Her portrayal of various Asian races is accepted, she says, because it is done with respect. "There has been such an absence of these voices on stage, and I respect the cultures being depicted. A Cambodian woman told me that when I said 'Cambodian' on stage, she thought 'At last!'"

Narita continues to tour Coming into Passion (including a stop on April 10 at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass.), to conduct workshops in Los Angeles for actors who want to write and perform their own pieces, and to work on two new shows. Both continue her exploration of stereotypes, including what she calls "the model minority myth"--that Asians can do it all.

"I'm spoiled," Narita says of the freedom her show has given her. "I get to say what I see. It would be hard for me to be small again."

Rebecca Morris is a free-lance critic and writer based in New York.

Source Citation
Morris, Rebecca. "Jude Narita: no exotic flower." American Theatre Apr. 1993: 28. General OneFile. Web. 14 Feb. 2011.
Document URL
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Gale Document Number:A14081106

Health care/insurance.(BOOK of LISTS).

2011-02-12T12:47:00.001-05:00

The REAL "Death Panels", originally uploaded by elycefeliz.

HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES 70
HOSPITALS & MEDICAL CENTERS 71
INSURANCE AGENCIES 74
Firms Expect to See Premiums Rise

$1.08 Billion

Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Little Rock reported more than $1.08 billion in Arkansas premium in 2009, which was the second consecutive year it had more than $1 billion in premium.

9 of the top 10 health insurance companies reported collecting higher premium in 2009 than in 2008.

Increase Health insurance companies expect to receive more in premiums because of the health care reforms that Congress approved in March 2010.

LARGEST HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES

Ranked by premium written in Arkansas in 2009

Company Arkansas Top Headquarters
Address, Phone Premium Executive HQ Phone

1 Arkansas Blue $1,081,432,483 (1) Mark White Little Rock
Cross & Blue (800) 238-8379
Shield
601 S. Gaines
St., Little
Rock, AR 72201,
(501) 378-2000

2 United $368,483,611 Stephen Minnetonka, MN
Healthcare of Hemsley (952) 936-1300
Arkansas
Inc. (2)
1401 W. Capitol
Ave., Suite 375,
Little Rock,
AR 72201,
(501) 664-7700

3 Humana Insurance $282,203,677 Michael B. Louisville, KY
Co. McCallister (502) 580-1000
500 W. Main St.,
Louisville, KY
40202,
(502) 580-1000

4 HMO Partners $198,720,088 David Little Rock
Inc. (3) Bridges (501) 221-1800
320 W. Capitol
Ave., Little
Rock, AR 72201,
(501) 221-1800

5 QualChoice of $126,741,182 Michael E. Little Rock
Arkansas Inc. Stock (501) 228-7111
12615 Chenal
Pkwy., Suite
300, Little
Rock, AR 72211,
(501) 228-7111

6 Care Improvement $105,334,546 Frederick Baltimore, MD
Plus Dunlap (410) 625-2000
11219 Financial
Centre Pkwy.,
Suite 240,
Little Rock,
AR 72211,
(501) 219-4900

7 Wellcare $77,773,501 Alec Tampa, FL
Prescription Cunningham (813) 290-6200
Insurance
Inc. (4)
8735 Henderson
Road, Tampa, FL
33634,
(813) 290-6200

8 Delta Dental of $73,690,053 Ed Choate Sherwood
Arkansas (800) 462-5410
1513 Country
Club, Sherwood,
AR 72120,
(501) 835-3400

9 Arkansas $65,200,897 Robert Oakland, CA
Community Care Fahlman (510) 832-0311
10025 W. Markham
St., Suite 220,
Little Rock,
AR 72205,
(501) 223-9088

10 Windsor Health $62,325,878 Michael Brentwood, TN
Plan Inc. Bailey (615) 782-7800
2 Financial
Centre Pkwy.,
Suite 131,
Little Rock,
AR 72211,
(501) 221-5200

Originally published Sept. 6, 2010. Sources: Arkansas Insurance
Department, the companies. These companies write primarily health
insurance. Some 400 companies write health or accident insurance or
some combination of the two, but the Insurance Department does not
maintain separate statistics showing only health insurance premiums.
(1) Includes $218,118,455 for the Federal Employees Health Benefits
Program. (2) Includes United HealthCare Insurance Co., United
HealthCare of Arkansas Inc. and Golden Rule Insurance Co. (3) Does
business as Health Advantage. Co-owned by Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue
Shield and Baptist Health. (4) Includes Wellcare Health Insurance of
Illinois Inc.
Improvement for Hospitals in 2009

Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock, which had a net loss of $20.5 million in 2008, reported in 2009 a net income of $12.4 million on patient revenue of $1.36 billion, which was the highest in Arkansas.

$26 million

Positive swing in net income for St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center in Little Rock between its fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2009, and this year.

New Hospitals, Expansions

In July, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences unveiled its latest jewel in its massive campus overhaul project: a $130 million, 12-floor expansion of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. The 330,000-SF addition marks the second-largest completed construction job at UAMS' medical campus.

The Arkansas Children's Hospital South Wing is expected to open in mid-2012, expanding current inpatient capacity by 54 beds to a total of 370. The $121 million project will reach four stories and add 258,000 SF, including a new emergency room and expansions to the neonatal intensive care unit and the cardiovascular intensive care unit.

LARGEST HOSPITALS & MEDICAL CENTERS

Ranked by revenue according to most recent data available to Arkansas
Business

Hospital Total Patient No. of
Address Revenue Beds (1)
Phone, Website Net Income Occupancy
(Loss) Rate

1 Baptist Health Medical $1,358,936,000 827
Center-Little Rock $12,389,000 65.62%
9601 Interstate 30, Exit 7,
Little Rock 72205
(501) 202-2500,
www.Baptist-Health.com

2 University of Arkansas for $1,270,784,436 422
Medical Sciences ($3,338,738) 90.50%
4301 W. Markham St.,
Little Rock 72205
(501) 686-7000, www.UAMS.edu

3 Northwest Health $919,967,546 249
System-Springdale (4) $28,400,338 58.61%
609 W. Maple Ave., Springdale 72764
(479) 751-5711,
www.NorthWestHealth.com

4 St. Vincent Infirmary $835,073,129 615
Medical Center (5) $366,606 59.60%
2 St. Vincent Circle,
Little Rock 72205
(501) 552-3000,
www.StVincentHealth.com

5 Arkansas Children's Hospital $665,099,506 316
1 Children's Way, Little Rock 72202 $35,625,287 75.50%
(501) 364-1100, www.ARChildrens.org

6 St Joseph's Mercy Health Center St. $636,865,529 229
Joseph's Mercy Health Center $1,462,409 71.20%
300 Werner St., Hot Springs 71903
(501) 622-1000, www.SaintJosephs.com

7 Washington Regional Medical Center $635,027,070 366
3215 N.North Hills Blvd., $14,241,265 64.55%
Fayetteville 72703
(479) 463-1000, www.WRegional.com

8 Sparks Regional Medical Center $626,911,021 195
1001 Towson Ave., Fort Smith 72901 ($23,592,914) 91.61%
(479) 441-5443, www.Sparks.org

9 Jefferson Regional Medical Center $557,486,599 275
1600 W. 40th Ave., Pine Bluff 71603 $4,421,178 50.70%
(870) 541-7100, www.JRMC.org

10 St Edward Mercy Medical Center $552,100,893 352
7301 Rogers Ave., Fort Smith 72903 $11,724,218 58.74%
(479) 314-6000,
www.StEdwardMercy.com

11 Baptist Health Medical $523,021,000 220
Center-North Little Rock $247,000 77.86%
3333 Springhill Drive,
North Little Rock 72114
(501) 202-3000,
www.Baptist-Health.com

12 White County Medical Center $476,880,121 361
3214 E. Race Ave., Searcy 72143 $11,938,344 38.93%
(501) 380-1001, www.WCMC.org

13 St. Bernards Regional Medical Center $427,053,611 438
225 E. Jackson Ave., Jonesboro 72401 $9,946,674 79.50%
(870) 972-4100, www.StBernards.info

14 National Park Medical Center $414,493,769 121
1910 Malvern Ave., Hot Springs 71901 $8,002,526 52.87%
(501) 321-1000,
www.NationalParkMedical.com

15 Arkansas Heart Hospital $405,585,356 112
1701 S. Shackleford Road, $11,462,382 57.21%
Little Rock 72211
(501) 219-7000, www.ARHheart.com

16 White River Medical Center $404,038,114 138
1710 Harrison St., Batesville 72501 $7,053,397 74.83%
(870) 262-1200,
www.WhiteRiverHealthSystem.com

17 Baxter Regional Medical Center $341,019,579 172
624 Hospital Drive, ($877,759) 54.25%
Mountain Home 72653
(870) 508-1000,
www.BaxterRegional.org

18 St Mary's Regional Medical Center $309,329,220 119
1808 W. Main St., Russellville 72801 $8,813,274 50.31%
(479) 968-2841,
www.SaintMarysRegional.com

19 Conway Regional Health System $296,992,778 135
2302 College Ave., Conway 72034 $5,884,483 64.51%
(501) 329-3831,
www.ConwayRegional.org

20 Medical Center of South Arkansas $274,456,848 121
700 W. Grove, El Dorado 71730 $2,161,898 51.61%
(870) 863-2000, www.MCSAeldo.com

21 NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital $237,718,432 88
3024 Stadium Blvd., Jonesboro 72401 $4,729,823 75.00%
(870) 972-7000,
www.BaptistOnline.org/
Facilities/Jonesboro_NEA

22 Saline Memorial Hospital $216,477,343 124
1 Medical Park Drive, Benton 72015 ($5,834,637) 48.57%
(501) 776-6000,
www.SalineMemorial.org

23 North Arkansas Regional $157,527,733 113
Medical Center ($461,707) 48.36%
620 N. Main, Harrison 72601
(870) 365-2000, www.NARMC.com

24 Crittenden Regional Hospital $143,998,929 123
200 W. Tyler Ave., ($3,137,248) 36.18%
West Memphis 72301-4223
(870) 735-1500,
www.CrittendenRegional.org

25 Arkansas Surgical Hospital $137,111,230 51
5201 Northshore Drive, $450,623 34.04%
North Little Rock 72118
(501) 748-8000,
www.ArkSurgicalHospital.com

26 Mercy Medical Center $137,030,485 165
2710 Rife Medical Lane, Rogers 72758 $8,503,419 50.00%
(479) 338-8000, www.Mercy4u.com

27 Harris Hospital $128,207,825 121
1205 McLam, Newport 72112 ($7,056,691) 23.51%
(870) 523-8911,
www.HarrisHospitai.com

28 Arkansas Methodist Medical Center $115,235,590 114
900 W. Kingshighway, Paragould 72450 ($637,769) 47.95%
(870) 239-7000,
www.ArkansasMethodist.org

29 Helena Regional Medical Center $114,284,062 127
1801 Martin Luther King Drive, ($6,030,331) 21.82%
Helena-West Helena 72342
(870) 338-5800, www.HelenARMC.com

30 Summit Medical Center $110,004,085 103
E. Main and S. 20th, Van Buren 72956 ($1,425,517) 19.66%
(479) 474-3401,
www.SummitMedicalCenter.net

31 St. Vincent Medical Center / North $108,984,929 69
2215 Wildwood Ave., Sherwood 72116 ($2,192,101) 42.80%
(501) 552-7107,
www.StVincentHealth.com/North

32 North Metro Medical Center $82,754,257 81
1400 Braden St., Jacksonville 72076 ($7,225,953) 29.60%
(501) 985-7000,
www.NorthMetroMed.com

33 St. Joseph's Mercy Heath $77,718,442 20
Center at HealthPark (5) ($695,459) 50.23%
1636 Higdon Ferry Road,
Hot Springs 71913
(501) 520-2000, www.SaintJosephs.com

34 Regency Hospital of $75,512,083 50
Northwest Arkansas ($784,916) 76.12%
1125 N. College Ave.,
Fayetteville 72703
(479) 713-7000,
www.RegencyHospital.com/
company/locations/
Arkansas-Northwest-Arkansas.aspx

35 Baptist Health Rehabilitation $74,656,000 120
Institute $5,948,000 50.68%
9601 Interstate 630, Exit 7,
Little Rock 72205
(501) 202-7000,
www.Baptist-Health.com

36 Ouachita County Medical Center $73,842,817 87
638 California Ave. S.W., ($313,433) 28.37%
Camden 71701-4604
(870) 836-1000,
www.OuachitaMedCenter.com

37 Medical Park Hospital $73,586,338 66
2001 S. Main, Hope 71801 ($3,597,488) 38.21%
(870) 777-2323

38 Siloam Springs Memorial Hospital $66,851,560 65
205 E. Jefferson, Siloam $3,759,667 42.56%
Springs 72761
(479) 524-4141,
www.SiloamSpringsMemorial.com/
Pages/home.aspx

39 Forrest City Medical Center $66,606,931 52
1601 New Castle Road, ($5,610,308) 50.82%
Forrest City 72335
(870) 261-0000,
www.ForrestCityMedicalCenter.com

40 Johnson Regional Medical Center $61,324,624 80
1100 E. PopFar St., $1,193,297 38.82%
Clarksville 72830-4419
(479) 754-5454, www.JRMC.com

41 Arkansas State Hospital $59,393,167 218
305 S. Palm, Little Rock 72205 $753,206 95.30%
(501) 686-9000,
www.Arkansas.gov/DHS/DMHS/
AR_State_Hospital.htm

42 Baptist Health Medical Center-Heber $57,062,000 25
Springs ($1,600,600) 30.01%
1800 Bypass Road, Heber Springs
72543
(501) 887-3000,
www.Baptist-Health.com

43 The Surgical Hospital of Jonesboro $55,878,887 12
909 Enterprise Drive, 1322,478 35.00%
Jonesboro 72401
(870) 336-1100, www.TSHJ.com/

44 Hot Spring County Medical Center $53,764,815 46
1001 Schneider Drive, Malvern 72104 ($1,627,454) 44.35%
(501) 332-1000, www.HSCMC.org

45 Baptist Health Medical $52,519,000 49
Center-Stuttgart ($723,000) 40.92%
1703 N. Buerkle Road,
Stuttgart 72160
(870) 673-3511,
www.Baptist-Health.com

46 Mena Regional Health System $49,438,090 41
311 N.Morrow. Mena 71953 $1,259,167 24.54%
(479) 394-6100, www.MenaRegional.com

47 Baptist Health Medical $48728,000 25
Center-Arkadelphia $497,000 NA
3050 Twin Rivers Drive, Arkadelphia
71523-4299
(870) 245-2622,
www.Baptist-Health.com

48 Great River Medical Center $48,191,884 148
1520 N. Division, Blytheville 72315 ($1,957,776) 9.99%
(870) 838-7300, www.GreatRiverMC.com

49 Magnolia Regional Medical Center (3) $46,448,977 70
101 Hospital Drive, Magnolia 71753 ($1,996,243) 28.72%
(870) 235-3000,
www.MagnoliaHospital.org

50 Drew Memorial Hospital $45,453,715 49
778 Scogin Drive, Monticello 71655 $1,378,355 44.26%
(870) 367-2411, www.DrewMemorial.org

Hospital Net Income No. of
Address From Service Employees (2)
Phone, Website to Patients Fiscal Year
Contractual End
Allowances

1 Baptist Health Medical ($3,209,000) 2,745
Center-Little Rock $915,102,000 12/31/09
9601 Interstate 30, Exit 7,
Little Rock 72205
(501) 202-2500,
www.Baptist-Health.com

2 University of Arkansas ($3,554.311) 3,410
for Medical Sciences $688,971,082 6/30/10
4301 W. Markham St.,
Little Rock 72205
(501) 686-7000, www.UAMS.edu

3 Northwest Health $26,619,522 1,191
System-Springdale (4) $644,459,748 10/31/09
609 W. Maple Ave.,
Springdale 72764
(479) 751-5711,
www.NorthWestHealth.com

4 St. Vincent Infirmary Medical ($3,126,819) 1,958
Center (5) $565,125,577 6/30/10
2 St. Vincent Circle,
Little Rock 72205
(501) 552-3000,
www.StVincentHealth.com

5 Arkansas Children's Hospital ($56,431,117) 3,314
1 Children's Way, $258,156,580 6/30/09
Little Rock 72202
(501) 364-1100,
www.ARChildrens.org

6 St Joseph's Mercy Health Center St. ($3,260,264) 1,112
Joseph's Mercy Health Center $459,697,803 6/30/09
300 Werner St., Hot Springs 71903
(501) 622-1000,
www.SaintJosephs.com

7 Washington Regional Medical Center $3,833,816 1,317
3215 N.North Hills Blvd., $434,568,333 12/31/09
Fayetteville 72703
(479) 463-1000, www.WRegional.com

8 Sparks Regional Medical Center ($33,489,261) 1,818
1001 Towson Ave., Fort Smith 72901 $368,748,739 6/30/09
(479) 441-5443, www.Sparks.org

9 Jefferson Regional Medical Center ($4,365,727) 1,536
1600 W. 40th Ave., $365,936,464 6/30/09
Pine Bluff 71603
(870) 541-7100, www.JRMC.org

10 St Edward Mercy Medical Center $5,583,917 1,389
7301 Rogers Ave., Fort Smith 72903 $367,105,221 6/30/10
(479) 314-6000,
www.StEdwardMercy.com

11 Baptist Health Medical ($660,000) 1,035
Center-North Little Rock $337,421,000 12/31/09
3333 Springhill Drive,
North Little Rock 72114
(501) 202-3000,
www.Baptist-Health.com

12 White County Medical Center $6,802,608 1,025
3214 E. Race Ave., Searcy 72143 $286,399,089 9/30/09
(501) 380-1001, www.WCMC.org

13 St. Bernards Regional $8,834,698 1,716
Medical Center $168,769,090 9/30/09
225 E. Jackson Ave.,
Jonesboro 72401
(870) 972-4100,
www.StBernards.info

14 National Park Medical Center $7,364,328 416
1910 Malvern Ave., $347,097,299 8/31/09
Hot Springs 71901
(501) 321-1000,
www.NationalParkMedical.com

15 Arkansas Heart Hospital $10,770,882 523
1701 S. Shackleford Road, $288,260,414 9/30/09
Little Rock 72211
(501) 219-7000, www.ARHheart.com

16 White River Medical Center $1,742,456 868
1710 Harrison St., $269,681,721 9/30/09
Batesville 72501
(870) 262-1200,
www.WhiteRiverHealthSystem.com

17 Baxter Regional Medical Center ($3,962,015) 982
624 Hospital Drive, $206,452,728 12/31/09
Mountain Home 72653
(870) 508-1000,
www.BaxterRegional.org

18 St Mary's Regional Medical Center $8,488,856 461
1808 W. Main St., $239,673,129 8/31/09
Russellville 72801
(479) 968-2841,
www.SaintMarysRegional.com

19 Conway Regional Health System ($2,235,258) 765
2302 College Ave., Conway 72034 $172,013,653 12/31/09
(501) 329-3831,
www.ConwayRegional.org

20 Medical Center of South Arkansas $1,403,569 545
700 W. Grove, El Dorado 71730 $184,159,029 6/30/09
(870) 863-2000, www.MCSAeldo.com

21 NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital $4,068,429 606
3024 Stadium Blvd., $162,121,918 9/30/09
Jonesboro 72401
(870) 972-7000,
www.BaptistOnline.org/
Facilities/Jonesboro_NEA

22 Saline Memorial Hospital ($8,219,511) 634
1 Medical Park Drive, Benton 72015 $132,292,069 6/30/09
(501) 776-6000,
www.SalineMemorial.org

23 North Arkansas Regional ($1,658,031) 562
Medical Center $87,911,339 3/31/09
620 N. Main, Harrison 72601
(870) 365-2000, www.NARMC.com

24 Crittenden Regional Hospital ($4,080,563) 416
200 W. Tyler Ave., $83,928,925 12/31/09
West Memphis 72301-4223
(870) 735-1500,
www.CrittendenRegional.org

25 Arkansas Surgical Hospital $232,722 170
5201 Northshore Drive, $96,157,995 12/31/09
North Little Rock 72118
(501) 748-8000,
www.ArkSurgicalHospital.com

26 Mercy Medical Center $7,244,561 1,050
2710 Rife Medical Lane, $231,325,899 6/30/10
Rogers 72758
(479) 338-8000, www.Mercy4u.com

27 Harris Hospital ($7,359,023) 207
1205 McLam, Newport 72112 $95,995,313 6/30/09
(870) 523-8911,
www.HarrisHospitai.com

28 Arkansas Methodist Medical Center ($1,116,840) 562
900 W. Kingshighway, $56,895,584 6/30/09
Paragould 72450
(870) 239-7000,
www.ArkansasMethodist.org

29 Helena Regional Medical Center ($6,163,917) 166
1801 Martin Luther King Drive, $82,813,577 12/31/09
Helena-West Helena 72342
(870) 338-5800, www.HelenARMC.com

30 Summit Medical Center ($1,958,320) 204
E. Main and S. 20th, $85,873,229 12/31/09
Van Buren 72956
(479) 474-3401,
www.SummitMedicalCenter.net

31 St. Vincent Medical Center / North ($2193186) 199
2215 Wildwood Ave., Sherwood 72116 $76,583,242 6/30/10
(501) 552-7107,
www.StVincentHealth.com/North

32 North Metro Medical Center ($7,826,745) 370
1400 Braden St., $46,458,089 6/30/09
Jacksonville 72076
(501) 985-7000,
www.NorthMetroMed.com

33 St. Joseph's Mercy Heath Center at ($41,351) 123
HealthPark (5) $56,707,535 12/31/09
1636 Higdon Ferry Road,
Hot Springs 71913
(501) 520-2000,
www.SaintJosephs.com

34 Regency Hospital of Northwest ($794,546) 156
Arkansas $54,892,887 5/31/08
1125 N. College Ave.,
Fayetteville 72703
(479) 713-7000,
www.RegencyHospital.com/
company/locations/
Arkansas-Northwest-Arkansas.aspx

35 Baptist Health Rehabilitation $2,297,000 262
Institute $38,967,000 12/31/09
9601 Interstate 630, Exit 7,
Little Rock 72205
(501) 202-7000,
www.Baptist-Health.com

36 Ouachita County Medical Center $2,464,944 326
638 California Ave. S.W., $42,074,969 9/30/09
Camden 71701-4604
(870) 836-1000,
www.OuachitaMedCenter.com

37 Medical Park Hospital ($3,875,246) 200
2001 S. Main, Hope 71801 $45,722,540 12/31/09
(870) 777-2323

38 Siloam Springs Memorial Hospital $12,306,483 263
205 E. Jefferson, $30,847,435 3/31/08
Siloam Springs 72761
(479) 524-4141,
www.SiloamSpringsMemorial.com/
Pages/home.aspx

39 Forrest City Medical Center ($5,273,199) 186
1601 New Castle Road, $42,079,833 9/30/08
Forrest City 72335
(870) 261-0000,
www.ForrestCityMedicalCenter.com

40 Johnson Regional Medical Center $1,394,641 308
1100 E. PopFar St., Clarksville $28,300,755 12/31/09
72830-4419
(479) 754-5454, www.JRMC.com

41 Arkansas State Hospital ($103,532) 389
305 S. Palm, Little Rock 72205 $16,609,534 6/30/09
(501) 686-9000,
www.Arkansas.gov/DHS/DMHS/
AR_State_Hospital.htm

42 Baptist Health Medical ($1,013,000) 169
Center-Heber Springs $35,271,000 12/31/09
1800 Bypass Road,
Heber Springs 72543
(501) 887-3000,
www.Baptist-Health.com

43 The Surgical Hospital of Jonesboro $322,478 99
909 Enterprise Drive, $37,707,126 9/30/09
Jonesboro 72401
(870) 336-1100, www.TSHJ.com/

44 Hot Spring County Medical Center ($2,851,841) 239
1001 Schneider Drive, $36,143,043 6/30/09
Malvern 72104
(501) 332-1000, www.HSCMC.org

45 Baptist Health Medical ($734,000) 218
Center-Stuttgart $27,397,000 12/31/09
1703 N. Buerkle Road,
Stuttgart 72160
(870) 673-3511,
www.Baptist-Health.com

46 Mena Regional Health System $509,610 206
311 N.Morrow. Mena 71953 $24,153,221 12/31/09
(479) 394-6100,
www.MenaRegional.com

47 Baptist Health Medical $432,000 166
Center-Arkadelphia ($28,075,000) 12/31/09
3050 Twin Rivers Drive, Arkadelphia
71523-4299
(870) 245-2622,
www.Baptist-Health.com

48 Great River Medical Center ($3210900) 164
1520 N. Division, $29,055,793 12/31/09
Blytheville 72315
(870) 838-7300,
www.GreatRiverMC.com

49 Magnolia Regional ($3674268) 210
Medical Center (3) $30,075,467 9/30/09
101 Hospital Drive, Magnolia 71753
(870) 235-3000,
www.MagnoliaHospital.org

50 Drew Memorial Hospital $512,922 232
778 Scogin Drive, Monticello 71655 $24,732,685 3/31/09
(870) 367-2411,
www.DrewMemorial.org

Hospital Top Executive
Address Salary
Phone, Website

1 Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock Douglas Weeks
9601 Interstate 30, Exit 7, $383,666 (3)
Little Rock 72205
(501) 202-2500, www.Baptist-Health.com

2 University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Richard Pierson
4301 W. Markham St., Little Rock 72205 $284,150
(501) 686-7000, www.UAMS.edu

3 Northwest Health System-Springdale (4) Dan McKay
609 W. Maple Ave., Springdale 72764
(479) 751-5711, www.NorthWestHealth.com

4 St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center (5) Peter Banko
2 St. Vincent Circle, Little Rock 72205 $577,439 (6)
(501) 552-3000, www.StVincentHealth.com

5 Arkansas Children's Hospital Jonathan R. Bates
1 Children's Way, Little Rock 72202 $797,872
(501) 364-1100, www.ARChildrens.org

6 St Joseph's Mercy Health Center St. Joseph's Tim Johnsen
Mercy Health Center
300 Werner St., Hot Springs 71903
(501) 622-1000, www.SaintJosephs.com

7 Washington Regional Medical Center Bill Bradley
3215 N.North Hills Blvd., Fayetteville 72703 $572,334 (3)
(479) 463-1000, www.WRegional.com

8 Sparks Regional Medical Center Melody Trimble
1001 Towson Ave., Fort Smith 72901
(479) 441-5443, www.Sparks.org

9 Jefferson Regional Medical Center Walter Johnson
1600 W. 40th Ave., Pine Bluff 71603 $407,421 (7)
(870) 541-7100, www.JRMC.org

10 St Edward Mercy Medical Center Jeff A. Johnston
7301 Rogers Ave., Fort Smith 72903
(479) 314-6000, www.StEdwardMercy.com

11 Baptist Health Medical Center-North Harrison M. Dean
Little Rock $349,415 (3)
3333 Springhill Drive,
North Little Rock 72114
(501) 202-3000, www.Baptist-Health.com

12 White County Medical Center Raymond Montgomery
3214 E. Race Ave., Searcy 72143 $417,662 (8)
(501) 380-1001, www.WCMC.org

13 St. Bernards Regional Medical Center Chris Barber
225 E. Jackson Ave., Jonesboro 72401 $222,782
(870) 972-4100, www.StBernards.info

14 National Park Medical Center Jerry D. Mabry
1910 Malvern Ave., Hot Springs 71901
(501) 321-1000, www.NationalParkMedical.com

15 Arkansas Heart Hospital Mark Hartman
1701 S. Shackleford Road, Little Rock 72211
(501) 219-7000, www.ARHheart.com

16 White River Medical Center Gary L. Bebow
1710 Harrison St., Batesville 72501
(870) 262-1200,
www.WhiteRiverHealthSystem.com

17 Baxter Regional Medical Center Ron Peterson
624 Hospital Drive, Mountain Home 72653 $413,179 (3)
(870) 508-1000, www.BaxterRegional.org

18 St Mary's Regional Medical Center Mike McCoy
1808 W. Main St., Russellville 72801
(479) 968-2841, www.SaintMarysRegional.com

19 Conway Regional Health System Jim Lambert
2302 College Ave., Conway 72034 $339,191 (3)
(501) 329-3831, www.ConwayRegional.org

20 Medical Center of South Arkansas America Farrell
700 W. Grove, El Dorado 71730
(870) 863-2000, www.MCSAeldo.com

21 NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital Paul Betz
3024 Stadium Blvd., Jonesboro 72401
(870) 972-7000, www.BaptistOnline.org/
Facilities/Jonesboro_NEA

22 Saline Memorial Hospital Randy Former
1 Medical Park Drive, Benton 72015 $326,613
(501) 776-6000, www.SalineMemorial.org

23 North Arkansas Regional Medical Center Rob Lake
620 N. Main, Harrison 72601 $309,730 (3)
(870) 365-2000, www.NARMC.com

24 Crittenden Regional Hospital James R. "Jamie"
200 W. Tyler Ave., West Memphis 72301-4223 Carter Jr.
(870) 735-1500, www.CrittendenRegional.org $258,013 (4)

25 Arkansas Surgical Hospital Carrie Helm
5201 Northshore Drive,
North Little Rock 72118
(501) 748-8000, www.ArkSurgicalHospital.com

26 Mercy Medical Center Scott Street
2710 Rife Medical Lane, Rogers 72758
(479) 338-8000, www.Mercy4u.com

27 Harris Hospital Claude "Chip" Camp
1205 McLam, Newport 72112
(870) 523-8911, www.HarrisHospitai.com

28 Arkansas Methodist Medical Center Ron Rooney
900 W. Kingshighway, Paragould 72450 $254,568
(870) 239-7000, www.ArkansasMethodist.org

29 Helena Regional Medical Center Jim Sato
1801 Martin Luther King Drive, Helena-West
Helena 72342
(870) 338-5800, www.HelenARMC.com

30 Summit Medical Center Pam Tahan
E. Main and S. 20th, Van Buren 72956
(479) 474-3401, www.SummitMedicalCenter.net

31 St. Vincent Medical Center / North Tim Osterholm
2215 Wildwood Ave., Sherwood 72116
(501) 552-7107,
www.StVincentHealth.com/North

32 North Metro Medical Center Mike Schimming
1400 Braden St., Jacksonville 72076 $135,746
(501) 985-7000, www.NorthMetroMed.com

33 St. Joseph's Mercy Heath Center Tim Johnsen
at HealthPark (5)
1636 Higdon Ferry Road, Hot Springs 71913
(501) 520-2000, www.SaintJosephs.com

34 Regency Hospital of Northwest Arkansas Mike McLean
1125 N. College Ave., Fayetteville 72703
(479) 713-7000, www.RegencyHospital.com/
company/locations/
Arkansas-Northwest-Arkansas.aspx

35 Baptist Health Rehabilitation Institute Douglas Weeks
9601 Interstate 630, Exit 7, $383,666 (4)
Little Rock 72205
(501) 202-7000, www.Baptist-Health.com

36 Ouachita County Medical Center David Cicero
638 California Ave. S.W., Camden 71701-4604 $141,743 (6)
(870) 836-1000, www.OuachitaMedCenter.com

37 Medical Park Hospital Terry Amstutz
2001 S. Main, Hope 71801
(870) 777-2323

38 Siloam Springs Memorial Hospital Kevin Clement
205 E. Jefferson, Siloam Springs 72761
(479) 524-4141,
www.SiloamSpringsMemorial.com/
Pages/home.aspx

39 Forrest City Medical Center Brett Kinman
1601 New Castle Road, Forrest City 72335
(870) 261-0000,
www.ForrestCityMedicalCenter.com

40 Johnson Regional Medical Center Larry Morse
1100 E. PopFar St., Clarksville 72830-4419
(479) 754-5454, www.JRMC.com

41 Arkansas State Hospital Charles Smith
305 S. Palm, Little Rock 72205 $106,919 (7)
(501) 686-9000, www.Arkansas.gov/DHS/DMHS/
AR_State_Hospital.htm

42 Baptist Health Medical Center-Heber Springs Edward L. Lacy
1800 Bypass Road, Heber Springs 72543
(501) 887-3000, www.Baptist-Health.com

43 The Surgical Hospital of Jonesboro Paul Betz
909 Enterprise Drive, Jonesboro 72401
(870) 336-1100, www.TSHJ.com/

44 Hot Spring County Medical Center Sheila Williams
1001 Schneider Drive, Malvern 72104 $94,674
(501) 332-1000, www.HSCMC.org

45 Baptist Health Medical Center-Stuttgart Stephen Webb
1703 N. Buerkle Road, Stuttgart 72160
(870) 673-3511, www.Baptist-Health.com

46 Mena Regional Health System Bob Ellzey
311 N.Morrow. Mena 71953
(479) 394-6100, www.MenaRegional.com

47 Baptist Health Medical Center-Arkadelphia Greg Stubblefield
3050 Twin Rivers Drive, Arkadelphia
71523-4299
(870) 245-2622, www.Baptist-Health.com

48 Great River Medical Center Ralph Beaty
1520 N. Division, Blytheville 72315
(870) 838-7300, www.GreatRiverMC.com

49 Magnolia Regional Medical Center (3) Margaret West
101 Hospital Drive, Magnolia 71753
(870) 235-3000, www.MagnoliaHospital.org

50 Drew Memorial Hospital Michael Layfield
778 Scogin Drive, Monticello 71655
(870) 367-2411, www.DrewMemorial.org

(1) Hospital beds only (2) Full-time equivalents (3) For 2008
(4) Northwest Medical Center-Springdale, Northwest Medical
Center-Bentonville and Northwest Medical Center-Willow Creek Women's
Hospital in Johnson operate under a single Medicare provider number.
(5) St. Vincent Infirmary and Doctors Hospital operate in Little Rock
under a single Medicare provider number (6) For fiscal year ended June
30, 2009 (7) Compensation as SVP prior to promotion; previous CEO,
Robert P. Atkinson, was paid $680,227 (8) For fiscal year ended Sept.
30, 2009

(1) Hospital beds only (2) Full-time equivalents (3) Paid to former CEO
Timothy Hill (4) For 2008 (5) Formerly HealthPark Hospital (6) For
fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2008 (7) For current fiscal year

Originally published Oct. 4,2010. Sources: The hospitals, tax returns,
audited financial submitted by hospital financial officers and annual
Medicare cost reports (most unaudited) tiled with the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services. Audited and unaudited totals for net
income may differ substantially because hospitals subtract recoverable
costs not recognized by Medicare from total operating expenses before
deriving final net income. (1) Hospital beds only (2) Full-time
equivalents (3) Formerly Magnolia City Hospital
In the summer of 2010, NEA Baptist Health System started the infrastructure work on an approximately 700,000-SF building in Jonesboro that will house a hospital and medical offices. The cost to build and furnish the building is estimated at $300 million.

In February

Magnolia Regional Medical Center opened its new $37 million hospital.

Drew Memorial Hospital is expected to start construction in early 2011 on a $21 million expansion that will include adding a 42-bed patient wing and surgery and obstetrics unit.

$110 million

The size of the capital campaign expected to start in 2011 for Baptist Health in Little Rock. The three-year campaign is for significant improvements to the hospital.

43

Arkansas hospitals and medical centers out of 97 reported a net loss on this year's list of the largest hospitals and medical centers.

52

Arkansas hospitals and medical centers out of 94 reported a net loss on the same list that ran in 2009.

90%

Estimated Medicare reimbursements versus the cost of hospital services performed, according to Paul Cunningham, the senior vice president of the Arkansas Hospital Association.

Researched by Mark Friedman

Largest Insurance Agencies Remain Flat in 2009

Regions Insurance Inc. reported writing $698.2 million worth of premium for property and casualty, which was the most in the state. It had a total of $883.8 million worth of premium written in 2009 and was the largest insurance agency in Arkansas.

Name Change

BancorpSouth Inc. of Tupelo, Miss., acquired Ramsey Krug Farrell & Lensing in 2003 and kept its name for years. It is now known as BancorpSouth and was No. 3 on the list with $216 million worth of premium written in 2009.

From 6 to 5

First Arkansas Insurance of Pine Bluff moved to No. 5 from No. 6 on the list last year with $50 million premium written in 2009.

$330.3 million

Premium written by Stephens Insurance of Little Rock in 2009, which was good enough for the No. 2 position. It had the most employees with 281.

1905

The year Arkansas Best Insurance Corp./ABI Insurance Agency was founded, making it the oldest company on the list.

LARGEST INSURANCE AGENCIES

Ranked by 2009 premium (in millions)

Agency Premium No. of
Address Written in 2009 Employees
Phone. Fax, Web Site Life & Health Year
Other Locations Premium Founded
P&C Premium

1 Regions Insurance Inc. $883.8 211
1500 Riverfront Drive, $185.6 1928
Little Rock 72203 $698.2
(501) 661-4800, (501) 666-9592,
www.Regionslnsurance.com
Little Rock, Fayetteville,
Fort Smith Memphis,
Springfield, MO, and Texarkana, TX

2 Stephens Insurance $330.3 281
111 Center St., Suite 1410, 8211.5 1987
Little Rock 72201 $118.8
(501) 377-2300, (501) 377-2317,
www.Stephenslnsurance.com
Fayetteville, Memphis, Oklahoma City,
Springfield, MO, Dallas,
Austin and Texarkana, TX,
Jackson, MS

3 Bancorp South Insurance Services (1) $216.0 122
8315 Cantrell, Suite 300, $46.0 1981
Little Rock 72225 $170.0
(501) 664-7705, (501) 664-8052,
www.BancorpSouthlnsurance.com
Fayetteville, Jonesboro

4 Brown-Hiller-Clark & Associates $64.4 49
P.O. Box 3529, Fort Smith 72913 $21.2 1915
(479) 452-4000, (479) 484-5185, $43.1
www.BHCA.com Lowell; Sallisaw, OK

5 First Arkansas Insurance $50.0 46
3009 Market St., Pine Bluff 71601 $13.0 1976
(870) 541-0020, (870) 535-8318, $37.0
www.FirstArkansaslnsurance.com
Hot Springs, Hot Springs Village,
Dumas, Fayetteville

6 Brown & Brown of Arkansas Inc. $49.3 33
2120 Riverfront Drive, Suite 200, $30.7 2002 (2)
Little Rock 72203 $18.5
(501) 372-2232, (501) 372-6234,
www.BBInsurance.com
Russellville, Springdale

7 Legacy Capital Group $48.7 19
200 River Market Ave., Suite 350, $48.7 1982
Little Rock 72201 $0.0
(501) 376-7878, (501) 372-4484,
www.LCGAR.com
Little Rock, Springdale

8 Hoffman-Henry Insurance $40.4 25
650 S. Shackleford, Suite 141, $0.3 1983
Little Rock 72211 $40.1
(501) 224-7997, (501) 325-0548,
www.HoffmanHenry.com
Pine Bluff, Searcy, Fayetteville,
Fort Smith

9 Meadors Adams & Lee Inc. $37.4 30
101 Spring St., Suite 400, $9.8 1909
Little Rock 72201 $27.6
(501) 372-5200, (501) 372-4763,
www.MeadorsAdamsLee.com
Bentonville

10 Town & Country Insurance $34.6 17
Agency Inc. $25.0 1970
447 Southwest Drive, Jonesboro 72401 $9.6
(870) 932-7448. (876) 932-7415,
www.TownAndCountrylnsurance.com

11 Walker Brothers Insurance Inc. $30.4 30
P.O. Box 7570, Springdale 72766-7570 $0.2 1932
(479) 306-4677, (479) 306-5110, $30.3
www.WalkerBr.com
Rogers (Rogers Insurance
Agency), Fayetteville
(Eason Insurance Agency)

12 Insurance Center Inc. $23.1 23
2207 Hidden Valley Drive, Suite 203, $0.0 1980
Little Rock 72212 $23.1
(501) 223-2400, (501) 223-0611,
www.lnsCntr.com

13 Harold Campbell Co. $20.2 48
221 Washington St. S.W., $3.1 1929
Camden 71701 $17.1
(870) 836-5724, (870) 837-2158,
www.CampbellCo.ee
Cabot, El Dorado, Hampton,
Magnolia, Morrilton,
Russellville, Stamps

Agency Top Executive(s)
Address Title
Phone, Fax, Web Site E-mail
Other Locations

1 Regions Insurance Inc. Fred Stone
1500 Riverfront Drive, CEO
Little Rock 72203 Fred.Stone@Regionslnsurance.com
(501) 661-4800, (501) 666-9592,
www.Regionslnsurance.com
Little Rock, Fayetteville,
Fort Smith Memphis,
Springfield, MO, and
Texarkana, TX

2 Stephens Insurance Marty Rhodes
111 Center St., Suite 1410, President & CEO
Little Rock 72201 MRhodes@Stephens.com
(501) 377-2300, (501) 377-2317,
www.Stephenslnsurance.com
Fayetteville, Memphis, Oklahoma
City, Springfield,
MO, Dallas, Austin and
Texarkana, TX, Jackson, MS

3 Bancorp South Insurance Larry Jolley
Services (1) Regional President
8315 Cantrell, Suite 300, Larry_Jolley@RKFL.com
Little Rock 72225
(501) 664-7705, (501) 664-8052,
www.BancorpSouthlnsurance.com
Fayetteville, Jonesboro

4 Brown-Hiller-Clark & Associates Marty Clark
P.O. Box 3529, Fort Smith 72913 President
(479) 452-4000, (479) 484-5185, MartyClark@BHCA.com
www.BHCA.com Lowell; Sallisaw,
OK

5 First Arkansas Insurance Michael D. Carter
3009 Market St., Raymond Haynie
Pine Bluff 71601 Bruce Gasaway
(870) 541-0020, (870) 535-8318, David Beck
www.FirstArkansaslnsurance.com David Smith
Hot Springs, Hot Springs MCarter@FAI-PB.com
Village, Dumas, Fayetteville RHaynie@FAI-HS.com
Bruce@FAI-Dumas.com
DBeck@FAI-PB.com
David@fai-dumas.com

6 Brown & Brown of Arkansas Inc. C. Tim White
2120 Riverfront Drive, Suite EVP
200, Little Rock 72203 TWhite@BBLittleRock.com
(501) 372-2232, (501) 372-6234,
www.BBInsurance.com
Russellville, Springdale

7 Legacy Capital Group Matthew R. Jones
200 River Market Ave., Suite President
350, Little Rock 72201 MattJ@LCGAR.com
(501) 376-7878, (501) 372-4484,
www.LCGAR.com
Little Rock, Springdale

8 Hoffman-Henry Insurance Ron W. Adams
650 S. Shackleford, Suite 141, Richard W. Henry
Little Rock 72211 President
(501) 224-7997, (501) 325-0548, EVP
www.HoffmanHenry.com RAdams@HoffmanHenry.com
Pine Bluff, Searcy, RWHenry@HoffmanHenry.com
Fayetteville, Fort Smith

9 Meadors Adams & Lee Inc. Allan E. Meadors
101 Spring St., Suite 400, President
Little Rock 72201 Allan@MeadorsAdams.com
(501) 372-5200, (501) 372-4763,
www.MeadorsAdamsLee.com
Bentonville

10 Town & Country Insurance Dick Darouse
Agency Inc. President
447 Southwest Drive, DDarouse@
Jonesboro 72401 TownAndCountrylnsurance.com
(870) 932-7448. (876) 932-7415,
www.TownAndCountrylnsurance.com

11 Walker Brothers Insurance Inc. Adrian W. Luttrell
P.O. Box 7570, Springdale President
72766-7570 Adrian@WalkerBr.com
(479) 306-4677, (479) 306-5110,
www.WalkerBr.com
Rogers (Rogers Insurance
Agency), Fayetteville
(Eason Insurance Agency)

12 Insurance Center Inc. Jerry Rosenbaum President
2207 Hidden Valley Drive, Suite JRosenbaum@lnsCntr.com
203, Little Rock 72212
(501) 223-2400, (501) 223-0611,
www.lnsCntr.com

13 Harold Campbell Co. Jim Black
221 Washington St. S.W., President
Camden 71701 Jim56B@CampbellCo.cc
(870) 836-5724, (870) 837-2158,
www.CampbellCo.ee
Cabot, El Dorado, Hampton,
Magnolia, Morrilton,
Russellville, Stamps

Agency Insurance Lines
Address
Phone. Fax, Web Site
Other Locations

1 Regions Insurance Inc. Property, casualty, marine,
1500 Riverfront Drive, life, employee benefits,
Little Rock 72203 personal fines, professional
(501) 661-4800, (501) 666-9592, liability, management liability,
www.Regionslnsurance.com aviation, excess and surplus lines
Little Rock, Fayetteville, Fort
Smith Memphis, Springfield, MO,
and Texarkana, TX

2 Stephens Insurance Life and health, long-term care,
111 Center St., Suite 1410, annuities, property and
Little Rock 72201 casualty, pharmaceutical
(501) 377-2300, (501) 377-2317, benefits management consulting,
www.Stephenslnsurance.com third-party claims administration
Fayetteville, Memphis, Oklahoma
City, Springfield, MO, Dallas,
Austin and Texarkana, TX,
Jackson, MS

3 Bancorp South Insurance Commercial, personal, life,
Services (1) employee benefits, professional,
8315 Cantrell, Suite 300, self-insurance, risk retention
Little Rock 72225
(501) 664-7705, (501) 664-8052,
www.BancorpSouthlnsurance.com
Fayetteville, Jonesboro

4 Brown-Hiller-Clark & Associates Commercial insurance, personal
P.O. Box 3529, Fort Smith 72913 insurance, contractors surety
(479) 452-4000, (479) 484-5185, bonds, group employee benefits,
www.BHCA.com Lowell; individual life
Sallisaw, OK

5 First Arkansas Insurance Commercial, personal, employee
3009 Market St., benefits, self-insured programs
Pine Bluff 71601
(870) 541-0020,(870) 535-8318,
www.FirstArkansaslnsurance.com
Hot Springs, Hot Springs
Village, Dumas, Fayetteville

6 Brown & Brown of Arkansas Inc. Primarily property and casualty
2120 Riverfront Drive, Suite insurance and employee benefit
200, Little Rock 72203 products and services
(501) 372-2232, (501) 372-6234,
www.BBInsurance.com
Russellville, Springdale

7 Legacy Capital Group Health and welfare, individual
200 River Market Ave., Suite life and group life
350, Little Rock 72201
(501) 376-7878, (501) 372-4484,
www.LCGAR.com
Little Rock, Springdale

8 Hoffman-Henry Insurance Commercial and personal lines
650 S. Shackleford, Suite 141, property and casualty, life
Little Rock 72211 insurance
(501) 224-7997,(501) 325-0548,
www.HoffmanHe nry.com
Pine Bluff, Searcy,
Fayetteville, Fort Smith

9 Meadors Adams & Lee Inc. Commercial and personal property
101 Spring St., Suite 400, and casualty, life and employee
Little Rock 72201 benefits, risk management services
(501) 372-5200, (501) 372-4763,
www.MeadorsAdamsLee.com
Bentonville

10 Town & Country Insurance Personal, commercial, employee
Agency Inc. benefits
447 Southwest Drive,
Jonesboro 72401
(870) 932-7448. (876) 932-7415,
www.TownAndCountrylnsurance.com

11 Walker Brothers Insurance Inc. Commercial, bonds, personal and
P.O. Box 7570, Springdale employee benefits, life
72766-7570
(479) 306-4677, (479) 306-5110,
www.WalkerBr.com
Rogers (Rogers Insurance
Agency), Fayetteville (Eason
Insurance Agency)

12 Insurance Center Inc. Commercial and business
2207 Hidden Valley Drive, Suite insurance, personal lines, bonds
203, Little Rock 72212
(501) 223-2400, (501) 223-0611,
www.lnsCntr.com

13 Harold Campbell Co. All lines
221 Washington St. S.W.,
Camden 71701
(870) 836-5724, (870) 837-2158,
www.CampbellCo.ee
Cabot, El Dorado, Hampton,
Magnolia, Morrilton,
Russellville, Stamps

Source Citation
"Health care/insurance." Arkansas Business 3 Jan. 2011: 69+. General OneFile. Web. 12 Feb. 2011.
Document URL
http://find.galegroup.com/gps/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=IPS&docId=A247226907&source=gale&srcprod=ITOF&userGroupName=18551_mcpls&version=1.0

Gale Document Number:A247226907