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This chapter is an outburst of jubilation and cheer after the prophecies about the suffering of the Servant of the LORD, the bearing of sins by Him and His glory thereafter in the previous chapter. These are the glorious consequences of what has been described in the previous chapter, with the core being that the Messiah has suffered and died as substitute for His people. Therefore the consequences are in the first place for that people. We see here the offspring the Lord Jesus will see (Isa 53:10). As a first sign of the full redemption we hear the singing of the redeemed (cf. Exo 15:1).
Joy of the Barren One
Israel is called to rejoice with singing because her state of barrenness has changed into child bearing (Isa 54:1). The experiences of the barren and later still childbearing arch-mother Sarah are a foreshadowing of this. The desolate condition of the people and their land will not be forever. The time will come when her children will be more numerous than they were before she was the desolate one.
There is also an application for us, believers of the church. Paul makes the comparison between the Jerusalem above and the earthly Jerusalem in the present time and then quotes Isa 54:1 of this chapter in his letter to the Galatians (Gal 4:26-27).
The jubilation of Isa 54:1 will sound when the earthly Jerusalem is restored in her relationship with the LORD. This relates especially to the realm of peace. Therefore she is commanded to enlarge the place in front of her tent and to stretch out the curtains of her tent dwelling (Isa 54:2). She must enlarge her area in order to be able to accommodate the population explosion. This promise of increase is given to her (Isa 54:3). What is said here, we see in the aliyah or the return of the tribes from the scattering to the land.
Paul, who was – remarkably in this context – a tent-maker by profession (Acts 18:3), has also made his area for the spreading of the gospel ever larger (2Cor 10:15b-16). God is a God of expansion. With Him there is place for everyone who surrenders to Him. For example, in the Father’s house there are “many dwelling places” (Jn 14:2). Israel’s area will be larger than in the time of Solomon (Gen 15:18; Gen 28:14). They will become the head of the nations and rule over those who oppressed them (Mic 4:1-3). The cities destroyed by the king of the North will be repopulated.
Such are the ways of the Lord. Widening will follow diminishing when His discipline has done its work. If the disciplined believer learns more about the reality of what was accomplished at Calvary and bows before Him in self-judgment, spiritual expansion will be the sure consequence. Barrenness and impoverishment give way to fertility that erupts in abundance to the glory of the Lord and to the enrichment and blessing of others.
The section that follows now is full of the most tender promises and comfort. We read about the “everlasting lovingkindness” (Isa 54:8) of the LORD and of His “great compassion” (Isa 54:7) by virtue of His covenant and the glorious future that lies ahead for the people. Israel no longer needs to fear, for the people will no longer be put to shame (Isa 54:4).
It looked like she would be desolate forever, but that will turn out to be wrong. The shame of her widowhood will also be taken away. As desolate one and widow she will be restored, she will be accepted again and she will be married again. Her future will be so joyous that she will forget the shame of her youth, that is the time of her slavery in Egypt. There she is like a virgin bound by the LORD to Himself with a covenant of love (Jer 2:2; Eze 16:60).
She will also not remember the reproach of her widowhood, which is the time of her exile in Babylon (Jer 51:5), for her “husband” is none other than her “Maker” (Isa 54:5). He Who became her Husband also originated her. Her Creator entered into a love relationship with her. He is “the LORD of hosts”, Who commands the heavenly and earthly hosts what they must do.
He is also their “Redeemer” to Whom the whole earth belongs and Who is therefore also able to provide it with all that it needs. He is her Redeemer, Who has redeemed her from the power of all her enemies, gives her back the inheritance and connects with her in marriage. He is what Boaz was to Ruth, the Redeemer, Who is also her Husband (Rth 4:1-13; Hos 2:15).
Her relationship with Him has suffered greatly because of her unfaithfulness. But the LORD will call her back to Himself (Isa 54:6). He takes her back, just as a man takes back the woman he loved in his youth. She has displeased Him, but she is not like a hated one. To the LORD the time in which He had to forsake her, the time of her exile which seemed to her a long time (Lam 5:20), is “a brief moment” (Isa 54:7).
It may seem a long time to the remnant, but there will come an even longer period of time, an “everlasting lovingkindness” (Isa 54:8; Psa 30:5a; cf. 2Cor 4:17), in which they will enjoy God’s “great compassion” (Isa 54:7). This is in contrast to the brief moment of God’s “outburst of anger”.
An Unshakable Covenant
Then the LORD gives the assurance that He will never be angry with Israel again, just as He gave such an assurance to Noah concerning the flood (Isa 54:9; Gen 9:11). Just as a rainbow then underscored that assurance (Gen 9:16), so now He speaks of “My covenant of peace” as something that will never be taken away. That covenant can be there because the punishment that brings them peace was upon Him (Isa 53:5). The covenant cannot be broken. It is an eternal covenant because it is based on the blood of the new covenant He has shed.
Whatever may change or succumb, not His lovingkindness for His people, for He is “the LORD who has compassion” on them (Isa 54:10). Just as Noah and his family come to a new earth after the flood, so God’s redeemed people will enter after the great tribulation the blessing of the millennial realm of peace on a renewed earth.
These verses describe the future glory and happiness of God’s earthly people. This is done in a wonderful variety of ways that serve to present the coming deliverance and its consequences as opposed to the present misery. This last state we see in the beginning of Isa 54:11.
The “afflicted one” or the oppressed one shows how she has been under the antichrist in the great tribulation. “Storm-tossed” represents the hostile powers – the king of the North – who, under the leadership of satan, have battered God’s people to destroy them. “Not comforted” shows that she was without comforter. She had to undergo the judgment of Lo-Ammi, which means ‘not My people’ (Hos 1:9), and was therefore deprived of the comfort of God. But the LORD will make Jerusalem shine and give it an unshakeable foundation of precious stones. The stones are set in “antimony” and the foundation are laid in “sapphires.
The treasures of the earth, which man dulls to his own glory, reflect the features of God and of Christ and will serve for this purpose in the realm of peace. We see this, for example, in the “battlements of rubies”. The ruby has a blood red color and is a reminder of the blood of Christ and the work of reconciliation. Then all that has been created under the reign of the Lord Jesus fulfils its true purpose. The city will shine because of all the earthly glory that the LORD has given her and with which He adorns her like a bride (Isa 54:12; cf. Rev 21:18-21). All this glory is reminiscent of the glory of Christ.
In the reflection of the glory of Christ, the children of Jerusalem will be “sons” taught as pupils by the LORD (Isa 54:13). The stones are called “sons” here. As pupils of the LORD they shall resemble the true servant of the LORD, the Messiah, Who was also the true Pupil, or Disciple (Isa 50:4; cf. Isa 8:16). They will not need human education to behave like sons.
Taught by God (Jn 6:45; 1Thes 4:9), they will come to acknowledge sin and love will be their common feature after conversion. They will not have to teach each other about this (Jer 31:34). That teaching is given to them by directing their eye toward the perfect Pupil, or Disciple, the perfect Servant. All this happiness, all this salvation, all this blessing will be enjoyed on the basis of Divine righteousness (Isa 54:14).
They will no longer be oppressed by enemies. Oppression will be far away from them. They need not fear a repetition of their affliction by the hand of nations sent by the LORD, such as Assyria and Babylon. If the enemies attempt to attack them anyway, it will mean the fall of those nations themselves through the people of God (Isa 54:15). Jerusalem will be impregnable. All things are in the hand of the LORD (Isa 54:16). There is no power in the world that can go up against God, for that power was created by Him (cf. Est 7:6-10).
That may be of comfort to us. He is always stronger than the power that is against us. Therefore, no weapon formed against His people will be used successfully (Isa 54:17). He uses His creative power to defend His people. He will also give them the words to defend themselves against any accusation.
The closing lines of the chapter list all preceding promises and describe them as “the heritage of the servants of the LORD”. The Servant of the LORD, the Lord Jesus, has deserved everything; it is His righteous reward; the servants of the LORD, Israel, share in it by grace. He is entitled to it because righteousness is His own; they receive that right or that righteousness by grace.
While the true Servant Himself is the Righteous, the righteousness given to the people is based on grace: ““Their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD”. In this way Jerusalem will be established. Israel will not be able to claim anything as a result of its own merit, any more than we, who are “justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24), can.
Kingcomments on the Whole Bible © 2021 Author: G. de Koning. All rights reserved. Used with the permission of the author
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de Koning, Ger. Commentaar op Isaiah 54". "Kingcomments on the Whole Bible". https://www.studylight.org/
the Week of Proper 8 / Ordinary 13

domain: literature


A court has obliged the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) to complete investigation into all criminal cases against former secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) \/ ex-head of the Presidential Administration of former president Viktor Yanukovych, Andrii Kliuev, before October 5. This follows from court records, Ukrainian News Agency reports. The ex-head of the Presidential Administration is now on the wanted list. He is suspected of embezzlement of state funds, abuse of office and prevention of rallies of Euromaidan activists. The PGO has appealed against the said court’s ruling. As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Central Election Commission has cancelled registration of Kliuev as an MP candidate.


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Tony Gilroy: The man who put Land Rover on the map
It was with sadness that many current and former Land Rover employees heard of the death of Tony Gilroy at the age of 85. Tony was Managing Director of the company in the formative years of the 1980s and the man who could rightly be credited with laying the foundations of the successful company of today.
A native of Cork, Tony kept an Irish twinkle in his eye but had a reputation for toughness. Starting his career with Ford, Tony then took on possibly the hardest job in the British motor industry – Manufacturing Director of the Longbridge car factory. It was here that he came face-to-face with the militant unionism of the 1970s. Realising that communication was key, he convinced the workforce to accept the British Leyland rationalisation plan and the subsequent dismissal of Longbridge union convener, Derek ‘Red Robbo’ Robinson. It was also while at Longbridge that Tony played a key role in the introduction of the Mini Metro, something that brought his talent to the attention of BL supremo, Michael Edwardes.
The Edwardes reorganisation of BL created Freight Rover and Land Rover as separate companies and Tony was appointed Managing Director of Freight Rover, turning the company around and producing a van range good enough to rival the Ford Transit.
Arrival at Land Rover
Tony arrived at Land Rover early in 1983. It was not a job he particularly relished at first, and what he found did nothing to change his opinion. Land Rover was burdened with high overheads with satellite manufacturing areas scattered around the country feeding the main factory at Solihull. Quality was poor, the workforce disillusioned, management apathetic and the market for the core Land Rover model in decline.
With characteristic energy, he began to change things. Less than impressed by the Land Rover One Ten, the Engineering Department responsible for it was subjected to a massive cull and people who had worked with him at Freight Rover brought in. To cut the overheads, he began a programme of closing the remote plants to concentrate production at Solihull, using the East Works facility vacated by Rover SD1 production. When communicating this plan to the workforce, Tony was initially met with hostility, but by sheer force of personality he won them round, receiving a standing ovation by the end of the meeting.
Realising that traditional Land Rover markets were in decline, Tony spurred the programme to push the Range Rover upmarket to make space for a new, leisure-orientated SUV. This was Project Jay which would eventually become Discovery, a model that would change Land Rover from a niche manufacturer to a market contender. When Engineering argued that developing a new model would take five years, he sidelined them and set up a special team with an 18-month deadline. The programme was also cleverly divided into elements that fell below Tony’s investment sign-off authority to avoid any Rover Group interference.
With Thatcher’s Government anxious to sell-off British Leyland, Land Rover was offered to General Motors who offered Tony a free hand at the company. But he had other plans, rejected the offer, and supported a successful ‘Keep Land Rover British’ campaign. What Tony wanted was to acquire the company via a management buy-out. He very nearly succeeded but Prime Minister Thatcher stepped in personally to prevent the Rover Group being sold off piecemeal.
The management changes brought in following the sell-off of the Rover Group to British Aerospace left Tony in an difficult position and he left the company, ironically before the launch of his creation, the Discovery. He then pursued a successful career in the Varity Group, home of Perkins engines and, later, Lucas Industries.
Tony will be remembered as a force of nature and a largely unsung hero of the British motor industry. As a former employee commented: ‘If you had done your homework, you were OK. If not, you were dead’. It was true Tony didn’t suffer fools gladly, but, as the news of his death has shown, he earned enormous respect. And, true to his lineage, many will remember that, behind this fierce exterior, there was a heart of Irish gold.
Top image: Courtesy of Land Rover Owner International magazine

domain: history


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In the mid-1990s, a cable television service that would go on to become one of the world’s most famous, the United Kingdom-based company Tenet purchased a cable channel in the United Arab Emirates for $1.2bn.
The network, which had just launched, was a prime example of the cable television revolution, in which a provider of internet access could offer a premium service for low prices.
In an age of digital video, the promise of a fast and reliable internet connection to everyone was the promise that was the future.
The promise was a great one.
And it worked.
The cable network became the world-beating success story of the digital revolution, one that many now look back on with pride.
But not for the reason Tenet was hoping.
The channel was bought at a steep discount, leaving the company with a $400m debt.
The new owner, the telecoms giant BT, was not happy.
A week later, the government of Abu Dhabi announced that the channel would be taken over by BT, a move that led to protests across the Arab world, including Bahrain.
For the next two years, the channel struggled to find a home, with its programming heavily censored.
Then in August 2000, Tenet announced it was acquiring cable provider Al Jazeera.
The move seemed to be the beginning of a long, successful run for the cable TV giant.
For months, Al Jazeera would become the face of the global digital revolution.
The next year, the world watched as the channel started to struggle financially and was forced to close its office in London, which it had been based for more than 50 years.
In the process, the network also lost its global audience.
In September, the company announced it would be laying off 10,000 people, a number that was expected to rise significantly.
A month later, Tenets shares crashed by as much as 20% amid concerns about the future of the company.
The company had invested heavily in the acquisition, which was expected by some analysts to be a huge boon to the stock price.
But a number of investors, including a number in the Middle East, questioned whether the sale was a wise move for the company, with some analysts arguing that Tenet could not afford to make a profit from the deal.
This, in turn, raised questions about the sustainability of the channel.
Tenet has since closed its Dubai office, but its London office remains open, as it did before the sale.
Al Jazeera is now based in Dubai, but will be relocating to the US in 2019, where it will take over a cable network owned by the Cablevision network, known as Cogent.
The UK government has been keen to get its hands on Al Jazeera’s assets.
The BBC’s Middle East Service has been given a licence to broadcast from the new US embassy in London.
In 2018, the UK government made an application to Tenet to take over the network, but Tenet had declined.
The government is now considering a number proposals, including one that would give Tenet exclusive rights to the channel’s content and would allow it to be sold to the highest bidder.
The latest bid to buy Al Jazeera has received considerable attention in the UK, as the British Government has been in talks with a number media companies about buying the broadcaster.
The British government is currently examining the possibility of selling Al Jazeera to a foreign company, the Financial Times reported.
The newspaper said it was hopeful that the bid could be approved by the government and was confident that the broadcaster would remain in the country.
With reporting by Al Jazeera Arabic and The National

domain: news


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Delicious sauce over tasteful Crock-Pot Pork Chops. Easy to make, with ingredients you already have, this meal will is great for those big Sunday meals.
Crock-Pot Pork Chops
So everyone was impressed with how tasty this recipe ended up being. Often when you put meat and sauce together in a crock, the meat doesn’t hold onto the salt, pepper and spices that you put onto it, leaving one to have to re add the spices back on after. No one had to re add for this recipe, the pork held to the flavor perfectly and with the rice and sauce it was delicious. You could also make this pork chop recipe with a rice pilaf, mashed potatoes or egg noodles instead of rice.
More great Crock-Pot Pork Chop Recipes

domain: food


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- OpenAI's ChatGPT blew up last year, and changed how people think about the future of work.
- But while OpenAI became synonymous with AI, its competition hasn't sat still.
- Privacy issues and data protection will bring many OpenAI customers to its more niche competitors.
The good news for OpenAI is that it's essentially become synonymous with the current boom in generative AI.
ChatGPT, the company's overnight success, has emerged as the gold standard in AI chatbots — forcing its larger competitors, namely Google, scrambling to catch up. OpenAI has kept up that momentum by rapidly improving ChatGPT, both by making it smarter and by signing deals with the likes of Microsoft to bring it to more places.
The bad news is that its success may prove to be a double-edged sword. OpenAI's first-mover advantage is already diminishing quickly as privacy rules, regulations, and good old-fashioned market competition mean that it's unlikely to dominate the field forever — leaving a giant opening for competitors like Google and international players like Baidu to make their move.
The heart of the matter is that ChatGPT itself is what you might call a general-purpose chatbot platform: It's designed to be as helpful as possible to a wide audience that spans industries and lifestyles.
Experts and industry insiders say that in the real world, there's a real benefit to going deep, building AI models that are extremely good at specific purposes, and built to meet the stringent requirements of international privacy and safety rules.
"I don't think there will be one master AI model that everyone uses, and I don't want to work in a world where that is the case," said Naveen Rao, co-founder of AI company MosaicML.
Which is to say that while OpenAI's status as a pioneer in the space is well-earned, its path to becoming the next great tech giant is less clear.
OpenAI is facing real challenges
Other AI model makers see a growing opportunity in the concerns around OpenAI, and want to pounce on the opportunity.
Meanwhile, leaders including Elon Musk have called on the industry to slow down AI development. The fact that many don't want to do so for fear of losing market share proves that OpenAI is facing stiff competition that isn't waiting to see what comes next.
But OpenAI, while on its way to becoming a giant in the field, will still face some tough competition of its own making.
ChatGPT's ultimate weakness: it's not niche enough
ChatGPT's big selling point is the ability to answer virtually any question. It reads a large volume of data — mainly culled from the wider internet — to find the correct pattern to generate an answer to a query.
Not all industries believe their data should be part of the grand, public experiment that is ChatGPT. This belief was bolstered after a bug leaked ChatGPT conversation histories. Companies like Walmart, Amazon, and even partner Microsoft warned employees not to enter sensitive information on ChatGPT. Amazon, not one to miss a promotional activity, then directed its programmers to use its own AI model called CodeWhisperer.
OpenAI's determination to dominate the field meant it created a more general AI model that others could add on. In that regard, OpenAI licenses ChatGPT to other organizations. This allows startups and other big brands like partner and investor Microsoft to build on top of its blockbuster product.
However, it also leaves an opening in the market for more specific AI models that organizations in sensitive industries will flock to.
Rao said healthcare and financial services companies want to use powerful AI but want to ensure their data remains in their possession and only train AI with the relevant information.
AI isn't winner-take-all
Competition in the AI space means more choices, which can spur better innovation, the experts said.
"Diversity in generative AI models enables enterprises to build and deploy applications that align with their unique business needs and proprietary data," said Kari Briski, vice president for AI Software at NVIDIA. "In the case of large language models, even just one-size model doesn't fit every scenario."
Briski said being able to customize to fit specific needs even boosts the value of large language models to businesses. And AI, to flourish further, cannot be made such that one size fits all.
OpenAI may have moved its AI to the larger public first, but its very business model to date eventually means other companies will take advantage and serve those it cannot.


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Paramount Pictures have signed up Diane Keaton and Jeff Goldblum to join the cast of their forthcoming comedy 'Morning Glory.'Variety reports the pair will join Harrison Ford and Rachel McAdams in the J.J. Abrams produced film.
The story follows a news producer, played by McAdams, who is tries to save a morning TV show by putting an end to bickering between the two anchors. Ford and Keaton will play the feuding anchors. Goldblum has been cast as McAdams' boss.
Roger Michell is directing from a script by Aline Brosh McKenna. Filming is set to begin this May in New York City.

domain: entertainment


ACTRESS Amanda Seyfried is reportedly dating Thomas Sadoski months after splitting from actor Justin Long.
“Amanda and Thomas are definitely dating right now. She’s no longer single,” an insider said to People magazine.
The two actors reconnected while filming the movie after co-starring in the off-Broadway show The Way We Get By last year.
Seyfried was spotted holding onto Sadoski as they walked back to their trailers on set in Pasadena, California on Wednesday.
The 30-year-old Ted 2 actor dated Long for over two years before splitting last September.
Before that, she was linked to Mamma Mia co-star Dominic Cooper from 2008 to 2013.
The Newsroom actor split from wife Kimberly Hope in October 2015 after eight years of marriage.
In The Last Word, Seyfried stars as a writer tasked with the obituary of a highly successful business woman, played by Shirley MacLaine.


Three years after the beginning of the pandemic, hospitals have started to put the pieces back together and take inventory of COVID-19’s wide-ranging, long-lasting impact on health care. That process is ongoing and will be for some time. But a recent Texas Hospital Association workforce survey reinforces and quantifies one fact that’s become abundantly clear: Hospitals are facing a breaking point for their workforce.
Now, it’s been no secret that hospitals struggled against the mounting pressures of COVID-19. I’ve illustrated before in this space how the pandemic brought an already strained workforce to its knees. On the front lines, doctors and nurses watched their colleagues experience stress and burnout, causing many to leave the profession, retire or take their health care talents to an environment with less stress and better pay. Earlier this year, the Texas Tribune reported a lack of obstetricians in East Texas created a virtual desert for maternal care.
But THA’s survey, which collected responses from 178 hospitals in Texas, spotlights the depth and breadth of COVID’s disruption across our state. Over 60% of those facilities reported an inability to operate at full capacity due to significant nursing shortages. Over half of hospitals and clinics in both rural and urban Texas are bottlenecked by a lack of health care professionals.
Soaring Staff Vacancies Result in Reduced Hospital Services
While health care workforce shortages existed long before COVID-19, the pandemic acutely impacted the people who provide care inside the walls of hospitals – from burnout and fatigue to leaving the profession altogether.
Across the state (and country), hospitals are struggling to keep full-time staff and maintain adequate capacity. You’ll no doubt recall tales of turmoil from the height of the pandemic when health care workers told stories of working long and intense hours. To maintain the health of their communities, health care professionals sacrificed their time, personal life, and physical health. Many decided it was no longer worth it.
In THA’s survey, 61% of respondents who left hospital employment cited burnout as one of their top two reasons why, and 81% cited better pay elsewhere as one of their top two. All of this culminated in thousands of nurse vacancies, forcing our hospitals to work at a fraction of the personnel power they had before the pandemic.
These and other results in our survey indicate the fight continues even as we potentially approach the finish line on a long and arduous ordeal. Health care environments were pressurized during the pandemic, and we continue to protect our workers. According to our survey, 61% of hospitals reported violence severity has increased since the start of the pandemic; just one survey respondent indicated a decrease in frequency of violence at the hospital. Violence against health care workers mustn’t be treated as an unforeseeable, unpreventable event. The same workers who consistently save the lives of so many within their communities must be protected.
The beginning of 2023 and the current session of the Texas Legislature must mark the beginning of real effort to change all of this. Solutions to these workplace shortages include an increase in professional training funds, including loan repayment help and graduate medical education expansion through the state budget. Workforce safety must also be at the forefront of the legislative agenda. That’s why THA is working toward those goals by supporting helpful legislation like House Bill 112 by Rep. Donna Howard (D-Austin) and its companion, Senate Bill 240 by Sen. Donna Campbell, MD (R-New Braunfels), which put in place new requirements to promote prevention and accountability for workplace violence.
On the national level, the Safety From Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act aims to protect hospital employees by imposing more penalties for violent offenses in hospitals.
The hospitals – and their workers – that ushered Texans through this dark time now need support. Let’s aim for THA’s future hospital workplace surveys to reflect a workforce that’s stronger – and safer – than ever.
Originally published by the Houston Medical Journal.
Feb. 23, 2023


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Been craving this spicy Taiwanese concoction for ages (since a friend i taught English with in Chungli turned me onto them). Anyone know any taiwanese restaurants that service this dish?
Killer Kebabs for the Rest of Summer
Proper English Rashers
Puerto Rican Food
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text:
Leymah Roberta Gbowee
- Thousands of women rally for peace outside PM’s hometimesofisrael.com
- Hundreds of women march on Jerusalem for peacetimesofisrael.com
- New York City marks International Women’s Day with marchThe Findlay Courier
- New York City marks International Women's Day with marchStar Telegram
- International Women's Day march heldThe Toledo Blade
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domain: sociology


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The Household Finance and Consumption Survey (HFCS) is a harmonized sample survey on euro-area households’ wealth, income and consumption carried out by the national central banks.
The Italian data are from the Survey on Household Income and Wealth and have been suitably harmonized (e.g. incomes are reported as gross values, including taxes and social security contributions).
The national central banks have followed a methodology that is as homogenous as possible and used harmonized definitions to gather data on households’ balance sheets, both stocks and flows, with special focus on the wealth components.
The first wave of the survey was conducted in 2010 and 2011 and the total sample amounted to about 62,000 households. The second wave of the survey was conducted mainly in 2013 and 2014 and the total sample amounted to more than 84,000 households.
The full documentation is available on the project website. The microdata, in anonymous form, are available on request to researchers for academic and research purposes. Access to the data can be requested through the ECB website.
The microdata for Italy and the documentation are available here.

domain: finance


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Tencent and PUBG Corp have announced the first-ever PUBG Mobile North American Invitational, which will see 16 of the most popular PUBG Mobile content creators battling it out in squads to win a cash prize.
The aptly named ‘Player Well-Known’ tournament is part of PUBG Mobile’s new competitive initiative, and will take place on Friday, August 17 and Saturday, August 18 PDT (early Saturday and Sunday morning for those on BST).
When's it on?
If you’re interested in watching the invitational, you can watch it live on Facebook (opens in new tab), Twitch (opens in new tab), and YouTube (opens in new tab). Here’s what time:
USA: 8pm-10pm, August 17 (PDT) and 11pm-1am, August 17/18 (EDT)
UK: 4am-6am, August 18 (BST)
AU: 1pm-3pm, August 18 (AEST)
UK: 4am-6am, August 19 (BST)
USA: 8pm-10pm, August 18 (PDT) and 11pm-1am, August 18/19 (EDT)
AU: 1pm-3pm, August 19 (AEST)
The phenomenon of PUBG
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (or PUBG as it’s commonly known), a battle royale which sees you fighting to be the last man standing, has become a worldwide phenomenon since its early-access release in March 2017. Selling over 50 million copies on Steam, it’s arguably responsible for the rise in popularity of battle royale titles such as Fortnite.
PUBG Mobile launched in March of this year, offering players the chance to take part in the action wherever they please. While the console and PC versions of the title are losing players to Fortnite, the mobile counterpart surpassed 10 million active users just two months after its release.
PUBG Corp is making a push to create a thriving competitive scene for PUBG Mobile with the Player Well-Known invitational tournament. Previously, the tournament has taken place in Indonesia and Thailand.


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A Simple Key For todays news UnveiledHow the measures will have an effect on Britons’ funds – and who would be the winners What Jeremy Hunt’s budget usually means for pensions, childcare, money tax plus much more
'Must be very agonizing for Meredith's household:' Amanda Knox is slammed for tweet mocking journalist who hated finding out overseas in Italy by crowing that her infamous knowledge in the place was 'magnificent' Amanda Knox faced scrutiny for mocking a journalist who said she hated finding out abroad - immediately after commenting that her application was 'wonderful' Regardless of her roommate staying murdered. 166 responses
See today's back and front internet pages, down load the newspaper, get again issues and make use of the historic Daily Convey newspaper archive.
Activists say the project threatens delicate ecosystems, whilst proponents say it is key to Biden’s green energy agenda.
"Heading into a completely shaded area to the moon is something that's never ever been performed just before, by something," Ralston reported.
Witnesses explained the chaos and stress in the 2021 US departure through the Republican inquiry, which experienced people today in tears at times Veterans give searing testimony on US withdrawal from Afghanistan at Listening to
The organizer of the rally in Sacramento, California, very last 7 days in guidance of gender detransitioners reported the media emphasis on close by Antifa violence distracted from the goal of her event.
"With right style, these little probes would get to the Earth or other solar process planets for exploration, as the guardian craft passes by within a fraction of your Earth-Sun separation — the same as ‘Oumuamua’ did," the authors wrote.
President Biden issued an announcement late Friday describing the killing as “One more distressing reminder of the profound fear and trauma, the ache, plus the exhaustion that Black and Brown Us residents encounter each day.”
Are YOUR child's teachers on strike this 7 days? Entire list of faculty closures as a consequence of industrial motion on Wednesday The lecturers' strikes in England and Wales - the latest of 7 times of motion - have observed huge disruption across Key and secondary universities. 387 responses
US shares rose Tuesday and shares of regional banking companies had been considerably increased soon after times of whiplash-inducing volatility because of the collapse of SVB and Signature Bank.
The US says the joint drills pose no new danger but that deepening ties between the rival states might be ‘monitored’.
A survey located the volume of gambling ads was the highest issue among enthusiasts, in advance of umpiring and rule modifications AFL to persist with gambling adverts Regardless of a lot more than 75% of enthusiasts supporting bans
Govt, 35, at Metropolis tech firm saved his task right after groping young woman colleague's bottom during drunken workforce bonding session at 'Swingers' nuts golf location Multi-million pound Metropolis tech agency executive Michael Swain groped a woman colleague after a drunken team bonding session in news online a golf location - but was nonetheless permitted to preserve his occupation. six responses


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Group counseling maria fernandez schedule your next session today call 407-738-0955 from depression and anxiety to anger management and grief counseling, let us help you work towards. Counselling strategies by global edulink if you're hoping to become a counsellor then this mastering counselling course is a must.
Strategies for life counseling utilizes evidence based research, therapies, and interventions these interventions are proven effective in providing the help you are looking for to heal or to grow. Welcome to hope strategies counseling where we work for you we value the difficult process in finding a therapist and how challenging it can be to find someone who relates well with you. Susan macey provides counseling and therapy services in reston virginia, weight loss the center for counseling families (703)533-0202 510 n washington street suite 300 falls church, virginia. Strategies counselors have a total combined counseling experience that spans over 30 years dr alford is a retired psychology professor who designed and taught master's level courses in school. Overview: if you're hoping to become a counsellor then this counselling strategies course is a must there are many techniques.
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Counselling strategies what is counselling counselling or talk therapy was first discovered as a treatment by the medical profession by pioneers such as freud in the early 1900′s. Strategic counseling, llc is a community counseling private practice formed by jeremy demarco jeremy performs specialized counseling for depression, anxiety, impulsive behaviors. Welcome to life strategies counseling, inc we offer counseling services to children, adolescents, adults, couples, and group psychotherapy in a warm, safe and supportive environment. Combining more than three decades of strategic consulting, strategic counsel inc (sci) is a full service the firm is focused on developing strategies for multinational corporations and developing.
Title: counseling to enhance self-esteem eric digest it also provides empirical evidence for the importance of self-esteem and specific strategies for a school counsellor to use to enhance. Strategic counseling solutions just another nettech hosting site our mission is to bring hope, healing, and restoration with the use of strategic interventions while showing the love of christ.
Counseling strategy counseling is defined as discussion of an emotional problem with an employee therefore, counseling: deals with an emotional problem is an act of communication.

domain: psychology


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Ontario summers are packed with fresh local fruit. Try something new with the fruit you find at your farmers’ market, and give soda a try! After your first batch, you’ll probably be hooked, and start experimenting with cool flavour combos (like strawberry-mint, or cherry-peach)!
“I’ll be honest with you, the first time I made this soda it exploded out of the bottle and all over my friends (it still tasted delicious, just in case anyone was wondering). I have since learned that the amount of time you allow the yeast to be active is very important. Give it no more than twelve hours, and then stash it away in the fridge. The only ingredient here that most won’t have heard of is dry Champagne yeast. The good news is that not only can this yeast be found at any brew shop (wine, or beer), but it also costs next to nothing for a package that’s five times the amount needed for a small batch of soda. Win!” — Anna Fischer, Feast ON Communications Coordinator
- Ontario cherries
- Brown sugar (to taste)
- Dry Champagne yeast 1/8 tsp
- Macerate the cherries in a food processor (or by hand), then place in a deep saucepan and stir over low heat to extract all of the juice.
- Let cool.
- Using cheesecloth, strain the juice from the cherries (set aside the spent cherries, these make a great addition to a bowl of ice-cream!).
- Add sugar to the cherry juice, and stir again over low heat, creating a syrup.
- Let cool.
- Pour carefully into a 2L bottle.
- Consider adding in other flavours (like lemon or lime).
- Add the yeast, close the bottle, and let sit undisturbed in a cool dark place for no more than 12 hours.
- Chill, and enjoy!
- Feel free to experiment with your favourite fruity flavours, but keep in mind that the more sugar you use, the more quickly the soda should be refrigerated. Refrigeration stops the yeast in their tracks, and keeps your soda bottles from exploding!
- Pro-tip: Plastic bottles are best, because you can see them expand if the soda becomes over-carbonated. If you're using glass bottles, which I do from time to time, save a single bottle of soda in a small plastic bottle. Watch the plastic bottle for signs of strain, so that you'll know when the soda is ready to be refrigerated.
About Taste Tested
From the farm to the table, it�s easy to be inspired by Ontario�s endless parade of edibles. With ?Taste Tested?, OCTA�s staff are sharing their freshest finds and dishing out their favourites of the season. Come discover what�s on our table � literally!

domain: hobby


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This Illustration has bugged me to no end lol I decided to try and improve it, feel I have done all I can with it now. Really dont like the legs and generally the bottom half of the image, and I feel the colours are muddy again, anyway could pick apart this image all day ;) Hopefully its not too dark, I think my monitor is working correctly now.
Going to be starting my dissertation soon, and my illus320 thematic module. For that I am going to illustrate the 7 deadly sins as characters, I feel my self made brief needs a context of what are the characters for so will have to think on that. Leaning towards games, but might try something different such as for skateboard decks.

domain: artistic


About 24 BRS Councilors passed a no-confidence motion against their own Vikarabad Municipal Chairperson Chigullapally Manju. A resolution with signatures was handed over to Collector Nikhila Reddy.
The road collapsed on Street number 5, Himayat nagar, Hyderabad. A vehicle passing by on that road fell into the road. The driver of the vehicle and two workers sustained minor injuries in the accident.
As decided by the Assam Cabinet to register cases under the POCSO Act against men who marry girls below the age of 14, it also stated that action will be taken under the Child Marriage Prohibition Act 2006 against those who marry girls…
Telangana State BJP President, Bandi Sanjay reacted seriously against the police who lathi-charged and beaten the BJYM activists and leader when they tried to gherao the DGP office, saying that these policemen who have acted violently…
BJYM's agitation in support of SI and Constable candidates turned violent. There was a scuffle between the leaders and activities who went to the DGP office to gherao the police.


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Biosimilars have been receiving a lot more attention in the U.S as of late, whether it is from pharmaceutical companies incorporating these into their pipelines or consumers wondering what they are and how they will affect their lives. There is no doubt that biosimilars are on the radar for biopharma trends to watch in 2019.
What exactly is the difference between generics and biosimilars? According to the FDA, generic drugs have to be bioequivalent to the brand name reference drug while biosimilars are “highly similar” and have no clinically meaningful differences. Biosimilar drugs can have structural variations on inactive portions of the drug. For generics, the active ingredient must match the reference material exactly and the suggested dose must prove to be equally effective. Manufacturers of generics are able to sell the drug at a lower price as they do not expend substantial amounts of money on the research and development as well as the clinical trials to get it to market.
With biosimilars and generics available, competition remains a present factor on drug pricing. The 2019 year is expected to yield more FDA approvals of biosimilars than ever before. Only 16 biosimilars have been approved in the U.S thus far, seven of them only last year. The more options available for a single therapy, the more the price is driven down. The small number of approved biosimilars has not yet had a major impact on drug prices, but 2019 may be the year to see the changes many have been waiting for. The FDA reported there are over 50 ongoing biosimilar developments that may gain approval in 2019.
Biosimilars may be the way to go for smaller pharmaceutical companies to make a name for themselves in the market this year. At Alliance Pharma, we have experience in the production of biosimilars and have the means to produce regulatory compliant data. Visit our website for more information on how we can help you get your drug to market.

domain: chemistry


Paste a url where
can be downloaded
- Type: SPH
- Class: aircraft
- Part Count: 74
- Mods: 2
- Kerbal Aircraft Expansion
- Squad (stock)
1: Toggle engines¨2: Toggle ladders
// So I really wanted to replicate a P-38J, but saw all the curved wings and thought to myself,
that is not happening. But the P-38 is one of my all-time favorite planes, and I couldn’t just not build something like it. (Double negatives like double engines.) I mean, have you seen ‘em? They’re so cool! Goofy cockpit-pod, crazy wing design, I just love the thing. This version is pretty legit. Don’t expect it to run laps or out maneuver, well, anything. But it flies and looks damn good while doing it. And lands, too, of course; maiden flight, I went IVA view the whole time, from lift to land, and found you’re gonna want to pitch down a bit at touchdown and then pitch up after 40-50 m/s to keep all the wheels flat. Important things to note: Nothing, really. Plan a mission somewhere far, set your heading, and let her go.
A mod aircraft called Klockkeed KP Thunder (KAX). Built with 74 of the finest parts, its root part is Mark2Cockpit.
Built in the SPH in KSP version 1.0.4.
Do you really want to downvote this?
Don't forget, people build craft at all skill levels, just 'cos something is 'newbish' doesn't mean it needs hatin'.
It will cost you 5 of your own points to downvote


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Nobodinoz Beauty Pouch - Gold Stella/Natural
Keep your favourites organised in the Beauty Pouch to take on all your trips.
Great capacity to carry in a very stylish way, lotions, toiletries and all your beauty essentials. Water repellent lining for easy cleaning.
Materials: OUTER SHELL: 100% organic cotton, LINING: 48% cot, 52% pol acrylic coated, FILLING: 100% oeko tex polyester, ACCESSORIES: 50% cotton, 50% polyester
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Care: Cold gentle cycle, do not bleach, do not soak, do not scrub, do not spin dry, do not iron


The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced Tuesday that it had filed suit in New York against two traders and three firms, alleging that in 2008 they manipulated crude oil futures prices in a trading scheme that bagged more than $50 million.
The CFTC charged five defendants -- Parnon Energy Inc. of California, Arcadia Petroleum Ltd. of the United Kingdom, Arcadia Energy (Suisse) SA of Switzerland, James Dyer of Australia and Nicholas Wildgoose of California -- of unlawfully manipulating and attempting to manipulate the New York Mercantile Exchange crude oil futures prices from January to April 2008. The charges were filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Dyer and Wildgoose were traders for Parnon and Arcadia, respectively, and both energy trading companies are controlled by Norwegian billionaire John Fredriksen's Farahead Holdings Ltd., which is based in Cyprus. Fredriksen also owns liquefied natural gas company Golar LNG Ltd. and worldwide offshore operator Seadrill Ltd.
According to the criminal complaint, the CFTC said the defendants had purchased about 4.6 million bbl of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) light sweet crude oil by Jan. 18, 2008 "even though they had no commercial need for crude oil." The CFTC said the defendants controlled about 66% of WTI supplies at the time and gave "other market participants the impression that the supply would remain tight."
Regulators allege that the defendants then sold short WTI derivatives at the artificially high prices. On Jan. 25, 2008, the defendants allegedly dumped their 4.6 million bbl of WTI on the market, driving prices down and making more than $50 million from the derivatives.
The CFTC said Dyer and Wildgoose attempted to repeat their scheme in February 2008 but were unable to do so because of unresolved credit issues. Regulators said the pair managed to repeat their scheme in March 2008 and were attempting it again in April 2008 when they learned that their activities were under investigation by the CFTC.
CFTC spokesman Dennis Holden told NGI that Timothy Carey, an attorney with the Chicago-based law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf, was the counsel of record in the case and is representing the defendants. Carey could not be reached for comment Wednesday. According to the criminal complaint, the defendants could face up to $130,000 in penalties for each of the five counts against them or triple the monetary gain ($150,000) for each violation.
Holden declined to reveal whether the agency was conducting any other investigations into oil speculation. President Obama last year signed into law the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act that will overhaul derivatives. The law is expected to be in place later this year (see Daily GPI, May 25; July 22, 2010).
In 2007 the CFTC ordered Marathon Petroleum Co., a subsidiary of Ohio-based Marathon Oil Corp., to pay a $1 million civil penalty for attempting to manipulate crude oil spot prices (see Daily GPI, Aug. 2, 2007).
Holden told NGI in 2008 that energy companies paid about $137 million in civil penalties during that fiscal year for fraud, manipulation and other misconduct in the futures markets, including energy futures.
Intelligence Press Inc. All rights reserved. The preceding news report
may not be republished or redistributed, in whole or in part, in any
form, without prior written consent of Intelligence Press, Inc.


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We describe a case of a woman diagnosed at the age of 35 years with a generalised mediastinal and abdominal lymphangiomatosis associated with a protein losing enteropathy, who successfully improved when treatment with sirolimus was initiated.
- cardiovascular system
This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.
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Systemic generalised lymphangiomatosis is a very rare condition commonly appearing during childhood, characterised by proliferation of normal mature lymphatic ducts with formation of numerous cysts in varied body organs. These cysts can occur in any organ except for the brain that lacks lymphatics.1 Its aetiology remains unknown, but lymphangiomas are considered to be uncommon benign tumours. Different putative mechanisms of lymphangioma development are proposed including failure of the lymphatic system to connect with or separate from the venous system or abnormal budding of the lymphatic system from the cardinal vein. In adults, sequestration of lymphatic tissue secondary to inflammatory processes or surgical therapy has been incriminated.2 3 Recent studies suggest the potential role of specific lymphangiogenic growth factors. Increased interleukin-6, vascular endothelial growth factor c (VEGF-c), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR-3) and Prospero Homeobox 1 (prox-1) have been correlated with the genesis of lymphangiomas.4 These new insights create new opportunities for treatment, including the use of inhibitors of angiogenesis.
Although lymphangiomas are benign lesions, they may cause significant mortality because of their large sizes, critical locations and the possibility of secondary infections. The lymphangiomatosis spectrum is very heterogeneous in its presentation, and can include microcystic and macrocystic isolated lymphatic malformations, thoracic and intra-abdominal diffuse lymphangiomatosis, and osseous and soft-tissue presentations known as Gorham-Stout disease.1
Lung involvement is paramount and the leading cause of death.5 Abdominal lymphangiomatosis is rare in adult patients. The most frequent symptoms are abdominal pain. Some patients with limited lymphangiomas are asymptomatic. Few case reports describe adult patients with lymphangiomatosis, gastrointestinal bleeding and hypoproteinaemia, that may be life-threatening. Intestinal lymphangiectasia is one of the reasons of protein-losing enteropathy.6–9
Since the condition is rare there is no uniform treatment strategy for symptomatic patients and evidence-based therapies are lacking. Surgery has been attempted for localised and generalised gastrointestinal disease, but recurrence rates are high.10 Various other treatment modalities have been proposed, including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, interferon-alfa and systemic corticosteroids with varied success in small cohorts.11–14 A limited number of case reports suggests a potential benefit of angiogenesis inhibitors, such as VEGF inhibitors, mammalion target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors and tyrosine kinase inhibitors.13–17
These treatments were successful at a young age of diagnosis but their efficacy in adults remains to be established.
Recent published case reports and a small patient cohort show an adult phenotype resembling lymphangiomatosis, but who are associated with phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase catalytic alpha polypeptide (PIK3CA) gene mutations. These PIK3CA-related overgrowth syndromes (PROS) can lead to asymmetric growth of lymphatics and mimic a systemic lymphangiomatosis. When confronted with patients suffering from PROS, efficacy has been established with sirolimus, and recent evidence shows promising results with BYL719, an inhibitor of PIK3CA.18
The present case illustrates the beneficial effect of sirolimus in a therapy resistant generalised lymphangiomatosis in an adult patient and highlights the importance of CT volumetry in the monitoring of the condition. Therefore, sirolimus therapy should be considered for diffuse lymphangiomatosis as it may be effective in improving the condition as illustrated in this patient, with persistent benefit 4 years after the initiation of treatment.
A 35-year-old woman progressively developed abdominal pain, associated with severe lymphoedema of the legs, ascites and diarrhoea. She was not taking any medication and her medical history was unremarkable, except for a sphincterectomy and papillotomy for gallstones, a laparoscopic cholecystectomy and a left ovarectomy after ovarian torsion. She did not have any familial antecedents of similar findings.
She did not smoke and there was no alcohol consumption.
Laboratory results showed a potassium level of 2.4 mmol/L, a calcium level 1.45 mmol/L, an albumin concentration 14 g/L, uric acid 1.8 mg/dL, gammaglobuline 1.7 g/L, transferrin saturation 28%, ferritine level 7 µg/L, haemoglobin 95 g/L, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) 72 fL, platelets 63×109/L, white cell count of 1.600×109/L, absolute lymphocytes 2.151×109/L and vitamin B12 0.18 µg/L.
An initial CT of the thoracoabdominal region showed a multilobar cystic mass in the mediastinum extending in the retroperitoneum and intraperitoneum. A total body MRI confirmed multiple hyperintense cystic lesions in mediastinum and retroperitoneum on T2-weighted images suggestive of lymphangiomatosis. A biopsy of the cystic lesions was performed under CT guidance, but biopsy was non-diagnostic, because there was not enough tissue sample.
The differential diagnosis should include metastatic ovarian cystic adenocarcinoma, cystic teratoma, lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), PROS syndrome and benign lymphangiomatosis. The diagnosis of metastatic ovarian cystic adenocarcinoma was excluded with normal CA 125 and the atypical aspect on CT scan and MRI. Cystic teratoma usually presents as a complex cystic mass with a considerable solid component and calcifications, moreover the patient had normal alfa fetoprotein and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) levels.19
PROS syndrome is a genetic disorder that results from somatic, mosaic gain-of-function mutations of the PIK3CA. Most patients present with major deformities and vascular masses that were not seen in the present case. LAM results from progressive proliferation of atypical smooth-muscle like cells. It often occurs as an inherited disorder called tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), but it can be isolated and sporadic and primarily affects the lungs. Serum VEGF-D may be a useful biomarker in LAM.20
We proceeded with an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy that revealed multiple white spots in the duodenum and jejunum. Histopathology of the biopsy showed lymphangiectasia with no evidence of malignancy, nor the presence of LAM cells. Immunostaining for HMB45 was negative, but positive for CD31 and smooth muscle actin. TSC gene analysis was negative, and serum VEGF-D level was normal. Recently PIK3CA gene was analysed in a small skin vascular lesion and the mutation could not be identified.
The diagnosis was generalised lymphangiomatosis with a malabsorption due to protein losing enteropathy.
The patient was put on a low-fat protein diet, with weekly infusion of albumin and immunoglobulin supplementation. Pan abdominal radiotherapy, with a total of 14.3 Gy in 11 fractions, was proposed but was stopped prematurely due to severe gastrointestinal side effects.
In the following years, different treatments, based on recent insights of the pathogenesis of this disease, were administered: sandostatine, low fat with medium chain triglyceride diet, followed by doxycline, beta-blockade and finally thalidomide. All treatments failed to induce significant changes in clinical, biological and radiographic findings. A treatment based on sirolimus 0.8 mg/m²/12 hours was initiated in January 2016. The dose of sirolimus was adjusted to keep trough concentrations between 6 and 30 µg/L.
Outcome and follow-up
Subsequent CT imaging showed a significant regression of the cystic lesions with an estimated volume reduction of 1226 cc to 447 cc (−64%) since the introduction of Sirolimus (figure 1A–D). The cystic structures seen on the CT scans were manually segmented by the ‘volume tracing function’ (Intellispace Portal, Philips, The Netherlands), which implements a region growing algorithm that takes into account the density similarity of the cysts. Those densities were added to the segmentation. When all the cystic structures were selected, the algorithm calculated the content of the volume of interest.21 22
The patient continued infusion of albumin and immunoglobulin supplementation at a lower frequency with controlled serum albumin, and improvement of initial severe lymphopenia (white cell count of 3.400×109/L, absolute lymphocytes 0.550×109/L). The patient lost weight with regression of lymphoedema of lower limbs. She did not experience severe infections since treatment was started. This was indeed a major concern in the presence of severe lymphopenia and immunosuppression with sirolimus.
We postulate that regression of cystic lesions contributed to decreased lymphocyte sequestration and leakage resulting from diminished intestinal lymphangiectasias. Throughout the follow-up, the sirolimus levels were within therapeutic range.
Systemic generalised lymphangiomatosis is a rare disorder and usually becomes symptomatic at a young age. Although the condition is benign in nature, it may lead to severe symptoms and in some cases may have a debilitating course with high mortality. Indeed, abdominal lymphangiomatosis can result in severe protein losing enteropathy and gastrointestinal bleeding due to the presence of diffuse intestinal lymphatic abnormalities, as described in the present case report.6–9
The lymphopenia as observed in the present case is, however, exceptional and rarely reported.
Whether lymphangiomas are true malformations or neoplastic in nature remains unsettled. Taking into account the unusual proliferation of lymphatics, mTOR inhibitors may represent a promising treatment strategy in the management of the observed lymphatic anomalies, although the level of evidence of efficacy is low and is essentially based on occasional case reports.13–17 Patients treated with angiogenesis inhibitors were diagnosed at a young age. One can indeed presume that early intervention may be more promising by intervening in the process of lymphangiomatosis at an early stage. The efficacy at adult age of diagnosis remains uncertain.
In the broad differential diagnosis of lymphangiomatosis, patients should be screened for PIK3CA mutations, because several case reports and a recent published patient cohort have shown adult patients with a phenotype mimicking systemic lymphangiomatosis.18
However, we could not detect this mutation in the patient.
The present observation adds support to the possible beneficial treatment of sirolimus in adult patients with diffuse lymphangiomatosis. Our patient was treated with sirolimus with dose adjustment according to measured trough levels with a favourable evolution of the associated protein losing enteropathy. This could not be achieved with previous therapeutic regimens, administered in parallel with supportive treatment. The treatment was not only efficient in controlling disease symptoms but also induced radiological regression of the cystic lesions. Volumetric CT as illustrated in the present case report constitutes a good measure to evaluate efficacy of treatment.21 22 A similar observation has recently been made in the treatment of an adult patient with diffuse pulmonary lymphangiomatosis treated with sirolimus with a decrease in mediastinal masses and an improvement in pulmonary function.23
Therefore, this case report highlights an important role of the angiogenesis inhibitors in the treatment of symptomatic and therapy resistant systemic generalised lymphangiomatosis.
Lymphopenia is not a limiting factor. Increase in absolute numbers of lymphocytes under sirolimus treatment might even be considered as a positive result with a possible benefit, including a decreased risk of secondary infectious complications.
Further insights in the pathogenesis of the disease and targeted treatments can result in a better outcome of patients with diffuse lymphangiomatosis.
Systemic generalised lymphangiomatosis is a benign disorder that may mimic malignancy with severe symptoms and aggressive behaviour.
There is no uniform consensus on treatment of generalised lymphangiomatosis.
Promising results can be expected with angiogenesis inhibitors.
Contributors The three authors have been treating the patient and did ensure follow-up. TVM has written the case report. FV and BV contributed to the redaction.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Competing interests None declared.
Patient consent for publication Obtained.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

domain: biology


text:
Santa sent us an Elf on the Shelf this year to help spread the word about healthy eating! Follow the adventures of our HealthyElf and if you catch your own Elf on the Shelf encouraging healthy habits, share the images with #HealthyElf on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest and we'll share our favorites on Pinterest.
HealthyElf is enjoying the fall harvest. Learn more about the health benefits of fruit along with the other food groups.
This program, brought to you by Dairy Council of California, aligns with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
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Super quick and really cute, this DIY Mickey notebook makes a fun gift for any Disney-lover, but it’s also a great Dollar Tree craft anyone can make. SCORE!
DIY Mickey Notebook
Here at Ruffles and Rain Boots, we are always looking for fun ways to bring a little Disney to the every day. I needed to replace my notebook I use for all my crafts – and the kiddo wanted one for school, so I broke out some Dollar Tree supplies and made this fun Disney craft!
So, really, this is both a Dollar Tree craft and a Disney craft, which is kind of awesome, but then it’s also a back to school craft. Trifecta of awesome. If you’re ready to make a fun Mickey and Minnie notebook, let’s get started.
No Time to Make This Now? Pin it for Later
You’re busy, I get it. Pin this to your favorite back to school crafts board on Pinterest and it’ll be here when you’re ready.
As an Amazon Associate, I can earn from qualifying purchases.
Tips to Make Mickey and Minnie Notebooks
- First, grab a couple of mini composition notebooks from the Dollar Tree. If you can’t find them there, don’t sweat it, I found some here that are just like the ones I used.
- For anyone who has worked with notebooks before, you probably don’t need to hear this, but I’m going to say it for anyone who hasn’t… Be very careful to keep the adhesive out of the pages of the notebook. If you glue the pages of the book together, you won’t be able to use it.
- If you want to make these notebooks in a bigger size like the full size composition notebooks, just use a full sheet of construction paper and a larger hole punch. Easy to upsize.
How Do I Make this DIY Mickey Notebook?
I’m so glad you asked. Below is our written tutorial.
- 2 Mini Composition Notebooks
- Card Stock in Red, White and Black
- 2 Yellow Buttons, 1/2-inch
- ¾-inch Round Circle Punch
- Adhesive Tape
- Liquid Glue with a fine tip applicator
- Cut a rectangle of black cardstock 2 1/2 -inches wide and a piece of red cardstock 2-inches wide.
- Add 4-5 lines of adhesive tape to the front cover of the mini notebook. Attach the red rectangle to the bottom portion of the cover and the black cardstock to the bottom of the cover. Trim away any excess cardstock then repeat covering the back of the notebook the same way.
- Glue the two yellow buttons onto the front of the notebook, about 2 inches apart on the red cardstock. Set aside to dry.
- Add 4-5 lines of adhesive tape to the front cover of the mini notebook and place a red cardstock on top. Trim any excess cardstock away then repeat to cover the back of the notebook.
- From white cardstock, cut 24 circles using the circle hole punch then attach each circle to the front and back covers using the adhesive tape. Trim away any excess portions of the circles.
For more fun Disney crafts, visit Ruffles and Rain Boots!
More Disney Crafts You Might Like
- Mickey Hot Cocoa Bombs – I love how simple this recipe is to make Mickey hot cocoa bombs. They’re fast, fun and cozy.
- Mickey & Minnie Ornaments – Quick ornaments that you can make for a Christmas tree, to add to a farmhouse tiered tray!
- Mickey Love Sign Dollar Tree Craft – Perfect to add a little Disney whimsy to any entryway display or a kid’s room!
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Vaccination Clinics Booked Within Minutes
Within a matter of minutes both the State University of New York at Fredonia and Jamestown Community College vaccination clinics scheduled for the coming days were booked.
On Thursday morning, the Chautauqua County Health Department listed the two sites. The first takes place Saturday at the Steele Hall Ice Rink at the State University of New York at Fredonia. The second will be Tuesday at the Jamestown Community College Phys Ed Complex at 290 Curtis St. in Jamestown.
Though filled, the county Health Department site at https://chqgov.com/public-health/covid-19-vaccination-clinics indicates stand-by registration links will be posted this morning.
One thing the quick registration for both these sites highlight are the desperation by residents here to be vaccinated. As of Thursday morning, both the OBSERVER and The Post-Journal received calls from individuals who are growing impatient with the process.
According to some at the county, these two clinics could assist anywhere from 400 to 700 residents. Last week, due to the poor weather conditions across the country, the county did not receive its supplies for vaccination. The shipments, however, arrived this week.
Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel said officials in the Health Department and administration are working daily to send a message to state leaders of the dire need here, especially for the senior population. “I know how frustrating this process is for everybody,” Wendel said in reference to the online registration that normally fills up quickly.
Just Wednesday afternoon, SUNY Fredonia announced it had reached an agreement with the county Health Department to host a location. JCC had indicated an interest earlier this year, but a mass clinic never occurred due to the lack of vaccine coming in from New York state’s limited 250,000 doses it receives from the federal government.
These filled clinics, however, were not associated with the one referenced by U.S. Rep. Tom Reed during his call with area media on Wednesday. Reed said then it is “highly likely” a mass vaccination clinic for COVID-19 will be coming to Chautauqua County in the near future. His comments came after a news report earlier this week that a planned location by the federal government here was rejected by New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
There is no timeline for this state-run clinic, however, at this time.
The county Health Department on Thursday reported 50 new COVID-19 cases, of which half came from those residing in the Jamestown zip code. To date there have been 7,512 total confirmed cases, 7,232 recoveries and 137 virus-related deaths.
As of Thursday there were 143 active cases, eigth people with the virus in the hospital and a seven-day positivity rate of 1.2%.
New cases also broke down as follows: four in Dunkirk and Frewsburg, three in Bemus Point and Sherman, two each in Sinclairville, Mayville and Clymer, and one each in Forestville, Silver Creek, Falconer and Kennedy.
In Cattaraugus County, 25 new COVID cases were recorded Wednesday. There have been 4,298 confirmed cases, 4,015 recoveries and 86 virus deaths. There are currently 188 active cases, 19 people with the virus in the hospital and a seven-day positivity rate of 2.8%.


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Heathrow and Gatwick: Beautiful French village 4 hours from London consistently named among the best for a romantic getaway
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching and England’s gloomy weather set to last for some time, many Londoners are feeling in the mood for a couples getaway in February. Home to the city of love, France is a top pick for anyone looking for a romantic getaway – but Paris isn’t the only romantic place you can easily travel to from London.
Perched on the heights of the Monts de Vaucluse, Gordes is an absurdly beautiful medieval village, perfect for a long weekend or a short stay with an added touch of romance. Not only is Gordes only three and a half hours away via London Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted and easily accessible by train – with some February airfares currently as low as £19.99 on EasyJet – it is also centrally located in the magnificent Luberon region.
READ MORE: Get flights to the Spanish islands of Mallorca and Lanzarote for just £9.99 in February and March on EasyJet now
Stretching over 600 square kilometers in the south of France, the Luberon is best known for its beautiful ocher landscapes, vibrant lavender fields and traditional French towns and villages that seem lost in time. Unsurprisingly, the magical region has been repeatedly named among the best European spots for a romantic weekend.
Gordes, on the other hand, is considered one of the Luberon’s main destinations to discover thanks to its privileged location on a hill, which offers breathtaking views of the rest of the valley. The pretty village is also often bathed in golden light, making it perfect for a romantic stroll, a sunset drink or lunch and dinner with a view.
You won’t need to sacrifice on the quality of the food either, as Gordes is full of excellent restaurants offering a mix of gastronomy and local cuisine. A particularly well rated spot is The Outsider. Number one restaurant in Gordes on Tripadvisor and winner of its Best of the Best award in 2021, this family restaurant is hidden from the main tourist sites and has five stars in total.
It has everything from a secluded outdoor terrace and friendly service to great food prepared with local ingredients and expertly crafted cocktails. Otherwise, if you’re looking for fine French cuisine, there are plenty of places to choose from, including Le Carillon and Auberge De La Bartavelle.
Both listed in the Michelin guide, they are located a stone’s throw from Goult, either 13 minutes by car or around 1h45 on foot. For those who prefer their meals overlooking the rolling countryside, Restaurant David in the nearby village of Roussillon is also a dream come true.
As for places to stay, Gordes is full of romantic boutique hotels and private accommodation options perfect for couples. For a classic Provençal experience, stay at Jas de Gordes, located in the heart of the Luberon Regional Park, just a five-minute drive from Gordes.
Here you will find acres of wooded parkland with lavender, thyme, rosemary and other fragrant plants. The rooms are bright, fresh and airy with lovely provincial white furniture, small flowers and stunning views.
There is also a heated swimming pool and a large open breakfast room and terrace where you can enjoy evening cocktails. You can also find more charming and secluded properties on Airbnbincluding an incredible 17th century stone pool house which seems straight out of a fairy tale.
In terms of activities, Gordes has something to satisfy all types of travellers. Those who prefer a more relaxed weekend will love wandering the maze of narrow cobbled streets in the village or visiting local historic sites such as Le Château de Gordes.
This sublime stone structure dates from at least the 11th century and features incredible interiors. You will also find a lively village market erected at the foot of the castle every Tuesday.
Expect fabrics, linens, soaps and lavender, as well as enough breads, olive oil, honey, cold cuts, cheese and wine to organize a picnic. Another must-see is the Abbaye Notre Dame de Sénanque, a historic monastery where monks still live to this day.
In summer, the combination of Cistercian Romanesque architecture and fields of vivid purple lavender make for a particularly stunning sight.
More active visitors to Gordes can also enjoy walking or cycling from the village to other Luberon hotspots such as Fontaine de Vaucluse, a pretty pastel-coloured town on the water. The walk between the two takes five hours from Gordes but is worth it for the quiet paths and scenic end point.
Popular cycle routes, meanwhile, include a 4.5-hour ride from Gordes to Bedoin through the Provençal countryside and vineyards, and the Gordes Loop Ride. The latter takes you through many of the classic landscapes of the Luberon valley, as well as two picturesque villages.
How to get there
One of the advantages of a weekend in Gordes is the ease of access. You can find regular flights to nearby Marseille Airport from Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted – and most only take around an hour and 55 minutes.
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Those looking for a last-minute romantic weekend can take advantage of EasyJet’s tickets to Marseille in February and March, which are currently from £19.99 at present. It will then take you about an hour and a half to reach the village of Gordes itself by taxi or rental car.
If you don’t mind a slightly longer journey, you can take the train from London St Pancras to Lille (one hour 22 minutes), then change to a TGV to Avignon (four hours). Book your tickets on Trainline here. From Avignon, it takes about 45 to 50 minutes to drive to Gordes, giving a total time of around six hours.

domain: geography


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Klan leader who plotted to murder North Carolina sheriff gets 15 years
Charles Robert “Junior” Barefoot Jr., 50, of Benson, N.C., was sentenced Wednesday in Raleigh by U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle. Barefoot, who headed a klavern of the Church of the National Knights of the KKK, was convicted in September on six counts of weapons and explosives violations.
The federal charges were related to a plan – its roots going back to 2001 – to kill Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell. The federal charges were filed after a state judge ruled in 2007 that Barefoot was mentally incompetent to stand trial for his involvement in the 2001 murder of a fellow Klan member.


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Turkey’s Erdogan says he tested positive for COVID-19
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has tested positive for COVID-19, he tweeted Saturday.
“Today my wife and I tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms. Thankfully, we’re experiencing slight symptoms that we have learned is the omicron variant,” he wrote. “We are on duty. We will continue to work at home. We look forward to your prayers.”
Erdogan, 67, sent the message after appearing via videolink at a tunnel-opening ceremony from Istanbul, having canceled his appearance in person.
The president showed no signs of illness in his televised appearance. Erdogan’s wife Emine tweeted that they hoped to get through their illness together as soon as possible.
The president’s health is a touchy subject in Turkey. Investigations were launched against social media users in November for “manipulative” tweets amid speculation about his health.
Erdogan, a former semi-professional soccer player, underwent surgery on his lower intestine in 2011. He has frequently denied reports that he had cancer and maintains a busy schedule, often giving multiple speeches a day.
Turkey has seen record levels of COVID-19 cases in recent days, with 111,157 cases reported by the Health Ministry on Friday. In late December, daily cases stood at about 20,000 but have risen due to the highly transmissible omicron variant.
The country is also seeing a high number of fatalities due to COVID-19, with 248 deaths reported on Friday, a level not seen since October.
Follow all AP stories on the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic.
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Stepping out of the most revolting NY winter evening – a blizzard graduating into ice-cold torrential rain causing the street’s filthy snow piles to turn into hazardous wells of grey slush – it was more than fitting to find oneself in Marc Jacobs’ stormy Autumn/Winter 2014 set, complete with sculptural fabric clouds suspended in the rafters overhead. A little too fitting, perhaps. There’s something to be said for fashion belonging, to some degree, to the realms of fantasy – to be removed momentarily from the everyday, i.e. the most depressing, glacial winter in recent memory. That said, while it may not have been the chirpiest spectacle, Marc Jacobs’ surreal vision for the coming winter was certainly thought-provoking. As the audience perched on white leather pods, drone-like models with bleached eyebrows and severe blunt-cut bobbed wigs and wide headbands stalked through the cavernous space as though in a trance to Jessica Lange’s foreboding spoken-word rendition of early 20th Century standard, Happy Days are Here Again. Appearing as a chic alien race, lookalike models donned sixtiess-mod meets ninties-raver Sci-Fi uniforms – go-go boots and chunky sneakers, flared knit leggings and boxy tunic combos, and mink bomber jackets atop sparse, elongated dresses with side split among the key pieces. Where last season’s dark post-apocalyptic Victoriana vision for Spring appeared to be winter wear, this collection was the complete reverse – ensembles seemingly created for summer. Soft and strangely futuristic, the collection featured minimal, clean silhouettes with low scoop and v-necklines conceived in lightweight fabrics and a pale, neutral palette of soft pink, peach, taupe and white. Breaking the muted continuum, shimmering all-over sequin and bead embellished cocktail dresses added razzle-dazzle, while the unmistakable standouts of the collection were the closing light-as-air floor-length dresses featuring wave-like tiers of pastel organza.
Drone-like models with bleached eyebrows and severe blunt-cut bobbed wigs and wide headbands stalked through the cavernous space as though in a trance to Jessica Lange’s foreboding spoken-word rendition of early 20th Century standard, 'Happy Days are Here Again'.


UConn's Martin receives waiver from NCAA and can play this season
Transfer Tyrese Martin received a waiver from the NCAA, making him eligible to play this season for the UConn men's basketball team.
The school announced the news on Wednesday.
A 6-foot-6, 215-pound junior guard, Martin is expected to be a key member of the rotation. The Huskies received a commitment from Martin in early April.
Martin spent the last two seasons at Rhode Island, averaging 12.8 points and 7.0 rebounds in a starting role as a sophomore. He shot 43.3 percent from the field, 32.1 percent from 3-point range.
"He has the type of athletic talent and mindset that we value deeply in our program," said coach Dan Hurley in April. "He will fit very well into our style of basketball and our culture."
Hurley recruited Martin, who's from Allentown, Pa., to play for Rhode Island before taking the UConn job.
Their relationship played a significant factor in Martin choosing to transfer to UConn. Martin also considered Oregon, Georgia, Mississippi and Seton Hall.
"I like the way (Hurley) went about things at Rhode Island," Martin said in April. "I saw what he was doing at UConn when he got there. Since he got there, he changed the program a little bit. I like the intensity that he brings every day to games and practices. He just pushed his players to be the best they can be."
Normally, Division I transfers sit out a season before becoming eligible. But the NCAA has approved more waivers than usual in recent months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Martin, who has two years of eligibility remaining, joins a backcourt that includes returning starters Jalen Gaffney and James Bouknight, Brendan Adams, freshman Andre Jackson and Howard transfer R.J. Cole, who's eligible to play this season.
"I think I fit in good, honestly," Martin said after committing to UConn. "I'm a two-way player. I can defend multiple guard positions. I'm a big rebounder on both ends. I can step in and make shots and make plays for my teammates."
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(Click second thumbnail above to watch video)
Museum-Quality Matte Paper Print available in two sizes:
12" x 16" (30cm x 40cm): $35.00
24" x 32" (60cm x 80cm): $48.00
“I am in fact a Hobbit (in all but size). I like gardens, trees and unmechanized farmlands; I smoke a pipe, and like good plain food…” - J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 213
In this portrait of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, we have the chance to celebrate the man, himself. Tolkien has been honored with many titles – the Author of the Century, the Father of Modern Fantasy, Merton Professor of English Literature and Language – but here we see him at his simple hobbit best, sitting under a great tree on a pleasant day, handsomely garbed in houndstooth and green waistcoat with golden buttons, and in the distance, the “hole in the ground” which arose in his thought with such clarity that it has become a cherished landmark in the minds of millions of readers. Tolkien, a tree, a green hill…it is an image that evokes peace, respect and love.
I have painted many portraits over the course of my career, but this one is deeply dear to me. It is a tribute to an author who has filled my life with wonder and joy since my earliest childhood and an homage to an artist of rare style and gifts. I wanted to make a special place for him in my own home, near my own Tolkien bookshelves, where I could be daily inspired by reflection on the life and work of this man who so loved the green world, and good food, and family, and friends, and faith. If Tolkien holds a strong place in your heart, this fine art print can become a touchstone in your home for the qualities you most prize in his writings, art, and example. I’ve met so many Tolkien fans and scholars who are keenly drawn to goodness and beauty, and the art we hang on our walls can surround us with what we love. I painted this portrait with heartfelt respect and love to thank this wonderful man for his inestimable contributions to my own life and to the lives of people all over the world. Thank you, Professor Tolkien!
"Portrait of J.R.R. Tolkien" Print
Every print you purchase comes with a white border for your convenience. The 32” x 24” print features an image that is 24” x 20” total, with a 2” border on the top and bottom, and a 4” border on either side. The 16” x 12” print features an image that is 12” x 10” total, with a 1” border on the top and bottom, and a 2” border on either side. If you take your print to a framer, you can either have it framed with the border or have your framer remove the border before framing.
The 250 gsm/ 110lb paper is perfect for fine art, designed to last for years without losing its original beauty. It is FSC-certified paper or equivalent certifications, depending on regional availability, for the sake of the Earth. Each poster is shipped in robust packaging, ensuring it arrives safely and securely. Paper sizes may vary slightly by region. For the US and Canada, the measurement is in inches, while for the rest of the world, it is in centimeters.
Your order will be printed on-demand by Gelato - a recognized leader in the creation of fine art prints. As the artist, I have ordered samples of my prints to ensure quality, but if you experience any quality issues, please contact support at Gelato via the many support options offered on this page: https://www.gelato.com/contact
Thank you so much for your purchase. Wishing you great enjoyment!


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In my younger years while I was raising my children, I can remember watching Sesame Street with them while they were growing up. There was a song from that program that was called “How do you get from here to there”…
That is really what my life and all this… and what this time of destiny for the Human life force is really all about.
How do we get from Here… to There.
All of us are on the threshold of an astounding, outrageous and almost incomprehensible transition. And it is a challenge and a dream that will demand everything…every single bit of dreaming hope, vision and courage our species can find to answer that destiny and challenge.
I have spent my life out back of beyond in the high country tracking that dream. It seems to be what I am supposed to be…what my parents and the dream they placed in me and the gift of life I have been given demand that I do. I have been out there “Where the Wild things Are” for a long time now…
And I have returned because I have something of value and interest to report.
And this is why I write. This is what I have to say.
Thanks for taking the time to listen.
Until that time,


Central European News and its founder Michael Leidig’s lawsuit over BuzzFeed referring to him as the “King of Bullshit News” was dismissed, Press Gazette reported.
Matt Mittenthal, a spokesperson for BuzzFeed News, told iMediaEthics: “The federal courts have now twice rejected this baseless lawsuit, and twice found no falsehoods in the original BuzzFeed News article cited by the plaintiffs. Truthful journalism has prevailed once again, and we’re glad this litigation is coming to an end.”
Harry Wise, CEN and Leidig’s lawyer, told iMediaEthics, “A decision that credits one side’s evidence and devalues the other side’s violates the basic rules that should be applied on a motion for summary judgment. The idea that the First Amendment prevents a libel plaintiff from creating an issue of fact as to the libel’s truth or falsity by testifying that he does not do the bad thing that the libel accuses him of doing is simply wrong–not supported by the Celle case that the panel invokes or by any other authority. I am preparing a petition to ask the panel to reconsider its decision, and, failing that, to have the full court consider the question en banc, because the decision is contrary to other decisions in the Second Circuit and elsewhere.”