- Good looking
- Useful FlexFold system for rear seats
- Lifetime warranty
- Not as fun to drive as Ford Focus estate
- Engines cannot get below 99g/km of CO2
When you are considering buying an estate you need to look at the figures. Doubtless you'll look at the loadspace, fuel economy, tax bands and then, just to be sure, you'll revisit the loadspace figures. All very sensible behaviour but buyers still want something that looks good and in this department the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer does have an edge over its rivals. With its tapered profile, falling roofline and prominent slash lines on the sides of the car it does cut a dash. In a bid to underscore those svelte looks Vauxhall has ditched the 'estate' moniker and plumped for the Sports Tourer name instead. You might consider this nothing more than a cynical marketing ploy, but you'd have to be hugely stubborn to write this off as another 'boxy' estate. To compete with the like of the Ford Focus Estate and the Kia Cee’d SW this car has a range of highly efficient petrol and diesel engines which offer a mixture of performance and economical, low CO2 motoring should that be what you want. Carbon dioxide emissions and fuel economy are helped further by the implementation of Vauxhall’s ecoFLEX technology, which comprises tech such as stop/start that cuts the engine out when stationary in traffic. It’s all designed to keep things are efficient as possible. In total there are seven engines available: two petrol engines displacing 1.4 or 1.6 litres and 1.3-, 1.7- and 2.0-litre diesels. The diesels will be of particular interest to company car drivers who are after low CO2 emissions so their BIK bills stay nice and manageable. The chassis feels accomplished, handling much like the hatchback and a large step forwards over the previous generation Astra. Safety has been worked on too, and we’d expect the Astra to be seriously reliable as the technology in use is tried and tested. So, the Sports Tourer certainly looks the part and it has pretty impressive economy and efficiency figures, but do its sleek lines compromise practicality? How does it stack up in the economy race compared to the competition? Read for our comprehensive Vauxhall Astra Sport Tourer review to find out.


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This furry critter is sure to become your dog’s new best friend, like, for realz! That’s because it’s designed to turn up the noisy fun with built-in squeakers and crinkle paper, and brings on the cuddle factor with the soft, plush fabric throughout. From playtime to naptime, this realistic looking pheasant is always there for your pup—to provide daily exercise and play, and as a comforting nap buddy. Available in different sizes for pups of most proportions.
Adorably realistic pheasant plush dog toy is both furry playmate and comfy nap buddy.
Built-in squeakers and crinkle paper provide the noisy fun dogs love, to get them excited about playtime.
Bring him out to add in the daily exercise and mental stimulation dogs need.
Soft and cuddly plush materials makes it perfect for naps and resting up after playtime.
Supervise your pup while they play solo, or join in on some interactive games like fetch and hide-and-seek.
This toy is not recommended for heavy chewers. No toy is indestructible. Supervise your pet when using since small parts can present a choking hazard or internal blockage. Discontinue use if the toy is damaged. Keep out of reach of children.
Every dog plays differently and since not all toys are created equal it’s always best to keep a close watch on your pup in case things get ruff. Supervised play will help toys last longer and most importantly keep your pal safe. No dog toy is truly indestructible so always remove the toy from playtime if pieces begin to break off. Not recommended for chew sessions.
Where is this product manufactured?
This toy is toy is made in China and designed and tested to meet our high quality standards.
Wouldn’t call my dog a heavy chewer by a long shot but he destroyed the squeaker in this toy in under 10 minutes of play. It’s crackly and fuzzy so he still loves it, but the squeaker inside is very fragile and probably won’t last for long for any dog.
on Jan 1, 2021
This toy lit up the eyes of a GSP on Christmas morning. Her instinct as a bird dog kicked in instantly, she bolted for this toy as soon as it was thrown! Unfortunately this bird didn’t last very long, barely 10 minutes alone with this dog and it there was carnage everywhere. Stuffing all over the place and she even ripped out the squeaker! Giving it 5 stars because despite being limp and missing a wing, she still plays with it.
Great toy foe mouthy dogs
on Feb 26, 2021
My Golden Retriever loves to have soft toys in his mouth. This is a great one. It is durable so far, fluffy (until the slobber soaks in too much), and cute.
cute toy terrible squeaker
on Jan 16, 2021
The toy itself is cute, soft 'fur', and holds up well to my dogs carrying it around but the squeaker was disappointing. It made a honking sound which was cute & different but it lasted 2 hours before the dogs wore it out.
on Dec 26, 2020
The pheasant toy, itself, was fine. But the squeaker didn’t work and for my two dogs it’s all about making the squeaker sound when they play. When I buy them toys in person, I always check to be sure it works but this year I had to trust and buy on line.
on Jan 30, 2021
My 8 month old Lab is a chewer and very destructive when it comes to stuffed toys. This pheasant has been through the ringer and survived. I highly recommend it!
Lasted 5 minutes
on Dec 28, 2020
I bought this for my German Shorthair..it lasted 5 minutes before the stuffing was coming out. The product sounded like it was made out of paper.
Love this toy
on Jan 17, 2021
My Frankie dog loves this toy & it's pretty real looking. Very good quality.
Puppy loves it!
on Aug 13, 2020Top 1000 Contributor
My 7 month old Toy Schnauzer LOVES this toy! He also has the fur real bunny from frisco that he has slept with every night since he was 6 weeks old. It’s very soft and amazingly the faux fur hasn’t fallen out or been ripped out which is a plus! I wouldn’t recommend for dogs that chew or are destructive, it could easily be chewed up and the stuffing tore out!
Bird Dog Loves the Honker and Crinkle
on Aug 18, 2020
I have purchased multiple toys that have fallen apart immediately. This is not one of them. The fabric is soft and easy to get the sound effects. Byrdie is not an extreme chewer but squeaks a toy a million times! It is a keeper in this household!

domain: pet


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Pope Francis modified centuries of church teaching this week by calling for the near complete abolishment of the death penalty, except for “particularly heinous crimes such as manspreading and those freakin’ annoying guys who take up both armrests on an airplane or in a movie theatre.”
“The Lord taught us to be peaceful and forgive those who wronged us,” said the Pontiff, “but He couldn’t possibly have meant to give a free pass to those morons on the city bus who jam their sharp and sweaty knees into the neighbouring seats. That’s inexcusable!”
Manspreading has become an epidemic in recent years, with one individual in Milan charged with more than a two hundreds counts of manspreading before being arrested this summer.
“He’s the worst serial manspreader this country has ever seen,” said Federico Rossellini, head of Milan police. “I’m hoping the Pope’s words will encourage more men to keep their legs closed and be more aware of the personal space of others.”
Despite the earth-shattering news, manspreaders across the globe were just as oblivious as they always are.

domain: law


text:
Set2Survive Survival Blog Learn everything about how to survive in the wild nature.
Lifebank USA is another private bank, located in Cedar Knolls, New Jersey, that’s accredited by the AABB. What sets this bank apart from the others: it’s one of the few banks that store umbilical cord blood and placenta blood (this is done for free). Stem cells from placenta tissue can turn into skeletal tissue types such as bone, cartilage, fat tissue, and connective tissue, whereas cells from cord blood turn into different types of blood cells.
Make no mistake, cord banks are businesses to the core. And just like any other business, there’s always the possibility of a cord bank failing. Which is why we suggest begining your search by checking the company’s experience, the number cord blood units stored, and how many of these cord blood units have been used for transplants.
One of the key things you’ll want the cord blood bank’s representative to explain to you is how the cord blood bank collects and stores cord blood. Collection and storage methods may differ across cord blood banking companies, and you’ll want to be sure that the cord blood bank complies with all federal standards.2
Direct-donation umbilical cord blood banks function as an amalgamation of public and private banks. Direct-donation banks collect cord blood without charging fees. In addition, they accept autogenous donations and reserve them only for the family, especially for a family whose infant has a sibling with a disorder that may be treated with umbilical cord blood stem cells (Moise, 2005).
Currently, cord blood stem cells have been approved by the FDA in the treatment nearly 80 diseases. In addition to these approved regenerative therapies, there are close to 350 clinical trials underway investigating the use of umbilical cord blood and umbilical cord tissue for stem cell transplantation, and this number promises to steadily increase. Cord blood stem cells are approved for numerous types of malignancies, anemias, inherited metabolic disorders and deficiencies of the immune system. The majority of cord blood transplants to date have been performed in patients younger than 18 years; however, advancements in regenerative medicine show promise for all ages. See all the diseases currently being treated.
It depends on who you ask. Although commercial cord blood banks often bill their services as “biological insurance” against future diseases, the blood doesn’t often get used. One study says the chance that a child will use their cord blood over their lifetime is between 1 in 400 and 1 in 200,000.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG, 2008) recommends giving pregnant women information about umbilical cord blood banking that is free from bias. According to ACOG, the chance of a child or family member needing a stem cell transplant is about 1 in 2,700. Therefore, ACOG recommends the collection and banking of cord blood only when an immediate family member has a known diagnosis for which stem cells are currently being used for treatment, and not for potential future uses.
Patients with leukemia, lymphoma, or certain inherited metabolic or immune system disorders have diseased blood-forming cells. For some patients, an umbilical cord blood or bone marrow transplant (also called a BMT) may be their best treatment option.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 55,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety, and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults Read the full article on the AAP website.
Compare costs and services for saving umbilical cord blood, cord tissue, and placenta tissue stem cells. Americord’s® highest quality cord blood banking, friendly customer service, and affordable pricing have made us a leader in the industry.
In recent years, umbilical cord blood has been used successfully to treat a variety of pediatric genetic, hematologic and oncologic disorders. This advance has resulted in both not-for-profit and for-profit cord blood banking programs. The AAP’s statement is intended to help guide physicians in answering parents’ questions about cord blood banking.
With public cord blood banks, there’s a greater chance that your cord blood will be put to use because it could be given to any child or adult in need, says William T. Shearer, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Pediatrics and Immunology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Cord blood is donated and is put on a national registry, to be made available for any transplant patient. So if your child should need the cord blood later in life, there’s no guarantee you would be able to get it back.
The main purpose of a cord blood company is to store umbilical cord blood for families in case they need to access it for future use. Cord blood from a baby is stored because it has the potential to help treat blood or immune system diseases. There are both private and public cord blood companies, sometimes referred to as cord blood banks.
Donating your baby’s cord blood to a public bank is always free. The limitations of the public banking network in the United States are: they only collect donations at large birthing hospitals in ethnically diverse communities, the mother must pass a health screening, they prefer registration by 34 weeks of pregnancy, and they only save the largest cord blood collections. The potential reward of public donation is that your baby could Be The Match to save a life!
There are three types of umbilical cord blood banks: private, public, and direct-donation banks. The private bank is a commercial, for-profit entity that often advertises directly to expectant parents. These banks are designed for the sole use of the families who have saved the cord blood. Private banks charge an initial fee for collection and processing and, then, a yearly fee to maintain the specimen. Another fee is often charged when a sample is removed for testing or treatment (Moise, 2005).
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Stem cells in the umbilical cord blood were first discovered in 1978. The stem cells found in cord blood give rise to all the other blood cells and are the foundation of our bodies’ immune system. More recently, scientists discovered a rich supply of a different type of stem cell in the cord tissue. These stem cells give rise to the tissues that comprise our nervous system, sensory organs, circulatory tissues, skin, bone, cartilage and more.
When you consider that public banks can only expect to ship 1-2% of their inventory for transplant, you can quickly understand why most public banks are struggling to make ends meet. That struggle means that fewer collection programs are staffed, and there are fewer opportunities for parents to donate to the public good. We said earlier that public banks only keep cord blood donations over a minimum of 900 million cells, but today most public banks have raised that threshold to 1.5 billion cells. The reason is that the largest units are the ones most likely to be used for transplants that bring income to the bank. Family cord blood banks do not need to impose volume thresholds because they have a profit margin on every unit banked.
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5. Alzheimer’s disease. Likewise, embryonic stem cells may come in handy against Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive and deadly disorder that degrades and kills brain cells, leading to memory loss, cognitive decline, and behavioral problems. Stem cells may give rise to new treatments or even, some say, a cure; other experts have expressed skepticism.
Public umbilical cord blood banks accept altruistic donations of cord blood and do not charge donation fees. Donated units are also processed, antigen typed, and frozen, ready for use. Unlike private banks, public banks do not reserve the units for the family that donated them; rather, units are available to the general public. In fact, a family that donates the blood would be no more likely to be a recipient of the blood than anyone else in the general population. Public cord blood banks function much like venous blood banks. The blood is released on an “as-needed” basis, and a processing fee may be charged to recoup some of the cost of storage (Moise, 2005; Percer, 2009).
Many cord blood banks will also store cord tissue. Research around cord tissue is still in it’s early stages, and while there is little known about the benefits of cord blood tissue, researchers are confident that cord tissue treatments could included repairing damaged tissue, ligaments and organs resulting from burns, ulcers or wounds.
Cord blood banking can be complex & difficult to research. To help consumers get started, our editors have spent over 200 hours reviewing the best cord blood registries & making this year’s selections of best all-around providers.
Accreditation agencies and registries have recognized StemCyte™ for its dedication to higher standards and patient care. StemCyte™ is the only private cord blood bank that is both FACT- and AABB-accredited.
Childbirth educators may be one of the first resources that an expectant family turns to in order to gain more knowledge to make an informed decision about collecting umbilical cord blood in the birthing process. Therefore, the childbirth educator should be well versed on the topic, so that as questions from class participants arise, the multiple facets of umbilical cord blood banking can be explored.
Professionals affiliated with institutions or organizations that promote for-profit placental blood stem cell banking should make annual financial-disclosure and potential-conflicts-of-interest statements to an appropriate institutional review committee that possesses oversight authority.
Not all moms can donate their cord blood. Moms who are not eligible are those who: are younger than 18 years old (in most states), have been treated for cancer or have received chemotherapy for another illness, have had malaria in the last three years, or have been treated for a blood disease such as HIV or hepatitis. It’s also not possible to donate cord blood if a mom has delivered her baby prematurely (there may not be enough blood to collect) or delivered multiples (but it’s possible to bank your cord blood of multiples privately).
The choices expectant parents make today go beyond finding out the gender of their baby. They span beyond deciding whether to find out if their child, still in the womb, may potentially have a genetic disorder. Today, many parents must decide whether to store their baby’s umbilical cord blood so it will be available to heal their child if at any point in the child’s lifetime he or she becomes sick.
Umbilical cord blood stem cells are different from embryonic stem cells. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are collected by your ob-gyn or a nurse from the umbilical cord after you give birth (but before your placenta is delivered). Embryonic stem cells are collected when a human embryo is destroyed.
Family Cord, located in Los Angeles, has a high-quality lab, a top rating from the Better Business Bureau, and accreditation from AABB; it’s also been in business since 1997. Family Cord is one of the few banks that will also cover the cost of cord blood banking for the first year (there’s an annual fee after the first year) in cases where a baby has a sick sibling or another family member who could benefit from the cord blood.
Cord blood holds promise for future medical procedures. Scientists are still studying more ways to treat more diseases with cord blood. At Duke University, for example, researchers are using patients’ own cord blood in trials for cerebral palsy and Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (a condition in which the brain does not receive enough oxygen). Trials are also under way for the treatment of autism at the Sutter Neuroscience Institute in Sacramento, California.
Cord blood donation should be encouraged when the cord blood is stored in a bank for public use. Parents should recognize that genetic (eg, chromosomal abnormalities) and infectious disease testing is performed on the cord blood and that if abnormalities are identified, they will be notified. Parents should also be informed that the cord blood banked in a public program may not be accessible for future private use.
You can also support your local research and academic institutions that are accepting cord blood donations. Stem cell research has become a provocative debate because of the ethical disagreements around embryonic stem cells. UCB avoids the debate entirely while still providing valuable stem cells in the quest to cure disease and mitigate human suffering.
* Disclaimer: Banking cord blood does not guarantee that treatment will work and only a doctor can determine when it can be used. Cord tissue stem cells are not approved for use in treatment, but research is ongoing.
Cord blood banking is not always cheap. It’s completely free to donate blood to a public cord blood bank, but private banks charge $1,400 to $2,300 for collecting, testing, and registering, plus an annual $95 to $125 storing fee.
AlphaCord has a 100% success rate of viable specimens upon thaw. It has been in business for over a decade and is FDA-approved. The company aims to provide a low-cost means of collecting and processing cord blood for customers.
After harvesting, the umbilical cord blood is taken to a cord blood bank where it will be tested to make sure that it is clear of disease and other contaminants. Before being frozen, a cryopreservant is added to the cord blood so that the stem cells are able to be frozen without damaging them, after which they are stored in a liquid nitrogen Cord Blood storage tank at –196 Celsius.
Specializing in health and medicine, Sandra Gordon has written extensively about cord blood banking for national and regional parenting magazines. She also has written about baby products, including breast pumps, for national and regional parenting magazines, blogs and books. Her work has appeared in hundreds of publications, including Parents, Prevention, Woman’s Day and Self. Gordon also appears on TV as a baby safety and money-saving expert. She is also the author of 10 books and the founder of babyproductsmom.com, a site dedicated to helping new parents gear up safely and within their budget.
3. Heart disease. It’s the leading cause of death in the United States, and stem cells may provide some relief. Research is underway to see if injecting the cells into the heart could help regenerate heart muscle damaged by, for example, a heart attack. Again, researchers have reported success in rodents.
This means that family members, and possibly even strangers, may be able to use the cord blood stem cells for certain treatments. Siblings from the same biological parents have the highest chance of full or partial genetic match, followed by the biological parents who may be a partial match.

domain: medical


text: India is concerned about the undermining of the multilateral system of international trade and the risk of WTO paralysis. Although it has previously criticized the organisation as representing the interests of developed countries, India appreciates the WTO’s role in achieving its economic goals. In negotiations on the future of the WTO, India will support proposals to improve its effectiveness, including the reform of the dispute settlement system (DSS). It also will be ready to block changes restricting the privileges of developing countries. This stance may thwart deeper reforms of the organisation demanded by the U.S.

domain: politics


text:
Senate Adjourns Until After Elections, Clearing WRDA Bill but Leaving AV Bill, Transpo Nominations Unfinished
October 12, 2018
Yesterday, the U.S. Senate finished its pre-election business with the typical flurry of activity, passing 17 bills and resolutions (mostly low-profile stuff) and confirming 35 civilian nominations before adjourning to return November 13.
Until yesterday afternoon, Senate leaders had indicated that the Senate would be in session next week as well (at least 11 hearings were scheduled for next week before Senate committees). But in an effort to leave vulnerable Senators free to campaign full-time for re-election, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) finally agreed yesterday to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) offer to end the session early if Democrats allowed votes on a large package of judicial nominations.
So, yesterday afternoon the Senate confirmed three more federal appeals court judges and 12 more federal district court judges (see this POLITICO article for the political calculus).
The final week of the Senate’s session featured one major legislative accomplishment – the Senate passed the final version of the water resources bill (S. 3021) by a vote of 99 to 1 on October 10 after invoking cloture the day before by a vote of 96 to 3. This clears the Corps of Engineers water program authorization measure for the President’s signature.
But much was left undone. Lobbyists for the autonomous vehicle industry were in the process of making a final push for a deal on that legislation (the AV START Act in the Senate, reported unanimously from the Commerce Committee but bedeviled with holds on the way to the Senate floor), on the assumption that the Senate could get to it yesterday or next week, but that did not happen.
And the flurry of nomination activity yesterday did not include any of the twelve transportation-related nominees that are still pending on the Senate calendar. It seems clear that the nominations of Heidi King at NHTSA and Thelma Drake at FTA will require the cumbersome multi-day cloture process if they are to be confirmed at all.
Hopes had been higher for a larger package of rail nominees – there are three nominees for seats on the Surface Transportation Board (two Republicans and a Democrat) and three nominees for the Amtrak Board of Directors (all Republicans) on the calendar. STB nominations, like other bipartisan regulatory commissions, generally move through the Senate in bipartisan groups. But there was no unanimous consent to be found, and no transportation nominees will move before the elections.

domain: news


text:
Cassadee Pope, coached by Blake Shelton, has been a strong contender for a majority of the season, especially after she performed an emotional rendition of Miranda Lambert's “Over You,” which became a hit on the iTunes chart.
ASSOCIATED PRESS Enlarge
It’s been a long journey for the three finalists of The Voice.
And Cassadee Pope made it to the finish line as the champion of season three.
Pope’s fellow member of Team Blake, Terry McDermott, was the runner-up, and Nicholas David of Team Cee Lo came in third.
But all of the The Voice finalists were winners: The Top 3 each won a new Kia, courtesy of St. Cee Lo Green, who was certainly in the Christmas spirit.
Pope, coached by Blake Shelton, has been a strong contender for a majority of the season, especially after she performed an emotional rendition of Miranda Lambert's “Over You,” which became a hit on the iTunes chart.
A big highlight of the live show was a final performance by all of the coaches, who hit the stage to sing Green Day’s “Time of Your Life.”
Rihanna opened the show with a performance of her hit “Diamonds.” Also, American Idol grad Kelly Clarkson sang “Catch My Breath” with the help of Pope and McDermott. Bruno Mars performed his song “When I Was Your Man” for the first time, and The Killers performed “Runaways” with Pope.
All three of the finalists got to sing duets with some major music stars. David joined Smokey Robinson, McDermott performed with Peter Frampton, and Pope got to perform with her music icon, Avril Lavigne.
Additionally, some of the former season three contestants returned to perform on the Voice stage once again.
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domain: celebrity


How about taking one of the most famous paintings in the history and recreate it as a 3D-sculpture?
It's the twentieth anniversary, and perhaps that is why the programme is released exceptionally early.
I wouldn't mind to see such infographic treatment spread from magazines and into newspapers. But where will the limit be?
Really rough sketches and ideas, but still a fantastic voyage into the future and the features
His personal trailer – complete with deep voice-over and sound of choppers will be a classic in the Malofiej collective memory
The Transit Map was mysteriously rearranged before hitting the floor at the conference


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|healthy snacksPage 1 of 2 (1, 2)|
|Fresh fruit and vegetables aside, what is your favorite healthy snack? The idea behind this topic is to put out ideas for good snacks for those looking for options. Maybe its in our fridge and just need a reminder. If its something with a slice of bread, say which brand or kind of bread. Also use this thread to include metabolism boosters in the snacks too.|
My recent snack of choice is a slice of 7 grain bread, cut in half, and then spread with hummous and sprinkled with chili powder. I dip it in about a tablespoon of olive oil.
The focus is healthy ones that are convenient to make and quick to eat. So a tossed salad with 8 ingredients probably wouldn't be preferred by busy people as much as a handful of All-Bran crackers.
Posted: 6/30/2009 12:27:13 AM
|That greek Oikos fat free yogurt is nice, and high in protein naturally, but its kind of $$$. I like to put flax seed in whatever yogurt I eat. Way tastier and healthier than granola.|
Posted: 6/30/2009 4:25:37 AM
|Shaved turkey. Hard Boiled Eggs. Small salad with romaine and shaved red onions, olive oil and a little bit of vinegar. Hell, I eat every 2 to 3 hours anyway. Just pre make it all the night before and it is pretty easy.|
Posted: 6/30/2009 5:14:37 AM
|Mystie~Not to sure if you like Salmon or not...I use Pumklin Seeds (just a little bit) I ground them up in a small coffee grinder and use them to "coat" salmon or chicken with ....sorta works as a "breading" without using all the bad ingredients! Just a thought...it ads a lot of flavor and nothing bad about them at all. Roast them in olive oil and salt in the oven first, grind them up and coat meat with them. Yummy! And you can use any nuts to do this..I just stick to Pumpkin or Pine nuts mainly for the flavor. |
Posted: 6/30/2009 8:58:24 PM
|I make my own pico de gallo, with only onions, tomatoes, cilantro and jalapenos. No salt, or anything else.|
Trouble is I have a hard time eating a whole batch before it spoils, so I have to have a party or picnic or something on the cards before I can really make it.
Another good snack, cottage cheese - as above - with fresh blueberries. yum!
Posted: 7/1/2009 7:55:00 PM
|I'm enjoying an oatmeal banana shake right now: I put 2/3 cup oatmeal in a Magic Bullet blender w/ 1/2 tsp cinnamon and blend until the oatmeal is almost flour-like. Add 1 frozen banana (cut in slices), 1 cup milk and 1/2 tsp vanilla and blend until frothy. Yum!|
Posted: 7/2/2009 2:46:38 PM
|Pickled herring. I know it sounds weird but I like it, it's high protein (which I need), and it's one of the highest in omega 3 fatty acids. The stuff I buy is wild caught and as far as I know, herring is not an endangered species.|
Outside of that I like hummus and pita, fruit and cheese, sliced turkey breast, Trader Joe's Woven Wheat Crackers (kind of like Triscuit but better and cheaper). Tortilla chips.
BTW, to the woman who liked the Greek yogurt: you can make something similar at home. I take a quart of yogurt, line a sieve with a couple of layers of cheesecloth, and let the yogurt drain overnight in the fridge. I cover it with a lid, leave it sitting over a bowl to catch the whey. The volume of yogurt is reduced by half and you get a very thick, creamy yogurt. You can do what you want with the whey - add it to smoothies, soup, whatever. Or toss it out. I hate to be wasteful but I do like that thick Greek style yogurt. That's why it costs so much. You get a lot less for the amount of milk it's made of.
Posted: 10/28/2009 2:29:43 PM
|Aside from fresh fruit and vegies, my favorite snack would have to be nuts. Peanuts mainly. I like carrots also but they seem only to make me more hungry. Raisins are good for curing those pesky hunger pangs as well. Not really a fan of any kind of cottage cheese though. The texture reminds me of a mixture of acoustical foam mixed with mayonnaise.|
Posted: 10/28/2009 5:30:53 PM
|I usually have a bag of trail mix in the fridge.|
Raw sliced unsalted almonds
raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
I do like cottage cheese, and even just a slice of cheese here and there.

domain: food


Dana White and all the UFC 144 fighters recap a great night of fights more
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Dana Whtie and the stars of UFC 136 reflect on a great night of fights. more
Urijah Faber UFC 139 Post-Fight Press Conference more
Stephan Bonnar at UFC 139 Post-Fight Press Conference more
MMA H.E.A.T. brings you complete coverage of the UFC 139 post-fight press conference featuring UFC President Dana White and fighters Wanderlei Silva, Urijah Faber, Martin Kampmann, Stephan Bonnar and Chris Weidman.
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UFC president Dana White gives out post-fight awards and winners from Fight Night Cincinnati revel in their victories. more
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July 25, 2009 BY Aaron Kr.
With the Nike Air Trainer renaissance in full effect, last month we gave you a look at a Bo Jackson-inspired Air Trainer TW II that features some clever touches. The shoe sports a Black nubuck upper with a patent leather strap and a textured Metallic Silver pattern covering the heel panel. Additional accents are provided by some splashes of White, Grey and Silver, but the major selling point, aside from the slick Raiders color scheme, is the Tecmo Bo illustration on the tongue label. As many of you might remember, Bo Jackson was nearly unstoppable in the classic Tecmo Bowl video game, so a pixelated rendering of his character has been included in the design as a tribute. For fans of Bo or the Air Trainer II, these are practically a must-have, so if you fall into either one of those categories, you can scoop up a pair now on eBay. Photos: 95Soleman.

domain: artistic


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The clip Nicky meets Ginger from Casino (1995) with Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro. Powered by: Anyclip. any moment from any film.
I couldn't wait to get my hands on Vegas.
But the bosses didn't send me out there to have a good time.
They sent me out there to make sure that nobody fucked with Ace.
And nobody interfered with the fuckin' skim.
Hey, how you doin'?
Boy, look at this place, huh?
Welcome to Vegas.
Holy shit. What've you been doing out here?
Honey, come here.
This is Jennifer and Nick, they're dear friends of mine.
The clip ravennas-death from Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) with Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth. Powered by: Anyclip. any moment from any film. (GASPING) You can't have my heart. (EXHALES) (BELLS RINGING)
The clip closing-in-on-the-castle from Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) with Eddie Marsan, Chris Hemsworth. Powered by: Anyclip. any moment from any film. Release! (YELLS) Ready! Release! Release! COLL: Go, go, 90! The summit's breached! Back here, lads! Come on! Get back to it! Pull! Nion, get on that rope! COLL: Come on! Go on! BEITH: Quert! It's a massacre down there! Gort, on that rope! We must turn back!

domain: entertainment


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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Dylan : Not Blown Yet!
This is Dylan in top form. If you like his songs then you'll like this book. Elliptical, poetic, with a seemingly simple surface but touching the same complex depths his best songs do. I'm not sure how someone who didn't 'get' Dylan in the first place would respond to the book, but even so, as a narative it still holds up.
The zig zag chronological order is...
Published on 9 Oct. 2004 by chamomile
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars chronically boring
I was hoping to find this book bubbling with the spirit and wit of the Dylan songs of my youth. Instead, I found it dull, repetitive, negative in tone, and sprinkled with pointless litanies of musicians. I feel very sorry to have to say this about the memories of a man whose songs I liked so much.
Published 15 months ago by tony haslegrave
Most Helpful First | Newest First
4.0 out of 5 stars Bringing it all back home....,
This book provides a fascinating insight into the genius of the legendary Bob Dylan, though does feel rather incomplete - making it equally remarkable (but confounding) at the same time.
If you are hoping for a chronological account of Bob's life though, you will be disappointed - Bob just doesn't roll that way!
But what he does do is write beautifully & poetically (as any fan of his music would expect), giving us wonderfully atmospheric clues & glimpses into his upbringing, childhood & early life, as we journey with him through his myriad influences & inspirations all the way until he lands up in Greenwich Village in 1961 on the brink of his greatest fame & success.
At this point in the book though, Bob mysteriously jumps to a point at the end of the 60s (just before Nashville Skyline I think), before then jumping into the late 80s to spend a good chunk of the book talking about the making of his critically-acclaimed comeback album 'No Mercy'!
This is all fascinating stuff, but I think most readers would have loved to have heard more about his 'golden years' of the 60s - there's virtually nothing here about that period at all; the classic albums, meeting The Beatles, his marriage, & of course the (by no means) small incident of daring to plug his guitar into an amp....
I guess the clue was in the book's title (Volume 1) - although where the next volumes are (& if we'll ever get them) remains to be seen.
What we do get here though are many wonderful insights in the mind of a genuine musical genius, & what really inspired Bob to become the musician, poet, lyricist & visionary he would become. He 'speaks as he finds', & as a reader you feel very close to him & drawn in to his world. He 'shoots from the hip' in an honest, gritty, no-holds barred writing style that feels like an extension of his music.
Despite its flaws, this is a thoroughly enjoyable & fascinating account of his life, & certainly a must-read for every fan.
4.0 out of 5 stars Bob The Builder,
This review is from: Chronicles Volume 1 (Kindle Edition)
This book had me hooked in the first few paragraphs. You suddenly know you're in the presence of a voice, a storyteller with a story to tell, even although you know that this is The Bob Dylan and you've probably heard some of it before. Rock stars. Is there anything they don't know? I've read Keith Richards, Rod Stewart, that bloke from the Happy Mondays, and plenty I've forgotten too, but Dylan speaks to you with a different voice. It gives you a peek into the mind of an artist, of someone whose mental framework is constructed differently to perceive the world.
I was hooked, but the hook didn't really last. I enjoyed the writing and the observations of the Greenwich Village scene in the days before he was famous. I also liked his more recent memories of recording Oh Mercy in New Orleans, a diversion the book screeches into as if to break up all the old reminiscing. But, I don't know, somehow he lost me along the way. Maybe he's just too much of a geek about his subject, the roots of American folk music and blues. It's a bit like when you were a student, stuck listening to some dweeb who knows so many more obscure indie bands than you do. As if it mattered THAT much. I suppose Dylan does matter, but it's hard to gain perspective. He's of the Sixties, for sure, but the Seventies, the Eighties and beyond? Did he offer anything then? Is he of a time and a place or will he span the decades? Hard to tell. Will he care? Not sure about that either, we'll have to wait until Volume Two, maybe, to get the man's thoughts about what happened after he became A Star.
5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than I had hoped,
I recently finished reading the first (and to date, lone) volume of Bob Dylan's Chronicles and found it an utterly engrossing read.
Anyone who listens to Dylan's records will know him as a superior, talented wordsmith, but it was reading his prose - crackling, sparky, full of wit and sometimes surprising amounts of emotion - that finally really made me connect with him as a writer. His lyrics are evocative and poetic, as is his prose, but he has a real talent in the latter form for narrative exploration and character-developing.
Dylan wouldn't do something so boring as a chronological account of his life and times. This doesn't start in 1941 and end in 1961, with a promised second volume all about his '60s heyday. Oh no. Instead, Dylan focuses on a few select periods of his life and career - his time spent performing in New York City before getting his record deal, his life in Woodstock with his family, but persecuted by the press and over-zealous fans, in the late '60s, and his time in New Orleans in the late '80s recording Oh Mercy with Daniel Lanois.
Each different time period is given due credit, due respect, and each one is made interesting and alive by the sheer power and accessibility of Dylan's beautiful way with words.
I came away from this book feeling like I knew Dylan a little better, maybe understood his music a little better, and inspired to follow his example. As good as any rock star autobiography you're likely to read.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars not just for fans,
This is an astonishing book for such an evasive figure. The fragmentary approach does give the impression of Dylan actively limiting his candour but what he does give away is revealing, clear minded (with the odd exception) and beautifully written.
The best section for me concerns his formative years and folk club adventures in new york. Dylan sings the praise of the music and performers he admired - not just Woody Guthrie but Robert Johnson, his contemporary/mentor Dave Von Ronk and many others. His modesty in the face of his heroes contrasts hugely with the blazingly disdainful figure of legend.
He is also quite prepared to discuss his inadequacies. At one point he describes how he walked out of a session with the Grateful Dead, convinced he was walking out on his life as a musician, concluding that his best work was way behind him and he was no longer capable of breathing any life into his old songs . Tho there is salvation from that abject misery, it is small, temporary and eccentric (he is inspired by a singer in a bar just belting out songs), as if he has discovered no more than a small pocket of oxygen in a huge vacuum.
This is an intriguing and honest if incomplete memoir of a unique, brilliant and you have to conclude, somewhat damaged artist.
4.0 out of 5 stars Unorthodox, Unusual and Insightful - Just Like Dylan Himself,
Those looking for your run of the mill music biography should probably look else were. Very far away in fact- maybe Mongolia. As you might expect from an iconic figure such as Dylan, Chronicles: Volume 1 doesn't follow the common path of `raise, fall, raise and aged respectability' that one finds in most books of this genre, however this is not to say it doesn't contain elements of this formula (what musicians tale doesn't?) Dylan has opted instead to give the readers a taste of his unique viewpoint on life and show us what it is to be a songwriter in this often-mad and unfair world. No chorological order in these near 300 pages, just selected moments in his life that Dylan happens to feel like sharing with us. Fans and newbie's looking for exciting tales of his generation defining sixties albums will be disappointed, no such luck - maybe for Chronicles Volume 2? Time will tell. However if your looking for a pure Dylan'esque experience and a glance into the workings of the great man this is no doubt the best place to start. From his early years as an unshakeable and single-mindedly determined young man trying forge his destiny to the later years showcasing the pressure and insanity that fame brought him once he had managed to do so. Chronicles: Volume 1 is as revealing, exotic and eye opening a read as it's subject.
14 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars roll on two and three,
This review is from: Chronicles: Volume One (Hardcover)
I guess like everybody else here, I should declare an interest - I really like Bob Dylan and while sometimes I am a little disappointed by his musical outpourings, I don't regret a purchase and basically think pretty much all of it has something going for it. This is probably true for most of these reviewers...
When it came to Chronicles, I was worried - Dylan has the potential of course to tell a fantastic story, but also to make a terrible mess of telling the story. In this case I would have liked to rate the book with four and a half stars, because while it is without doubt the best book on Dylan I've read (and I've read a few), there are points where some editing would not have gone amiss.
I've gone with five stars because the first section, on Dylan's early hears in New York, is simply wonderful, as is the bit on the Woodstock years - I could read another five hundred pages on that lot quite happily. However, the middle section on the recording of Oh Mercy, is a bit on the long side, and I was not quite sure why it was included in such depth. Sure the stuff on Dylan's "new vocal technique", which would allow him to sing for hours with no fatigue, is weirdly fascinating, but also kind of aimless; a shorter section on this would have worked much better. We close up back in New York, with fame and success crowning the horizon, and of course, Bob doesn't let you down...
Dylan's writing style is his own of course, he's conversational and very definitely has his own voice, which you probably know very well indeed by now, and he has a few tricks up his sleeve, his favourite is a kind of cinematic flash-back which is a rather crude device, but executed with a touching naivety, and like most everything else in Chronicles, it fits.
If you have any interest in Dylan at all, you obviously want this book. Let's have two and three nice and quickly please Bob.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars portrait of an artist,
Is this the real Bob Dylan? who can say, but what we can say is that this book gives a tantilising insight into a man who was by any any odds the twentieth century's greatest lyricist and arguably it's biggest enigma. After forty years Dylan finally draws the curtain back, the result is a facinating journey through his influences and a times suprising idols. A compelling insight into the gestation of a genius. Dylan reveals far more than we dared hope.
2.0 out of 5 stars Rambling,
I found this a little disappointing. i was expecting it to be more revealing and more interesting. Although at tiems I found it boring, I did finally read it all the way through. It did help me sleep! It certainly shows Dylan to be a thinker and widely read. it shows him to be quite a detailed observer of what is going around about it. I don't think it really demonstrates the inspiration behind some or indeed any of his songs oe the stories behind his albums. It does not say a lot about some of the characters you would expect him to say more about such as for example Johnny Cash. Interesting to read about his early days in New York but not enough is said. Interesting to hear what he says about some of the protest singers of his day and his frustration about being labelled a protest singer himself and expected to lead protests. Again, I dont think enough is said and it is all a bit shallow. Having read it, I dont think I know much more about him than i guessed or did before i read it. I found myself skipping passages or pages because he was in my view rambling just too much. The one word that really fits my thoughts on this book is "rambling". I am disappointed
4.0 out of 5 stars An Autobiography That Gives Nothing Away,
Verified Purchase(What is this?)
Eminently readable, richly textured with americana, old blues and an idiosyncratic use of Language Bob Dylan's first [and only?] volume of memoirs has been written in a style whih leaves as many questions unanswered as any of the songs he has written. These are memoirs in the true sense of the word sudden flashes of illumination on parts of social and musical history that burn through the pages right down to the cover leaving the reader excited and perplexed. If you want to know who Bob Dylan IS this is not the book that will tell you - unless you construct him from numerous references, asides, recollections and name-checks. A book that nobody but Dylan could have written chronicling an age which, to his later fans, may be as weird and old as the world of The American Anthology of Folk Music summoned up with reference to The Basement Tapes by Greil Marcus.
Dylan writes his songs, it's been claimed, in one sitting. This book is a series of songs, some old, some new, some impenatrable but every one of them essential. Will we see a Chronicles II? Maybe only in The Bible - which may have been the source for the title of this small masterpiece. Read it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The Young Bobby - magic,
This review is from: Chronicles: Volume One (Hardcover)
This is a great read full stop. After all the speculation and unauthorised biographies galore its a real treat to read it direct from source. He talks of places 40 years ago so intimately you feel like you 're watching a classic movie.
Its a surprise to hear him talk of the past in such mythic tones but you can't help but be drawn in. Very easy to read and much,much too short. Roll on Vols 2 & 3 !
Most Helpful First | Newest First
Chronicles by Bob Dylan (Perfect Paperback - Jan. 2008)
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Total of 22 user reviews spread across 22 releases
Sonic Rush Adventure
Quite possibly the best Sonic game since 1994.
I always begin these reviews by laying it on the line for you: I'm a Sonic fan. I have been since the birth of the franchise. To me, Sonic games are serious business. And yes, I've made a couple of ba...
This is what Halo 1 and Halo 2 should have always been.
Me, I always enjoyed the Halo games. Well - that's a lie. I enjoyed Halo 1. Halo 2? Not so much. And even though I will openly admit Halo 1 was not a perfect game, Bungie has gone on record explaining...
New Super Mario Bros.
A classic game that unfortunately proves too easy for seasoned gamers used to Mario's more difficult adventures.
Super Mario Brothers. Everybody remembers that, right? I mean, who doesn't? Some time in your life, you've no doubt played a Mario platformer. Usually, these games are of the pinnacle of the genre; al...
Mario Kart DS (DS Bundle)
The best version of Mario Kart yet proves the game still isn't quite perfect.
It wasn't long ago that Nintendo spoke about making games more accessible for the casual audience. What this discussion eventually boiled down to is that the hardcore gamers (the ones who had been pla...
You'd better like memorization.
Sonic the Hedgehog sure has had a sketchy history, hasn't he? Since his re-launch in 1999, our blue blur has been on shaky ground. Will his next game be good? Will it be bad? With each new title in th...
Sonic the Hedgehog
Maybe Sega really does make murder porn.
Before we begin, I must tell you a story to give you a little bit of perspective as to where I'm coming from on this issue. In 1991, something happened to me. This is going to sound absolutely insane,...
Samus Aran steps into 3D, and brings with her a great game with a few unfortunate blemishes.
Metroid was a game series I never saw myself really getting in to. Metroid on the NES, Metroid II, and Super Metroid all were games that I really had a tough time finding my groove with. I had accepte...
Sonic Gems Collection
Although it offers many games, the one game people are most interested in is the worst quality port of them all.
Ah, the classic Sonic Series. Largely regarded as Sonic's "Golden Era", Sega has caught on to the idea to milk the 1990's for every penny they're worth with Sonic Mega Collection, and now, Sonic Gems ...
Star Fox: Assault
A great, if short, game that takes Starfox 64's "All Range Mode" and greatly expands on it; perhaps too much for some.
I suppose I like Starfox games. I know there are people out there who are more die-hard Starfox fans than I am, but I own Starfox for the SNES, and actively seek out ownership of Starfox 64. I acknowl...
Star Fox Adventures
Unfortunately, the development cycle of the game itself is more thrilling than the actual plot.
RARE. A company some would say was infatuated with being Nintendo. Known for delaying their titles, sometimes for years, as they polished and tweaked a game to perfection. And then along comes a game ...
Master Chief? Check. Covenant? Check. Good graphics? Check. Good gameplay? Well, you get what you pay for...
Fangames. The playable equivalent of fanfiction or fanart. Like'em or hate'em, Fangames are in abundance, and their popularity and frequency only seems to grow as time passes; and, as long as you have...
Super Donkey Kong 2: Dixie & Diddy
What happens when you take the best SNES platformer and make it better? Words cannot describe.
If the original Donkey Kong Country was one of my favorite SNES games ever, what does that make Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest? Better than my favorite? Let's get something straight, folks:...
Super Mario Sunshine
The only vacation in this game is the one the developers took when designing the gameplay.
For Christmas, my brother generously sent me $100. I for one don't think I deserved that, but, whatever. It's his choice. I used the money to purchase a refurbished Gamecube and very used copy of Supe...
Sonic Advance 3
Sega rounds out the trilogy with an unfortunately luke-warm entry to the series.
As far as Sonic the Hedgehog games go, most of them are hit-or-miss. Sonic Advance 3 is no different in this reguard: It tries to blend the all-out speed of Sonic Advance 2 with the more thorough leve...
Donkey Kong 64
RARE doesn't stumble; they careen off a cliff in a burning vehicle, exploding on impact at the bottom of the canyon.
After the success of both the Donkey Kong Country series, and it's new 3D staples like Banjo Kazooie, RARE decided to ride the bandwagon and take a stab at bringing the next Donkey Kong Country game i...
The Matrix: Path of Neo
Obvious Hyperbole: This is the game Enter The Matrix should have been.
I'll be up front with you: I played Path of Neo once, at a sleepover. I beat the entire game in a single sitting (which took about six hours). Developer Shiny needs to get a pat on the back for this, ...
Super Donkey Kong
RARE takes familiar gameplay and amps it up to a factor of 11 with revolutionary graphics (for the SNES).
For those who are familiar with RARE, you can see a trend emerging: They take somebody else's concepts, and repackage them with prettier graphics. Fortunately for us, RARE is very good at doing this: ...
It tries to recapture the classic vibe, but falls flat on it's face as many times as it succeeds.
It should come as no surprise to know that I am a Sonic fan. I've been one since Christmas 1991. Whenever there is a new game out, it is automatically my agenda to play it. Through the ups and downs, ...
Sonic Advance 2
Sonic returns for more handheld action, bringing with him one of the fastest, most entertaining games in the series.
While his 3D console outings continue to be luke-warm, Sonic the hedgehog has been born again in 2D handheld form. He hits the ground running in Sonic Advance 2, a game which takes everything from the...
Sonic returns to his two-dimensional roots, but fails to impress.
Throughout the years, Sonic has seen his ups and downs. When, in 2001, Sega announced they were moving from the hardware business to a software only company, it hit a lot of people hard. But there was...
Gunstar Super Heroes
Pure fanservice, through and through.
Gunstar Heroes. The name of that game makes hardcore, old-school gamers soil their underwear with joy. Along with Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega Genesis games like Gunstar Heroes lead the charge against Nin...
Donkey Kong Country 3
One of the most solid DKC ports yet, but it's still missing some key features.
Let it be known that I've never been a fan of the Donkey Kong Country ports for the Gameboy Advance. You can mostly blame the first port on this - while animation on the characters was improved, almos...

domain: game


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Hotel Meditur in Pisa is a 4* property with two lawns in front and an open air seating restaurant. The property is short distance away from historic sites of Tuscany like Pisa, Lucca and Florence. There are many popular beaches of Versilia a few kms away.
* This is a short and sweet article explaining about the property
We stayed there for one night and two days. Our room overlooked the lawn. It was a spacious property. It was good continental breakfast. There were many options. I loved the strawberry curd specially. Roasted bread with butter along with milk used to be my favorite then.
Our room was comfortable and cozy. It had all the amenities be it coffee maker, phone, LED TV, wifi or dryer, refrigerator.
Bathroom was spic and span clean.
We spent some good time at the property in the evening around lawns. Clear skies above and surrounded by greenery we loved being there as there was a peaceful aura all over.
Service by the staff was good. One can spend good time here as it was away from the hustle bustle of the city. Property is good enough to stay at for one night and two days.

domain: travel


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Tracey, who has two sons Luke, 29, and Josh, 26, and two grandchildren, Arthur, four, and Stanley, six weeks, was convinced something was wrong a long time before her initial visit to her GP in early 2016. Yet she was only diagnosed in April this year.
She said: “I kept going back to the doctor again and again. I felt like I was a fraud, like I was making all this stuff up.
“After I had the scan I was told they wouldn’t know the results for a fortnight but I begged them to tell me.
“I remember being asked, ‘What do you know about dementia?’ “In a way I felt relieved because I finally knew what was wrong.
But the next day the bottom fell out of my world.
“But the next day the bottom fell out of my world.”
Tracey had suffered with low moods for a while, but frustrating day to day signs like not being able to put a name to a face, leaving taps running and keys in the door she dismissed as symptoms of being run down.
At first she was not too concerned but things worsened and she quit her job in summer last year after a string of dark thoughts brought on by her as yet undiagnosed condition.
She said: “It was really scary. I can remember driving to work in the morning and either wanting to drive off somewhere and never come back – or end it all.
Tracey Lane was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD)
“I was having all sorts of strange thoughts. I was getting confused and unable to do some tasks that had always come easily to me.
“The most embarrassing thing was that we would have visitors come into the school every single week and when they returned it was like I had never seen them before. Now it all makes sense.
“I used to laugh and joke about it because that’s how we have tried to approach everything as a family – but it was really very frightening.”
Frontotemporal dementia is often diagnosed between the ages of 45 and 65, much younger than the age at which people often start suffering with more common types, like Alzheimer’s. Telltale signs include changes in personality and behaviour and difficulties with language.
This is different from the classic memory loss often associated Alzheimer’s.
Her disease was only picked up when, after years of badgering her GP, she was sent for a SPECT scan – a special type of nuclear imaging test.
She said: “My mother had suffered with the menopause so I just assumed it was that and I asked to go on HRT…but nothing changed.
“Even a neurologist told me it was probably just stress.”
There are no drugs that can slow the progression of FTD.
Tracey’s illness has put enormous financial and emotional pressure on the family, especially husband Mike, who works as a heating engineer.
Tracey worries how her illness will affect sons Luke and Josh
She said: “We had made plans but they are now on hold.
“I keep thinking they have got it wrong, they don’t know what they are talking about, so I suppose there is a bit of denial. Often on Friday mornings I used to take [grandson] Arthur to a car wash and we would video ourselves singing in the car as it was on. I feel guilty that I can’t do that anymore.
“I would rather end my life than let my loved ones see me suffer. I want to protect them. I have said that if I ever go into a home I only want them to visit me once a week.
“Sometimes I have a good cry, but usually when I am on my own.”
If you are concerned and would like to find out more, contact Alzheimer’s Society on 0300 222 1122 or visit alzheimers.org.uk/getsupport
Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer with women sufferers outnumbering men two to one.
Women live longer than men statistically and dementia risk increases with age.
But the condition is caused by brain disease, not age alone, so why are females more vulnerable?
One theory is oestrogen affecting brain development.
The Alzheimer’s Association International Conference linked this female hormone to women having better verbal memory than men at all ages (even in people with mild cognitive impairment).
This memory for words and verbal items may mask early symptoms of dementia, leading to under diagnosis and lack of early intervention.
The Alzheimer’s Society is investigating the role of blood pressure in dementia and striving to improve diagnosis, care and potential treatment.
Women live longer than men statistically and dementia risk increases with age
But we need more funding.
There hasn’t been a new drug for dementia in 15 years, so it’s important to keep research at the forefront and make sure upcoming treatments work.
The other issue is the large amount of women taking on the role of carer – many giving up jobs to do so.
Our Turning Up The Volume report showed that three in five carers say their health has been damaged caring for a dementia patient, and over a quarter of dementia carers feel cut off from society.
In fact, more than a quarter of female carers told us they had been lonely recently.
People with dementia tell us services like our helpline and online forum Talking Point are a lifeline – through those we hear everyday examples of the impact of inadequate care and crippling costs due to decades of squeezed funding.
A million people will be living with dementia in the UK by 2021, all deserving care. We cannot rely on families – wives, partners and daughters – putting their own health at risk. The Green Paper must end this injustice and ensure everyone gets the support they need.
Read more here: Daily Express :: Health Feedhappy wheels
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domain: health


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Women who breastfed their infants for a longer duration appeared to have a lower risk of diabetes compared with women who did not breastfeed, according to an observational study spanning three decades.
Women who undergo a hysterectomy with bilateral ovarian conservation appear to have an elevated risk of cardiovascular (CV) and metabolic disease, particularly those who undergo the procedure at age 35 or younger, a recent study found.
Severe postnatal depression (PND), especially if persisting up to 11 years after birth, raises the risk of adverse child outcomes such as child behavioural and developmental disturbances, according to a recent study.
A double intravenous vasopressor automated system appears to be more effective than manual vasopressor bolus administration at controlling maternal blood pressure following spinal anaesthesia during caesarean delivery, a new Singapore study has shown.
A family physician (GP)-led, community screening programme helped reduce the incidence of hip fracture in older women, highlighting the important role played by GPs in reducing the morbidity associated with hip fractures in this population, the UK-based SCOOP* trial revealed.
Maternal diet appears to influence health outcomes of the offspring, suggests a recent Singapore study, which shows that higher diet quality during pregnancy is correlated with longer birth length and lower neonatal adiposity.
The use of an oestradiol patch in addition to oral intermittent micronized progesterone for 1 year helped prevent the development of depressive symptoms in women going through menopause, particularly those in the early stages of the menopause transition, a recent study found.
Cannabis use during pregnancy increases the risk of maternal anaemia, and causes several adverse outcomes in infants like low birth weight (LBW), and increased neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions, show findings of a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Estrogen receptor α (ESR1) mutations Y537S and D538G are associated with reduced overall survival (OS) in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative metastatic breast cancer, according to findings of a secondary analysis of the BOLERO-2* clinical trial.


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Tretinoin cream for acne scars reviews
cosmetology treatment for acne. User reviews for tretinoin topical to treat acne. also known as: retin- a, renova, altreno, retin a micro, avita, atralin, refissa, obagi altinac retin- a and renova the reviews following information is not intended to endorse any particular medication. retino- a is the most commonly used tretinoin cream in india. tretinoin is an acid form of vitamin a usually prescribed for acne vulgaris, acne scar treatment and sun- damaged skin. both women and men can use retino- a. retino- a is available in 2 concentrations tretinoin cream for acne scars reviews – 0. 05% tretinoin cream. silvadene cream for acne scars. back acne pregnancy treatment. the price of retino- a 0.
the tretinoin will help keep the skin refreshed and may help continue to improve your scars, but as far as any actual hyperpigmentation, hydroquinone is something to ask your dermatologist about. some products combine both tretinoin and hydroquinone and be be used in a prescription or over the counter strength. bio oil purcellin oil acne scars. an excellent way to get rid of atrophic acne scars and even out your skin' s texture is with the topical cream called tretinoin - - more commonly known retin- a 1. when applied regularly, studies show that tretinoin can successfully flatten and decrease acne scars. going on the pill did help a little bit with keeping the acne under control but it didn' t clear my skin up completely. i started used a 0, 05% tretinoin cream on my back half a year ago before summer ( as you can' t go into the sun with it) and it worked like a miracle. that’ s why tretinoin is a popular ingredient in many over- the- counter face and eye creams. laser acne treatment beverly hills. tretinoin for acne scars.
reviews tretinoin can also be used to decrease the appearance of acne sc a rring. 1% : rated 5 out of 5 on makeupalley. see 25 member reviews and photos. how to use tretinoin cream for acne scars. using tretinoin is a simple process. tretinoin is sold as a cream, gel or liquid, all of which are designed to be applied directly to your skin. our complete guide to using tretinoin for acne covers the reviews entire process of using tretinoin for acne prevention or acne scar healing. skin medica acne treatment toner. retin- a ( tretinoin) for acne: “ i have jawline acne, dark patches from pigmentation and uneven skin tone and blemishes from years of cystic acne.
prescription pills for acne treatment. day 1 to 2 gel stung like crazy, itchy and warm skin, and redness days 3 to 8 peeling skin, inflamed look after washing face. 025 before and after review ma novem nancy jade acne tretinoin cream 0. 025 is a topical retinoid, contains tretinoin 0. 025% indicated for topical application in the treatment of acne vulgaris.
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The Truth about Goats
While the Government introduces Quarantine Hotels, plans to put potentially ill travellers in your spare bedroom have been less than popular. Airbnb plans to offer private lodgings for any holidaymaker displaying Coronavirus-like symptoms, provided they comment favourably on the water pressure, without stealing the towels.
Homestays for the infected will tap into the market for those who want to get ill on a budget. Said one reviewer: ‘By the second week of the virus I had to be put on a ventilator, but the Wi-Fi signal remained good – overall four stars out of five’.
Another commented: ‘The refrigerator was spotless, which was perfect for keeping my vaccine shots at an appropriate temperature. The bathroom was stocked with toiletries and His’N’Her swabs. But my wife did die of an underlying health condition – two stars’. Sadly, the cancellation policy for any virus sufferer is strict, as death is no excuse.
There was one cryptic review left by a C.Ovid, who had visited the UK back in 2019: ‘It was great getting meet as many people as possible. I only booked for a couple of days – but I plan to stay for much longer. So much longer’.


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Sew It Forward
Red Thread Studio is partnering with Deborah Fisher of Bo Twal to help provide handmade dolls to girls and boys in underdeveloped countries. Proceeds from the sale of the Sewing Smiles pattern and kits not only provide a source of income to local sewists, but also for every pattern or kit purchased, a handmade doll using the same Sewing Smiles pattern will be given to a child in need.
Proceeds from the sale of Bo the Bunny pattern and Underwater Quintet will also go to Bo Twal.
Bo Twal means cloth kiss in Haitian Creole. You can learn more about Bo Twal at http://botwal.org.
To order a pattern or kit, please click here:


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Anchor: Pirates of
the Vohoun > Lands
> Lof Tura
Lof Tura ("Island of Death")
Lof Tura dominates the central Vohoun, and not just because it's the largest land-mass between the Amedio and Hepmonaland. The island's a nexus for the strange and magical powers pulsing through the region, and its dense forests and mist-shrouded valleys hold all manner of dreams and nightmares.
Explorers who have visited the island report that creatures out-of-time populate its many rifts and canyons, as well as some of the smaller islands clustered around it. Immense reptiles, intelligent lizardmen and wingless wyrms can be found here, as well as monsters of a less terrestrial origin.
Two active volcanoes --one on the island's northern half, another on its southern half -- periodically erupt, blocking out the sun with dark columns of ash and sending tendrils of lava crawling to the sea. Weak to strong tremors routinely shake the island and pose a significant threat to anyone attempting to explore the island's interior. Intelligent races have been attempting to settle the island for generations. Adventurers report finding traces of Olman and Touv cities and villages on the island, as well as ruins left by less-identifiable peoples.
At any given time there are a handful of small -- 50 to 100 people -- villages on the island, but these are usually transitory in nature. Some are escaped slaves who've come to the most dangerous land in the Vohoun in the hopes that their tormentors would not follow, while others are folks fleeing enemies and hoping to lay low for a while. Still others are explorers who set up base camps in hopes of discovering one of the island's many animal and mineral treasures.
The island's name, Lof Tura, is Suelese for
"Island of Death". Adventurers in the Principality of
Oldrin have given it another name: Monster Island.
2. The Curse
of Nofsa Galin
The Brotherhood sent a small fleet to establish a permanent, fortified colony on the island's northern shore, with the explicit goal of uncovering the source of the island's magical energy, and capturing its denizens for use established monster breeding programs. The colony, known as Ulmis, was made up a few hundred loyal Suel and about 300 slaves.
Using magic and slave labor, they quickly cleared land in northern jungle for their new town, and erected city walls using a combination of local hardwood and basalt hacked from old lava flows. A subterranean level was created to hold research animals for experimentation, and reinforced iron barred pens were constructed both inside and outside the village's walls for the same purpose
From the very beginning though, the island spelled doom for the Brotherhood colonists, who quickly began calling it Lof Tora, or "Island of Death". Fierce monsters --some mutated versions of traditional jungle animals -- began attacking the town, slaying slaves and even taking down the occasional Brotherhood member
The great reptiles of legends, who's footsteps shook the earth almost as much as the earthquakes, discovered the town and its slaves. Within weeks the Brotherhood's slave population had been decimated, crippling the colony's ability to raise crops and forcing it to allocate more time to fishing and to sending food gathering expeditions into the forest.
These activities in turn revealed even greater mysteries and dangers. Brotherhood explorers found lost cities with incredible treasures, monsters like carnivorous, self-propelled plants capable of chasing their prey, and what survivors later claimed were portals to other planes and times. But their single greatest discovery was a race of pre-sentient lizardmen that appeared to be the devolved remnants of an ancient civilization.
Sensing the potential for an excellent slave race, the Brotherhood captured many of these humanoids and brought them back to their village for experimentation. The specifics of what happened next are unknown.
What is known is that the island's mists suddenly grew far thicker and menacing. Passing ships reported seeing large explosions and strange lights rippling around the island's northern shore. Finally, both volcanoes erupted, creating immense clouds of ash that blocked out the sun around the region and actually lowered temperatures around Oerik and the Flanaess for nearly a year.
When the eruptions ended, and the first brave (and foolish) adventurers returned to the island, they found that the Scarlet Brotherhood encampment had been destroyed and that all of its inhabitants -- Suel and slaves alike -- had been slain.
Since then, a new legend has come into existence: the Nofsa Galin ("the Scarlet Terrors"). The terrors take the form of a seemingly sentient scarlet mist that encircles and then subdues or slays its victims. The mists apparently can move quite quickly as gusts of wind, and some report that the mist's attack is more like a whirlwind than it is a slow descending of evening mist.
In any case, some of those attacked by the mist have died instantly after having the life drained from them. Others have passed out only to awake only to find themselves transported to another part of the Vohoun. There seems to be no rhyme or reason beyond the attacks, and the Suel are just as likely to be attacked as runway slaves.
Some claim that that the Scarlet Terrors were created when the ancient god of the lizardmen cursed the Suel for their horrid experiments. Others claim the Suel brought upon the transformation themselves in an attempt to fight back at the force that attacked them when the volcanoes erupted. Still others say that the Brotherhood's agents found and used an artifact from another plane of existence that transformed them. But in truth, no one knows exactly what happened, and most chalk it up as one more reason to never, ever visit the curse island of Lof Tura.
Anchor: Pirates of the Vohoun > Lands > Lof Tura
Questions? Heretical complaints? E-mail us!
Lost? Check out our sitemap
Original content (c) 2001 Kenneth Newquist
D&D 3E (c) 2000 Wizards of the Coast

domain: geography


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His next-of-kin told the publication the man had no underlying health conditions, was “fit and healthy” and, according to hospital staff, had suffered a blood clot in his lungs.
Australia’s medicines regulator said it was “aware of this case” but did not comment publicly on an individual “adverse event following immunisation” reports, the name given to any untoward medical event that takes place after a vaccination has been given, regardless of a proven causal link.
“The reporting of an adverse event to TGA post vaccination does not mean the event was caused by the vaccination,” the Therapeutic Goods Administration said, in a statement.
“All reports to the TGA of death following vaccination are reviewed to assess the likelihood that the vaccine contributed to the event or medical condition that lead (sic) to a fatal outcome.”
As is standard practice, that review will be undertaken by clinical staff and include medical history, risk factors, medications and clinical notes.
In some cases, that could include speaking with the state health department and doctors or seeking expert advice from the Vaccine Safety Investigation Group (VSIG) or Advisory Committee on Vaccines.
NSW Health also declined to discuss individual cases.
“NSW Health is notified when a serious or unexpected adverse event occurs,” the department said.
“NSW Health investigates these events and refers its expert panel findings to the TGA, which is responsible for assessing causality.
“Many conditions can arise during normal life, whether or not a vaccine is administered, but it remains important to report any new serious or unexpected events so that safety can be appropriately monitored.”
The Tamworth man’s family member told the Northern Daily Leader they didn’t know which vaccine the man had received.
The TGA earlier this month recommended the Pfizer vaccine be given to those under 50 because of concerns about extremely rare blood clots possibly linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
As of April 22, the VSIG had reviewed six such cases, referred to as “thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome” because of the combination of clots and low platelets, and found they were “likely” linked to vaccination.
That put the rate of cases at about six per million doses administered.
The TGA issued a similar statement in response to reports a 71-year old had died in Sydney days after receiving an Astra-Zeneca COVID-19.


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AZ - Feel My Pain
Why did nobody tell me that AZ shot a video for this until that 2DopeBoyz post with his new Nothing Move song the other day? I'm glad he did because it's one of my favourite cuts to emerge from the big apple in the past couple of months (plus verification that I'm Ill wasn't just a fluke after a couple of years where AZ was looking completely washed up) and it fits in nicely with the great-viral-street-singles-by-nineties-leftover-NY-rappers movement this year alongside Canal Street by Raekwon, Thug Planet by CNN et al, Figure Four by Sean Price, and Ric Flair by Cam & Vado. Though, if we've not had viral bangers by Black Rob, Royal Flush, Snagglepuss, and Keith Nut by the end of october it'll all have been a waste of time.
Not a bad video considering it probably cost less than $20 to shoot (though, I can't imagine those Feel My Pain slogan tees will be as successful around Brooklyn as Maino's Hi Hater tees were, tbh), with the old pictures and video footage serving to remind us that HE'S DONE SONGS WITH NAS!!!!/BEEN IN VIDEOS WITH BIGGIE AND JAY-Z!!!!, and that he's also hopped on the sequel bandwagon in response to the complete apathy to his last few albums and DOE OR DIE 2 IS COMING OUT SOON!!!!!! I can't work out whether Doe Or Die 2 is a new album or a repackaged version of the original with all the remixes and a few new tracks, though. 'Sup with that?


Teemu Selanne ranked a love for the game and urge to represent Finland in the 2014 Winter Olympics among the many reasons why he decided to give it one more go in 2013-14. He also mapped out some clear team-based goals for the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.
Most specifically, he noted that losing to the Detroit Red Wings in Game 7 of their first-round series left the team stinging, motivating the 43-year-old to finish his career on a high note, as the team’s Twitter feed reports.
“I really feel there is unfinished business and we have a better team than that. Everyone in that locker room feels that way,” Selanne said. “We have so many good things going on right now. That’s why I’m here. I’m hungry to win again.”
“The Finnish Flash” told the OC Register’s Eric Stephens that he had a “very open” meeting with head coach Bruce Boudreau, clearing up what kind of role he can expect to play with Anaheim next season.
Hearing some bold words from Selanne must be heartening both to Ducks fans and management after a summer wondering if their star would give the hockey world one more year.
More Selanne stuff


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As leading immigration specialists in South Africa, we provide assistance with visas to travel to South Africa for tourism or business
How to apply for a South African eVisa to visit South Africa for business?
With the new online visa system, the process is now much simpler, without the need to go to the South African embassy or consulate to apply. This visa allows you to conduct negotiations with South African Companies. You must enter the country within 90 days of visa issuance and allows you to stay for 30 to 90 days per entry, depending on your citizenship.
How to apply for a South African eVisa to visit South Africa for holiday?
The online visa for South Africa is also called an eVisa (electronic visa) or South Africa Tourist Visa. This is a new convenient method of applying for a visa to enter South Africa. The purpose of this visa is for a bona fide holiday and visitors from over 14 countries can apply for South Africa visit visa for tourism purposes.
How to extend a South African travel Visa to stay longer in South Africa?
The duration of a travel visa can be extended once for a period of 90 days, and you’re allowed a maximum stay of 180 days per annum. One extension for a maximum of 3 months may be granted from within South Africa, but the extension application must be made to the authorities at least 60 days prior to expiry of the current visa. Ensure you meet the eligibility criteria for an extension which includes a valid reason for extending your stay, such as medical treatment, family emergencies, or unforeseen circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about short stay visas for travelers visiting South Africa
Most applications are approved within 3 weeks, but the processing time can vary depending on the individual circumstances of each applicant and the volume of applications being processed at the time.
By email. Once approved, an eVisa for South Africa is electronically linked to the traveler’s passport, the same one used to complete the online application.
You must have funds equivalent to 3000 South African Rand ($164.30) to apply for the visa.
Bank statements, Salary advances, Undertakings by the host, Bursary, Medical cover or Cash available.
Foreign citizen coming to South Africa from a yellow fever high risk of transmission country must carry the international yellow fever certificate of vaccination.
Yes, a return flight ticket is required as proof of the length of your stay, but this can be a provisional booking and doesn't need to be paid.
It's crucial not to exceed the allowed time of stay on your visa, as this can result in a substantial penalty and a ban from entering South Africa for 5 years.
It is essential to apply for your visa extension at least 60 days in advance to give the Department of Home Affairs time to process your visa and prevent you from overstaying.
The Immigration Act says that every person must use a legal port of entry where there is proper border control with immigration and custom officials when entering and departing the republic.
It depends on the country from which one holds a passport, and there's a list of countries which are visa exempt for 30 and 90 days, but for tourism purposes only.


At least that’s what fans in Jakarta Indonesia thought Saturday night while watching his My World Concert Tour.
Because the stage is set up differently on the Asian leg of the tour, The Biebs was not able to float over the audience during his acoustic set in his metal, heart-shaped space ship.
Instead, Bieber and lead guitarist Dan Kanter sat on the stage under a single spotlight and belted out a few of their favorite acoustic tunes.
One in particular, Edwin McCain’s “I’ll be your crying shoulder”, has not been heard by the teen sensation since he was twelve years old belting it out on YouTube.
In fact, this was Bieber’s first chance to show his fans what it sounds like now that his voice has dropped. And by the response of the fans – they loved it. And by the time it was over - Justin was crying.
It also took guitarist Dan Kanter totally by surprise as he tweeted after the show,
“Tonight ON STAGE during the acoustic set JB called out "I'll Be" by @TheEdwinMcCain. Good thing I knew how to play it from @jonahkanter”
From Indonesia, Bieber travels down under to Australia for five shows in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne.
Watch Justin Bieber Sing Acoustic “I’ll Be” in Jakarta with Dan Kanter


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SANFORD _ The Florida Department of Transportation's Wekiva Parkway Section 7A pre-construction public meeting on Feb. 22 drew 184 people. This project involves building the elevated parkway along the State Road (S.R.) 46 corridor from near Longwood-Markham Road to Orange Boulevard, as well as parallel, non-tolled service roads for local trips.
Attendees at the meeting at Lakeside United Methodist Church, 121 N. Henderson Lane in Sanford, submitted eight comment forms and 10 public involvement performance surveys. Comment topics included how to access the parkway, fencing, landscaping, concerns about road closures, noise and lane transitions at State Road (S.R.) 46 and International Parkway.
Among the officials attending were Jean Jreij and Matt Hassan of Seminole County Public Works, Tony Matthews of Seminole County Planning, and a number of Seminole County Fire and Rescue personnel.
Section 7A is scheduled to begin construction in April - May, and finish in spring-summer of 2022.


New Worldwide Mobile Operator Survey Reveals Opportunities, Challenges, and Timelines for 5G Deployment
June 05, 2019
A new 451 Research study commissioned by Vertiv has brought new insight and clarity to how global operators are working toward the deployment of 5G and new edge intelligence environments to support it
Overall the report concludes that while some initial steps are happening now, a little over half the operators said they would deliver their first 5G commercial services in 2020 and a third said 2021. The initial deployments will primarily be faster versions of existing services like information feeds, social media, games, and movies.
Two of the key drivers for 5G involve faster data rates within the Radio Access Network (RAN), increased intelligence at the network edge to support low latency applications, and increased capacity to support Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
Key challenges involve addressing increased energy requirements and site acquisition to support the denser RAN topologies and edge intelligence required for 5G.
I talked with Martin Olsen, Vice President, Global Edge & Integrated Solutions at Vertiv to get his perspective on the conclusions in the study and what that means to the 5G ecosystem.
Martin Olsen has a 20-year history with data center power and cooling infrastructure and manages the strategic product roadmaps and software services as it relates to edge computing. Martin regularly interacts with customers to identify key features and timelines to align product roadmaps.
Q: The research paper mentions the 5G evolution will begin for most in the next couple of years. What are the steps we’ll see as we progress through these next two years?
Olsen: The evolution will be a journey. Intelligent edge and how 5G complements it is still being explored and it’s an aggregate of a number of technologies. I think we’ll see a number of proof of concepts first. Trial balloons that focus around the RAN. Broadcast and more traditional/current use cases involving content distribution networks for example. These mature use cases have their own well known, mature business case around them. The development of business models around new use cases is in early stages. There is some activity, but it’s not wide spread because the business model isn’t understood yet.
Q: One of the key findings mentioned “Site acquisition and connectivity” being critical enablers – are mobile operators going to get into the data center business?
Olsen: Mobile operators have their own CO [central office] and infrastructure. There are also tower sites. A third actor now involves property management companies. Thousands of small cell nodes need to be put in place where they’ve never been put before. Metro area properties and new actors will be coming into play. Antennas, server racks, and backhaul need to be considered. Initially it will be about placing the small cell and broadcast equipment. When real MEC [multi-access edge computing] starts gathering critical mass, larger sites will be needed to leverage distributed cloud computing.
Q: The study mentioned that energy efficiency is a large concern for 5G – will this be a roadblock? What kinds of solutions are available?
Olsen: The study finding that energy is a concern wasn’t surprising. Operators are already seeing the densification causing increased power demand. One example of increased power involved redundancy. In a centralized solution, you typically design in redundancy which may effectively double power and space requirements. As the 5G decentralization evolves, designing redundancy at all these distributed locations is not feasible from a power and space perspective. At Vertiv, we’re innovating around utilizing mesh networks to build redundancy into the network instead of being built into each node. Maybe you have a single UPS [uninterruptable power supply] at a site and if it goes down, through orchestration traffic reroutes to another site as opposed to implementing redundancy at each site. We’re also looking at ways to optimize power and cooling infrastructure.
More Study Observations
Olsen went on to describe using statistics and telemetry information at each site that could be operated on by cloud infrastructure. The telemetry information can provide information on system health, use and load. Adding automated orchestration and intelligence involving when to shut down a VM [virtual machine], moving a VM to another network may be able to optimize energy load across the entire system as well as avoiding potential down time.
Olsen mentioned retail and health care have edge sites but don’t rely on 5G networks today. But the analytics is happening on-site. As this paradigm continues to evolve, the intelligence will migrate into the RAN as opposed to burning space and power at the location. Being positioned at the RAN also opens the door to intelligent processing, metrics sharing and management services.
The study also mentions that long-term 5G use cases involve:
- Enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB)
- Ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLCC)
- Massive machine-type communications (mMTC)
mmWave technology will enable up to 1 gigabit per second bandwidth, but need to be deployed as smaller, more densely populated nodes that will host far fewer people and things. Operators will need to roughly double the number of radio access locations in the next 10-15 years.
Multi-access edge computing (MEC) will give rise to small, self-contained data center infrastructure within the mobile network as far out as the radio towers as well as intermediate metro Points of Presence (PoPs), aggregation locations, customer premises, roadside enclosures, and other points between the RAN and core network. When this happens, these mini and micro data centers will need to consider how they are powered and environmental factors.
The marketing hype for 5G is in full swing, painting the picture as if 5G will be here this year or next. However, it will take significant time to think through how 5G will proliferate through cityscape, and landscape. Power and environmental considerations are complex. Mission critical equipment from a centralized data center is being distributed to corporate buildings, industrial settings, and smart poles. This raises important questions like cooling the equipment, power delivery, dust, weather conditions, and how to maintain and service the new distributed 5G infrastructure. The reward is great. New business models and services that can be provided will be a huge transformational event for mobile operators. It will just take time to get there.